Jenn's Episodes

Quick Note - Friend in Town!

2009-08-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

We got to see an old friend in late July when Nicole Reese traveled into town from Houston for work... Although brief, we had a great visit at a little sports bar off of 4th Street in San Fran. Great to see you Nicole - looking forward to hangin' with you all sometime soon! We miss y'all sooo much!

Dates with Shay

2009-08-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Thankfully I've had a partner in crime during my play days off these last few weeks. Shay is a full time MOM and is a veteran at finding fun things to do in San Fran so we've met up for a few 'dates' to hang out lately. It's been AWESOME!

We checked out a new breakfast place called The Flower Market Cafe which happens to be (surprise - surprise) located beside a giant flower market! There are TONS of flowers...it's like a dream...every beautiful shade and type of flower you can imagine, if you can name it - they have it! These pictures really don't do it all justice but this gives you a bit of an idea of just how beautiful it is.

On another of our outings we headed to the San Francisco Zoo (I LOVE the zoo!) for a fun-filled day with Rhys and Myles. It was a blast... We got to see the new baby monkey that was born a few months ago (and his giant dad) as well as ride the carousel and train. It was awesome... Reminded me of going to the zoo when Iwas younger with daycare - I can remember going on a trip where my Dad chaperoned and ran around taking pictures of me at the petting zoo...just like I was doing with Myles and Rhys - haha! We really had a great time!

Darb - Not sure if you read my blog but if you do, the picture above reminds me of YOU...you know why! I miss you!

Shay has introduced me to several other fun places including Zazie , a super cute little restaurant where we had a delicious breakfast, located in the SF neighborhood of Cole Valley... Also, another fun restaurant, the Blue Barn had a killer turkey sandwich with brie, my absolutely favorite... She took me here AFTER introducing me to maybe the hardest workout I've ever done at...The Bar Method. This is like yoga/pilates times 10, using only a bar for balance and your strength to sustain energy throughout the pain and anguish which promises (and I believe) to deliver a much more toned body. Although super rough, I'm totally hooked - I'll be frequenting The Bar Method again very soon.

Enjoy the pictures - and thanks to Shay for being my new SFBF...more soon!

Sibling Love in San Francisco

2009-08-03T22:54:00.001-07:00

So a week after we visited LA, Brother headed up north and flew in for the weekend in San Francisco. I have to say it was awesome to see him two weeks in a row, so much fun.

Our first day in the city we headed to Muir Woods, a National Redwood Forest and it was so beautiful! I can remember reading about Redwood Trees way-back-when and not really understanding the concept that a tree could be so big. All I could say - over and over again that day, was - WOW! These trees are gi-normous and so magical...I could have stayed in this forest forever, and we kinda did...stayed there a lot longer than we planned for anyway, haha. We decided to take the long hiking trail - and let's just say we got our work out for the day. =)

I propose we plant more Redwood's around the world - it makes people like me look TINY!...love it...hehe!

I'm officially a tree-hugger...literally!

On the way down the mountain, leaving Muir Woods, we pulled over to take a couple of pictures looking out at the bay. It is just so beautiful all around San Francisco - the sites almost make you forget about the weather...except for those giant gushes of wind that come through every 5 to 10 seconds. =)

Saturday morning we walked down to the Ferry Building with the pups - showed Christopher AT&T Park and the amazing Farmer's Market hosted at the Ferry Building every Saturday. See all those little tents in the picture below - imagine the freshest fruit, nuts, flowers, etc. that you've ever seen or tasted...it really is amazing.

This is some wierd fountain we passed while walking around - you can actually walk through the fountain...pretty cool. It's a kids dreamland!

Picture above is from one of Marc's work events we went to over the weekend. Our friend Shay took the picture in the middle of working - photographing the event. Such a good picture - thought I'd share.

Another of the fun things we did while Brother was here was go to the Golden Gate Bridge, minus one Marc Magnone. Marc's not big on heights - especially no big heights. So we went with the intention of scoping it out to see if he'll be going on the next site-seeing trip over it. Not sure I'll be able to convince him - especially after these pictures!

Not the most comforting sign to see as you arrive in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge... =)

We had SOO MUCH FUN - I miss you Brother. Thanks for hanging with us and making me laugh and feel at home for awhile. It was so great - can't wait to see you in September!

LA-LA with my Favorite Brother!

2009-08-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

YES - I know he's my only brother...minor details. I recently realized a ton has happened since my last update - figured I better get on top of things or I'm going to forget some of the 'awesome-ness' of the past few weekends. I was lucky enough to see my little brother two weekends in a row in July - so incredible. I really never knew growing up that one day he'd be like my best friend - we have so much fun together just being stupid and goofing off. It's great! Of course he still annoys me by being as sarcastic as possible and picking on me every so often but hey, he wouldn't be my brother if he didn't do those things - I expect them! He's become a great friend and has even taught me a lot about myself over these past few months...he lives 6 hours away from me in LA and I can honestly say I'm going to miss him even more when he moves back to Texas. He's pretty much the best brother - ever...just so we're clear.

So, back to my story - Marc and I went down to LA earlier this month for a long weekend visit with Chris, Kash and Tina - it was a blast. First of all, Kash is an old friend of Marc's who is pretty fantastic and an absolute blast to hang out with. He met a great girl (Tina, just so we're clear) and quickly scooped-her-up and they are set to be married in none other than HAWAII in September...yes, I'm jealous and sad we'll miss it but am definitely anxiously awaiting the pictures. Tina was off to her bachlorette party in Vegas for the weekend but we did get to sneak in one dinner before her departure.

Next day, Laguna Beach with Little Bro while Marc worked - so incredibly amazing...I wish I was there RIGHT NOW. In short - Paradise in CA.

The next day we headed to Malibu, close to where Kash and Tina live in Calabasas (sp?) for another fun filled day on the beach. What a great area - I'd move there immediately if given the chance...uhm...if I could change one thing - the RIDICULOUS traffic!

I like to call the picture above 'Palm Marc'

So lucky - hangin' with three studds on the beach... =)

We stopped for some scenic pictures including stopping off at an old movie set to take some fun pictures and 'check things out'. So cool - fun to play!

Headed out to Katsuya in Hollywood for the evening - had an amazing dinner with some pretty fantastic food and the company was perfect, of course. We really had soooo much fun!

And look who made a cameo appearance....JEFF! Jill's big brother was hangin' at the same restaurant, one table over from us - sooo random but great to see him and catch up for a minute!

This picture of Kash might be my favorite of the evening...we had so much fun that we almost missed our flight on the way out. Any excuse to stay a little longer! Thanks to Kash, Tina and Brother for being fantastic hosts - we can't wait to come back and also, can't wait for you to come visit us! Stay tuned for pictures from Brother's weekend in San Francisco...coming soon!

Sunday at Fort Funston

2009-07-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Marc and I decided since we'd been gone all day on Saturday that Sunday would be all about Maddie and Dex! We got up early and went to church, had breakfast at this great little place around the corner from our apartment - Brickhouse Cafe (www.brickhousesf.com) - and then loaded the pups up for their first trip to the beach!

We took them to Fort Funston which is, quite frankly, a dog's dreamland. Fort Funston is this giant strip of land with beaches, cliffs, forest, trails...it's an amazing place to let the pups run free (off-leash) and tap into their curiosity. They have free reign of the park and can run and play and investigate at their leisure while Mom and Dad take in the sites and get quite a bit of exercise hiking up and down hills and through the sandy beach. =)

Below you can see the pups were anxiously awaiting their destination...we were prepared with a sheet already protecting our seats pre-beach.

At first glance while piling out of the car, the views around us were just gorgeous...the pictures below don't do this place justice but hopefully you can get an idea of just how beautiful it is.

Fort Funston isn't only a place for pups to play, it's also a place for human folk to partake in some pretty crazy beach activities including......hand-gliding! Because there are so many cliffs in this area I guess it makes for a great place for hand gliders to come out and enjoy their favorite hobby.

As we began walking down towards the beach area from 'way up,' at first glance I was totally intimidated. I could envision me rolling down this steep sandy path and landing in the middle of the ocean below as Maddie and Dexter raced after me to lick my face - easy access when I'm lying face up on the beach..........BUT THANKFULLY, that didn't happen! =) It was totally worth the climb (down and up) because the pups had soooo much fun!

Doesn't it look like they're both smiling in the picture below? I like to think they're saying 'Thanks for bringing us here Mom - this place is awesome!' =)

Contrary to what you might think, beaches are chilly in San Francisco in July...I'm sure you can tell by our attire below.Marc (below) trying to get Dex to sit still so I can take a picture of how INCREDIBLY DIRTY he was!

Two happy Jacks (in pics below) enjoying their new, giant park

Action Shots! =)

Dexter fighting Marc (below) for the ball... Maddie was supervising.

These next few pictures are my favorite from the day...it was so beautiful out and we were able to get some pretty awesome pictures of the two of them. Some of these might be frame -worthy, I think... The first picture below I titled 'Where's Dexter?'

After lots of running and playing, the dogs weren't the only ones who were dirty...we got caught up in the tide coming in and were soaked from about mid-shin down! Hard to tell in the picture (below) but trust me, we were WET!

Remember I mentioned our climbing down and 'up'? Well, below you can see a picture of the trail we had to hike up with the pups after our adventurous day on the beach. My legs were screaming at me most of the way up. =)

These are looking back while on the path - catching a little bit of a breath and using the excuse, 'I need to take a picture'... =)

We had a great time and will definitely be heading back to Fort Funston soon. It was another peaceful day and so beautiful out playing on/in the Pacific. I am pretty sure that Madd and Dex have officially learned what the word 'beach' mean and will be begging to go back soon. We have some videos we took while we were out there that I'll download later...for now, enjoy the pictures!

Napa Valley with John and Shay

2009-07-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday Marc and I made our first trip (of many....I predict) out to Napa Valley with our good friends Shay and John. We've been looking forward to taking advantage of wine country being so close and this was the first weekend we didn't have plans - so, we decided this should be our first 'road trip' out of the bay area. Wow - that's the best word to describe the gorgeous scenery of rolling hills, green fields and so many beautiful flowers that I just didn't want the day to end. It's almost overwhelming - your eyes don't know where to look because they want to soak it all in...we had SO-MUCH-FUN!

First stop on Saturday morning was at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars...we learned quite a bit at this winery. Found out that Stags Leap is an area of Napa and there are two Stag's Leap wine companies mutually exclusive of each other...the other is Stags' Leap Winery (notice different use of the apostrophe) which we plan to hit on our next trip out.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars are known for their Cabernet and Chardonnay so we tried out several of their wines and learned a lot about the industry at the same time. Our 'Wine Enthusiast' aka server was awesome. He did a great job of educating us about different grapes and how which grapes are used to create certain flavors, the harvesting process and the history of the Stags Leap area.

Next stop on our adventure - Cakebread Cellars, a favorite winery around the San Fran area. This property was absolutely gorgeous as we drove directly into the rows of grapes to get to the main tasting area. Don't you just love that concentrated look on Marc's face as he tried to back up down a road while cars were speeding past him? Note to driver - don't miss entrance next time... =)

There were two parts of this stop that I enjoyed the most - (1) we got to do our tasting in a cellar with these giant barrels of wine around us... Crazy to learn about how much these barrels are moved around during the aging process and was really neat to be able to stand in the middle of them and take it all in as we were getting guidance from Martha - our favorite 'Wine Enthusiast' of the day!

...and (2) my second favorite thing, the Cakebread property had this gorgeous green and blooming garden that we were able to walk through. They grow many of the vegetables they serve on property in this garden...you'll see some of the veggies below. I want a garden like this one day! =)

That is Squash above and Broccoli below...kinda cool, huh?

Tomatoes growing on the vine (above) and GIANT sunflowers (below) were all over the place...these flowers are so beautiful, you can't help but look at them and want to smile. They make me happy! =)

Our next stop was Mustard's Grill where we gorged on giant cheeseburgers and consumed as much water as possible to wash away all the different tasting wine flavors...then, off for more site-seeing and one more winery.

I just love the picture above of this palm tree......doesn't it just scream VACATION AND RELAXATION to you? It did for me...

Our last stop for the day was at Domaine Carneros where we tasted 'sparkling wine,' not to be confused with Champagne, as I learned on Saturday that you are only allowed to use the word Champagne if the grapes come from the Champagne region of France. Most of you might have already known this but it was news to me and I thought it was really interesting! I am a big champagne/sparkling wine fan so this was probably my favorite tasting of the day. It's crazy to taste one after the other after the other and be able to pick out the suttle differences in flavor that make them really taste a lot different. Domaine Carneros has this gigantic balcony overlooking the Napa Valley and the hundreds of rows of growing grapes, not to mention the immaculately manicured lawns with so many flowers and rolling greens that I just wanted to stay there...well...forever!

Look closely and you can see the little green grapes!

I'm sure you can tell by how many pictures I posted and me going on and on and ON about it that we just had a blast. I can't wait to go back up there - this was such a relaxing day - yummy wine, good friends, great food and amazing scenery...can't ask for more than that on a vacation get-a-way day!

Giants Game

2009-07-13T08:51:00.001-07:00

Marc and I finally made it to our first Giants game together last week - we missed them playing the Astros but did get to see them beat San Diego on a perfect Thursday evening at AT&T Park. Also got to see Tim Lincecum pitch, last year's Cy Young winner... He's amazing - crazy to watch his body contortions as he delivers strike out after strike out... We lucked out this time around as one of Marc's co-workers invited us to the suite they had for the evening - these suites are SWEET (no pun intended). And what a view - I can't get over how beautiful the scenery is at this stadium. If you've never been and are a baseball fan, it's totally worth a visit!

I think we'll become giant Giants fans...it's just too easy. The ballpark is two blocks from our house, we're huge baseball fans and the whole experience is just a blast. Looking forward to going back to the ballpark very soon!

Our First Visitors

2009-07-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

The first week of July we had our first visitors in town. It was AWESOME - I can't explain how happy I am that we live in a place where we can have visitors who can *comfortably* stay with us...have their own bed/bathroom and enjoy themselves instead of being cramped up!

Marc's friend Chris came out for a few days so we headed into Oakland to see the Athletics play the Tigers... Very cool to go to an Athletics game although sorda sad. I remember the Athletics as this famous ball team with sell-out crowds way bay when Jose Canseco was playing... Since that time it looks like Oakland-ers (?) have lost all interest. I felt like I was at a college baseball game...much smaller crowd of fans than I would have expected. Regardless, I had a fun time (even in the blustering wind = very cold) and WILL GO BACK!

For July 4th, Mom and Dad Magnone came out for a fantastic visit - they arrived July 2nd which is Mom Magnone's birthday...we had so much fun! We went to dinner at a little Italian treasure of a restaurant we found - La Briciola ( http://www.labriciola-sf.com/ ) to celebrate and had a great meal including a delicious Tira Masu for dessert... The SURPRISE was that I'd made Mom Magnone's fav dessert for dinner back at home, CARROT CAKE! Most of you are impressed right now that I actually made a carrot cake...I'm not much of a chef, but I'm learning - and I am happy to report that THIS carrot cake was delici-OH-SO! And most importantly, the birthday girl approved! =)

On Friday, we became tourist in our new home town...first stop, a drive down Lombardi Street. If you don't know about Lombardi Street, well...look it up! Below is our first picture as Marc drove down Lombardi Street...

And the picture below is looking up after our very 'curvy' drive!

We made our way over to the cable cars and stood in a long line...but finally made it onto our first ride and it was TOTALLY worth the wait!

My family (above) and (below) my husband... Are we cute!??!?

These pictures are from our cable car ride up and down and up and down Hyde...so many beautiful views. It was so worth the wait - absolutely GORGEOUS!

On Saturday night Dad Magnone took us to maybe...possibly...the best Italian restaurant I've ever eaten at... Il Davide in San Rafael, CA. Be sure to check it out if you're ever in the area!

A few pictures with Mom and Dad Magnone's FAVORITE grand pups...

What a good looking family - we love y'all. Had so much fun during our short visit - come back soon! We're also looking forward to our next round of visitors - Brother, hurry up and get here!

Maddie and Dex - New Digs

2009-07-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

Maddie and Dexter have settled into their new home quite nicely (as you'll see from the pictures below) and continue to be a constant source of entertainment in our household. We've been working with them a lot on walking 'off leash' and 'recall' as that's the 'california way' around here. There's a small grassy area behind our apartment where neighborhood dogs gather to run and play and...as maybe you suspected...there's no fence. This puppy Mom gets totally stressed out letting them off the leash and actually trusting them to listen to me...Marc is a lot better - he's been doing a great job working with them and they are listening to him well... As in NYC, they've helped us to quickly meet several new friends, the majority of which are dog owners...all super friendly and welcoming.

These two have turned into even bigger characters through this moving transition - we love to watch them play/fight/play and to see Maddie as she puts Dexter in check and reminds him who's really boss around the house. Maddie's even learned to pick up her water bowl and toss it across the floor when she wants more...their communication skills are really developing. =) Dexter has made himself a new hiding spot under the guest bed AND more importantly, the new couch. Funniest part about this is that once he's under there, he can't seem to squeeze out so we begin to hear low whiny tones (aka cries for help) coming from under the couch and we have to move the couch to get him out... It's constant fun here with the 'Maddie and Dexter Show'. =)

Below are a few pictures we've taken around the apartment as Madd and Dex have 'made themselves at home'.

This is normally how the day starts - see those looks of expecatation...like 'Mom, seriously when are you or Dad going to take us out for our walk???'

After morning walk and some play group time, they will crash for the majority of the day...lends to the question...who came up with the phrase 'working hard as a dog?'....I want that job...

Curious as always, they LOVE the giant windows and new furniture they can jump on to watch people (and cars and trains, etc.) all day long...lol...

The picture below is the sweet behavior that most don't get to see - all cuddled up together, cleaning each other and snuggling while they snooze...soooo cute.

After a day of walks and playing and napping, these are the looks I begin to get around 3 or 4 in the afternoon - along with a low and consistent whine BEGGING for attention, love, play with the tennis ball, etc...

Above is the new food bowls I got for them - LOVE THIS PIECE...we actually ordered it from www.etsy.com - what a great way to find a one of a kind a doggie bowl and holder!

Here are our munchkins after a long day of food, fun and play - so precious...recharging their batteries...nothing like sibbling love. =)

I think I can say that Maddie and Dexter are going to be great California Poochies and fit in quite nicely in their new neighborhood...now we have to get them some San Fran Giants jersey's so they'll really 'fit in'. =)

Settling In - Our New Apartment and Neighborhood

2009-06-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

Marc and I have spent *MANY HOURS* getting our apartment together over the past month and this weekend, I'm happy to say, we're finally FINISHED!....well, sorda... If you know me and the way that I decorate, it'll always be a 'work in progress' but we're both happy with the outcome as of now. Take a look at where we started and how far we've come - it's slowly starting to feel like our home.

View from our apartment...

Our room - in the beginning...

Our room - after some serious work!

The extra bedroom - in the beginning...

The extra bedroom now - a.k.a. my new office!

Our kitchen - in the beginning...

Kitchen - all put together...

Living Room - in the beginning...

Living room NOW!

We've been out and about in the neighborhood as well, meeting lots of fun people - love to walk Maddie and Dexter down by AT&T Park and even went on a long walk last week to the Ferry building. The pups seem to be adjusting well and are loving their new-found freedom at the dog park behind our new place...they're making lots of new friends but of course miss their crew from the NYC Tate. ;)

AT&T Park

Bay Bridge

Front Entrance to AT&T Park

Yacht Club on the Embarcadero

We're definitely enjoying our new apartment and city - looking forward to lots more sight seeing and will post more pictures soon!

Andrew's Blanket

2009-06-28T08:07:00.001-07:00

So for the past several months, amidst all the moving around and trip-taking, etc., one thing has remained constant: I've been working hard on little Mr. Andrew's baby blanket! =) This blanket is well traveled as it's joined me on work trips, cross-country car rides and multiple airline carriers over the last year - haha. I've always loved to cross-stitch due to my Grannie and Mom's influence growing up, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to make something for my new nephew/Godson. Marc and I did a great job of hiding it all this time so it was a surprise to Les and Bill and Drew......good stuff! Thought I'd share a couple of pictures - I'm so proud of it. Thanks to Grannie for helping me with the final pieces!

Les sent me this last picture of Andrew enjoying his new blanket...LOVE IT! Is he precious or what? =)

Getting Back on Track

2009-06-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, I know...it's been a REALLY long time since I posted...again. Things have just been so crazy hectic around here but I'm happy to say that we're finally getting settled in our new place and I'm actually finding myself with time to spare in the evenings... Imagine that.

I think the best thing to do is give a quick recap of our time since we left Florida...just in case I leave anything out, you can always check out marcmagnone.com for the day-by-day details. Marc did a better job of staying on track but between the two of us, I think you'll be pretty caught up.

As a very brief overview of the way our May looked... We quickly flew into Houston from Florida (picture below is from our one-night stay...Dad treated us to Pappadeaux in Beaumont) and dropped off the pups and then flew out to San Francisco to buy a car and find a new home. We were in San Francisco a week - bought an Acura RL (love it...even though it definitely fits in the 'family car' category...I think I'm getting old) and found a cool apartment in SOMA, just about 3 blocks away from AT&T Park. Y'all know how much we love baseball and this area seems to be very up and coming - I'm pumped.

Dad treated us to Pappadeaux's in Beaumont our one night in town between Florida and CA

View from our hotel room at Hotel Nikko San Francisco

First dinner in our new city - Fisherman's Wharf complete with a stop at the Ghiradelli Factory - YUM!!!

After finding those two very important things, Marc stayed here to start work and I headed back to Houston for time with the family. Was in Houston for about 2 weeks where I had an absolute blast - got to hang with my Grannie, see my girls, meet Miss Maya Claire, hang with Mom and Dad, catch up with MFC...it was really cool. And then...I flew BACK to San Francisco to help Marc set up the apartment, once everything arrived on the giant truck from Long Island where it has been stored all these months. Maddie and Dex stayed with their grandparents and Marc and I went to work making our new place...our new 'home'.

Finally met Ryan...this BF approves! =)

We celebrated my birthday at Tres Agaves - this awesome mexican food place around the corner from us...they must have known I'd be moving in because the salsa rocks and the chips are flowing... Dream come true for this Tex-Mex crazed girl. After 'setting up shop' and celebrating my birthday, it was time for one more trip to see our great friends, Byron and Jess, get married. Talk about an adventure...

Planes - Trains - Automobiles...and I'm not kidding. We took a red-eye out of San Fran at 12:30 am and landed in Houston for a two hour layover... Then boarded a puddle-jumper-plane to Cincinnati, Ohio... Then rented a car and drove 2 hours to Ashland, Kentucky, hometown of the Judds and Billy Rae Cyrus...but more importantly, Jess's hometown. We had so much over this weekend - there are no words to describe it. I think Marc and I were both in tears on Sunday as we had to say goodbye to our NYC besties. What a beautiful wedding, gorgeous bride and handsome groom, both with a heart of gold...it was all just perfect.

We flew back to Houston and stayed a couple of days with the family - it was really great. I love my family so stinkin' much - it's amazing to me that daily I feel closer and closer to them. They are my heart and soul and I love the special times we get to spend together. After a good visit in Houston, we headed back to San Francisco WITH Maddie and Dex to start our new life as Californians!

This was out front of Mom and Dad's in Mont Belvieu - just before we headed to the airport for our final trip into San Fran...

The pictures enclosed are from our journey...enjoy them and we'll post pictures asap with tales of our first few weeks in San Fran, apartment pictures, job updates, etc. Enjoy and take care everyone!

Moving Time

2009-05-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Big news in the Magnone/Salters family - we are moving to San Francisco! Marc accepted a job last week with Clear Channel to be the General Sales Manager over two of his very own radio stations and the Total Traffic Network for the entire cluster - I'm so happy for him and excited about our new adventure!

The transition has already begun as he accepted last week and Friday we received our plane tickets to 'head west.' We flew out Saturday from Orlando and have arrived at our pit stop here in Houston for a very quick visit and to drop off the 'kids' with their 'grandparents' while Marc and I head to SF to find an apartment and a car.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we go through this next month and we'll do our best to keep you updated on our status. We are excited and thankful for this new opportunity - can you believe we're going to become Californians???

Me either...... :-)

FLO - RIDA

2009-04-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

So time has gotten away from me - terribly, I know...but I've been swamped with work and knowing that Marc was updating his blog so much just made my head spin to try and keep up! =) For those who haven't checked his space out, feel free to visit http://www.marcmagnone.com/ anytime to see what's new and exciting in our lives.

Things are changing quickly around here and soon I will have fun news to deliver about our next destination on the map of the U.S. but for now, I thought it was important to highlight some of my favorite times while I've been here in Florida. I should note - I LOVE Florida. If I wasn't a very proud Texan, I might conveniently forget where I was from and call myself a Floridian just to be associated with this gorgeous state. There is no place like home but Florida...well, that comes in as a close second. =) I think it's the weather - the palm trees - the beach - the company - all wrapped up into one. It's definitely been a very fun stay while we've been here...

In an effort to summarize my favorite parts of our time here I devised another TOP 10 LIST...I should mention that these really aren't in specific order, except for the few at the top. =) And so, here goes -

10. ALLIGATORS!
The only thing I've really ever known about Alligators is that they live at the zoo and I didn't want one as a pet...sharp teeth + scaly skin = not-for-me. You can imagine my surprise to visit Floria and see Alligators sunning on the side of a road, lounging by the pond at the front of Marc's neighborhood, etc. I mean - I know UF's mascot IS a Gator but really, I never got it fully until this visit. To my surprise, I've seen 3 gators while I've been here so far...all within a quarter mile of Mom Magnone's house!

9. FOOD
We've had the best time over our meals while we've been here - with Mom Magnone's home cooking constantly filling us up, it's been a welcome change to our tiny apartment in NYC where it's hard to cook such nice meals. Marc even got to grill out several times on the back porch so we've had steak and hamburgers probably once a week (yes, the burgers are for me - I'm not a steak fan...and yes, I know I'm weird) since we came down.

Marc's Steak Dinners.... (above and below)

(above and below) These are rock shrimp and they are awesome... At the restaurant above they had several different kinds of shrimp, stuff I'd never heard of... and they were all soooo yummy!

(below) This is what was left AFTER Easter dinner - we were hungry and forgot to take a picture before we dug in!

8. MELBOURNE ART FESTIVAL 5K FLAMINGO RUN
While Marc and I have been home, we've started back to the gym on a pretty regular basis which has been soooo nice. I think we're both feeling better about our health and our flabby skin is finally turning back into muscle - woohoo! So after hitting the gym 4 to 5 times a week over the past three weeks, we decided to attemp the 5k in Melbourne. We had so much fun and both of us shaved time off of our last 5k, which is always something to be excited about. Plus - my husband, who is deathly afraid of heights, made it over the river and back on a big bridge, one I thought he'd never walk over, much less run! So proud of him - one more thing to 'cross off his list'.

7. WEATHER
The weather here at this time of year is amazing. Maybe I'm a little biased as well, seeing as I just came from the Northeast where a high of 40 degrees during the day would get me excited to go outside. Plush green lawns - beautiful palm trees - clear skies and tons of sun - it's just so gorgeous here. Couple of things that have become very apparent to me through this process is that (a) I love the south - I am a southerner - nothing will ever change that and nowhere will ever be better, and (b) the sun makes me happy, no matter what else is going on, I can see that shiny yellow glow and I just have to smile....I love it!

6. MELBOURNE BEACH GET-A-WAY
During our first couple of weeks here, Marc and I snuck away for a night on the beach at the Hilton in Melbourne and it was soooo nice. We enjoyed the day, even got to watch a gorgeous wedding on the beach (from afar, of course) and then went out for some great food and drinks together. We got up for breakfast at this awesome muffin place that had some of the best muffins I've ever had - soooo yummy. It's always nice to explore new places and when you're with your husband/BF, it makes it that much more fun. We really enjoyed our 'alone time' and had the opportunity to re-group and recover from the long drive and some of the stress that's come along with this voyage.

5. FRIENDS
While we've been in Florida it's been nice to catch up with some of Marc's old friends - Daniel, Eileen, Moe-Moe, Randy, Chris and Samine, Shane, etc. It was also nice to meet some of his friends for the first time - we definitely enjoyed catching up, hanging with Daniel and Eileen's kids, etc. They are all little firecrackers and we had a blast watching them play soccer, softball, etc.
I also want to mention how great our friends-from-afar have been through this process. Although they weren't here for us to visit, we were constantly receiving emails, calls and cards encouraging us through the job-search process. We miss everyone so anytime we hear from you, it means sooooo much! My girlfriends actually went out to dinner together in Houston and called and passed the phone around just to tell me they missed me - those are the moments that we'll remember forever when we think back on this time. Thanks to all of you, near and far, for all of your support. I have no doubt that Marc and I have some of the best friends in the world.

4. JACK RUSSELL TIME
We have had such a blast with all three Jacks while we've been here. From the moment we let Maddie and Dexter run up to greet Wally the first time, they've become fast friends and developed a great relationship. Dexter still thinks he's competing with 'Uncle Wally' sometimes but he's learned his place and that Wally is his senior, therefore much more wise. Little Miss Priss - aka Maddie - has become Wally's BF and 'keeper/groomer/shadow' while we've been here. She follows him around - barks at him - sleeps beside him - licks his face - essentially follows him around wherever he goes. Wally doesn't seem to mind - he might actually like it...just a little bit. =)

These dogs are amazing - I can't say enough about how much they make us laugh, how much they love us, how much they all add to our lives. They are all a huge piece of our family and we wouldn't have it any other way!

3. BEACH / POOL TIME

Now, as you will recall, we've been in NYC where it really was gray/snowy/cold/rainy/etc. for about 6 - 8 months of the past year. For this sun-bunny, that was too long to be minus a pool, sun, tan lines and a cold refreshing drink. Coming to Florida after our stint up north was a little piece of heaven as we were able to hit Cocoa Beach and also enjoy the pool and yard at Mom Magnone's place. What a relaxing place to be day in and day out - I could definitely get used to this (again) all year long!

2. FAMILY

Really one of the very best parts of being here for awhile (and visiting Annapolis for a few weeks) was the family time. We don't get to see either sides of our family all that often so we've been able to really take advantage of these past couple of months to visit Mom and Dad Magnone as well as Les, Bill and Little Andrew, the newest member of the Magnone/Stephenson family. It's so nice to wake up every day and know you'll be surrounded by so many people (and dogs) who love you and care about you throughout that day. I've enjoyed sitting on the front porch with Mom Magnone, enjoying our coffee together - she's pretty awesome and I'm really lucky to have her as my second Mom. She has taken such good care of us and it's been a blessing to catch up and reminisce together. I cherish these times and always will.

Additionally, my family in Texas has been ultra supportive of us throughout this whole ordeal. I think I'm going to get to see them really soon and it will be soooo nice to catch up in person. =)

1. MARC

For those of you who know Marc well, you know he's a pretty amazing person. For those who don't....well, you're missing out. I've been so proud of him as I've seen him go through a roller coaster of emotions related to the changes we've experienced over the past three months. He's maybe the most positive person I've ever known and his optimism never ceases to amaze. He's been ultra supportive of me as I've dealt with adjusting as well, which is soooo important. All this time I've been thinking - what is WRONG with these people? How can they not see how genius this man is and scoop him up to work for them? Whoever he ends up working for will be lucky because they will benefit from what he brings......he's soooo smart. I can't wait until we're set up in our new home and he's with a team that sees his talent and appreciates all he is doing.

I've enjoyed this time because we got to spend it all together - our lives are normally so incredibly busy that stopping for a few months and going through this all has just continued to strengthen our relationship. He makes me so very happy and I'm lucky that I get to spend every day of my life with him. These are the things that I'm reminded of so clearly at times like these.

One last thing to mention and then I'll stop blabbing......long ago, while cleaning out my Grandma's house, I found a piece of paper inside my PawPaw's Bible and it said this:

Psalm 46: The Lord is 3 Things -

1. On my side

2. By my side

3. Give's me peace inside

I have clung to this little piece of paper since I found it and never knew how appropriate it would be for this time in my life. I keep it by my computer each day so that I will be reminded of what's really important. What a great way to help me keep things in perspective...and it's all so true.

I've really enjoyed my time here in Florida - who knows, maybe one day we'll be back and stay even longer! But for now - we're on to a new life in a new place. Will write soon with the details, I promise!

Houston Townhome in Midtown - FOR LEASE

2009-04-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone - it's that time again when we really need help feeling out the market and finding someone to lease our Houston home! While we're still in transition and have no idea where we'll end up, we do know that the sooner we get someone into the Houston townhome, the better for us, especially from a financial standpoint... Please pass along the link below and check out the pictures - feel free to email or call me with questions, ideas, concerns, thoughts, etc. Any help will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Details:

- 2 bedrooms

- 2.5 bathrooms

- 2 car garage

- washer and dryer

- stainless steel appliances

- great view of Downtown Houston from living area and master bedroom

- small back yard

- great neighbors

- walking distance of all mid-town hotspots including Front Porch, Cyclone Anaya's, Fish, etc.

- link and pictures below

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cfm?mlnum=2096032&backButton=Y

Road Trip - Cruisin' the States

2009-03-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

So, Marc and I continued our 'Journey of a Lifetime' across the U.S. on Monday, driving from Annapolis, MD down to Merritt Island, FL. ROOOAAADDD TTTRRRIIIPPP! =)

We were sad to say goodbye to Dad Magnone and the lovely town of Annapolis but were excited for our next set of adventures literally 'down the road'. I'm not sure how Marc actually managed to get all of our stuff into this rental car, but he did and around 9:30 am on Monday, we were off!

Maddie and Dexter have become expert travelers - at least as it applies to riding in the car. They only attempted to come up front a couple of times before settling in their respective spots in the backseat...we do a good job of giving them a lot of room to move around back there but we try our best not to let them up front, or they will be in our laps the entire way...and 14 hours is a long time to have two dogs in your lap...I'm just sayin'. =)

A packed 'packed' car...

The babies settling in above and below is one of our first signs in Virgina

Passing the Pentagon - it is huge!

This was a huge Phillip Morris office we passed on 95S - all I could think about was how many people in that office must have or are going to have cancer in their life...go figure...

Welcome to North Carolina! Dexter was checking things out...

We ran into MOBY somewhere along the interstate (above)

I caught Dexter 'grooming' his sister in the picture above. Often Maddie will be sound asleep and all of a sudden Dexter will start licking her face and ears and eyes and nose...so cute...she just lays there and acts as if it's the best thing ever...lol.

Back to sleep in the picture above - new positions...haha... Below Dexter is working on getting into something - not sure what be he definitely looks guilty.

Maddie May - sound asleep above - she stayed that way most of the trip... Where as Dexter was roaming around often - the picture below is him trying to sneak over the barrier we have between the back and front seats...nice little peek-a-boo action going on...

Here we are in South Carolina! This is where traffic STOPPED - just a lot of construction which ended up in us losing at least an hour...making the drive a little longer...blah.

Above is this GIANT place called South of the Border...looked like an amusement park of some sort, it was crazy! There were all these signs throughout S. Carolina as we got close to it reminding drivers to stop at South of the Border... We couldn't tell but we think it might be closed down - it sure was desolate......

Somewhere in South Carolina we finally gave in and let the puppies come up - they were whining and begging and crying and really all they wanted was to lay in our laps...so the rest of the ride we were each 'with dog'....

This is where the pictures get bad...the one above is us leave South Carolina and below - 'We're Glad Georgia's On Your Mind' aka Welcome to Georgia... It rained almost the entire way to Florida so between it getting dark and the rain, our pictures started to stink after these...

We finally made it to Florida around - eh - 8:30ish...and were trying to figure out whether we should keep going or stop and snooze for the night. We opted to keep on going...

And I'm SOOOOO glad we did because I got to eat at Krystal's...for those who haven't had this treat, you're missing out! I used to eat there all the time in Mississippi when visiting my family but haven't been back lately and haven't seen a Krystal's in a long time. Sooo - once spotted, we stopped and I chowed down...soooo yummy!

So that was our trip! It took us about 15 hours to get there with a lot of site-seeing along the way... We had a nice time although we both kept talking about how surreal everything in our life has become - I mean if you would have told me three months ago that I'd be on a road trip traveling from New York City to Merritt Island, FL to stay indefinitely, I would have told you that you were crazy! =) Funny how life can change JUST LIKE THAT...but all is well and we're enjoying our time in Florida. We had a fun drive and are happy to be here - will catch you up on our Florida time soon!

Washington D.C.

2009-03-16T13:56:00.001-07:00

While we have been in Annapolis, I finally got the chance to go to Washington D.C.! I never realized how excited I would be about this until the opportunity came up and then I was overwhelmed...couldn't figure out where to plan to go first! =) We had a really nice time - went in one Saturday afternoon for a play that Dad Magnone had gotten tickets to. It was a political parody play - was....interesting. But we had a blast, of course...great dinner, great sites and great company. Can't beat it! Below are several of the pictures from our day trip - enjoy!

Above is an OLD building we walked by that I thought was really cool - this was right after we got off the train from Maryland coming into D.C. I was camera happy - as you'll see. =) Below is Marc and Dad Magnone walking towards the White House and all the monuments...

Here we are - WELCOME TO THE WHITE HOUSE!!!

I can't tell you how crazy this was for me to finally see in person...I think I've just read about it and seen so many times in my life that to finally be standing in front of it was surreal. Not to mention all the history surrounding this area of the U.S. and specifically this house......it's just mind-boggling to take it all in. At least it was for me...if you didn't notice, it was kind of a big deal for me - lol!

These were some of the funny sites from our day - I still haven't been to the website on that box above but I couldn't help but take a picture as I was laughing out loud at his 'statement'. As for the picture below - I couldn't help but think about Jill and Zach and their trip to D.C. when I saw these. They are nifty little scooters that you ride around on while you are touring - the guy in front is actually the tour guide! How cool is this, seriously!? Next time I'm in D.C. we're going on this tour! I can't wait to strap on my helmet and ride around on my scooter - so awesome!

For dinner we went to Old Ebbitt Grill - another historical landmark in D.C. Food was so good - we had a really nice dinner and then headed out for more site-seeing before the play.

Once we left dinner, we just started walking -there is really so much to see, I had no idea. We only made to the Washington Monument before we had to head to the show - but the walk was incredible and all the sites along the way made me feel like I was walking through a history book.

This view of the Capital building is beautiful - especially at night with everything all lit up...the picture doesn't really do it justice but hopefully you get the idea. We had such a great time and I can't wait to go back...

Daily Routines

2009-03-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Marc and I have *tried* to create a daily routine of sorts while we've been here in Annapolis - waking up in disarray and not having a 'plan' in place just makes you want to roll over and go back to sleep....so, as I said, we've been working on this daily routine.

I normally jump up in the morning with the dogs (you all know how much I love mornings...right...) and take them for a walk...then shower up and head to either the dining room table or Dad Magnone's office for quiet and work time. Marc has been sleeping in a little bit (astonishingly) and then will get up - head to computer - check facebook, emails, blog, etc. - and then wander around aimlessly the rest of the day looking for things to do. For those of you who know Marc, you know that he doesn't do well without specific structure, goals and objectives during his days...we gotta get him a new job! =) He has done a great job taking care of the dogs while I'm making calls and shooting emails - they are SO FUNNY to watch and hang out with on a daily basis. Constant entertainment and NEVER a dull moment...

We have managed to get out of the house for some great dinners and visiting with Dad Magnone and Randy, who lives in Baltimore. Have enjoyed running around this town and getting to know it a little better as well... Right out the door of Dad Magnone's place is a long street full of shops and restaurants, great for walking, that leads right down to the pier and marina in Annapolis. We've been meeting lots of people - my hairdresser (Kate) is along the way so we always say hello and we've become friendly with the girls at Starbucks as well. Of course any time we have Maddie and Dexter with us, we can't walk 10 steps without stopping to talk with someone...they are always a topic of conversation.

Anyway, we're adjusting well and are definitely enjoying our stay in Annapolis. We'll probably head down to Florida sometime next week for our next stop on the U.S. Road Trip of our Lifetime - looking forward to seeing Mom Magnone and crew!

Here are some pics from our days here in Annapolis - enjoy!

Playing...

Walking...

Sleeping...

Job Searching and Facebooking (wow - can't believe that's a verb now!)

Maddie's 'Leave Me Alone' Sleeping Spot...

Dexter's 'Mom, I promise you'll be more productive if I'm in your lap' begging position...

Hanging with Randy at our new local favorite - Fado's...

This is Dex and his bigger buddy, Klause - a Bull Terrier aka Spuds McKenzie dog!

Dad and the pups resting after a long day of play and walks...love it!

Cute little Maddie curled up under her paw - she loves to sleep like that!

And Dexter...somehow managing to fall asleep on his back in a reclining chair...dangerous but comfy for our little Jack, I guess...

Our spoiled rotten JACKS - more updates to come!

Snow in Annapolis

2009-03-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

We've been hanging in Annapolis, MD with Dad Magnone over the past couple weeks since we arrived Friday before last after driving away from NYC (tear). That's ok - this time has been great to recover and try to rest up after an exhausting February, to say the least. We've actually got a pretty good system in place - we've been able to move out of our suitcases and into closets and drawers...sort of. And I've been working from the apartment, closing myself into Dad Magnone's office while he's at work... Marc's been working on updating Dad Magnone's electronics related to his tv and radio in the living room here - he's managed to spend at least two days playing with wires and remotes, better him than me. =) He's also become an expert dog-walker, taking Maddie and Dexter for 1.5 hour walks during the day...which makes for tired dogs at the end of the day and very happy parents.

I know I've been behind on my blogging but Marc's been doing a great job keeping his updated at http://www.marcmagnone.com/ . Seems like we're in competition or something but I always like to remind him that I've got SO MANY MORE loyal readers than him...after all, I've got years of experience over him on this blogging thing. =)

That being said, some of this stuff you may have already seen on his blog - sorry if there's duplicate information we're feeding you.

The first weekend here in town, we had the snow storm of my life, thus far... I've never seen it snow like that, continuously, for so many hours - and it was awesome! The pups had a blast playing and we had fun too... Here's some pictures - enjoy!

These are from the front of Dad Magnone's building...the fountain is totally frozen.

Below are pictures from the dog park in the back of the building...

Little Dexter practically blended in - he was in camo mode! =)

Notice - fogged up glasses below...

Couple of pictures below from the neighborhood - so beautiful!

I love it when it snows and am happy we got to go through this big snow with Dad Magnone in Annapolis - it was a lot of fun...nothing beats a lazy snow day!

Sights of our New York City...Saying Goodbye

2009-03-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

While the movers were loading boxes on Friday, Marc and I snuck out for one last breakfast at our favorite diner up the street, Chelsea Square. We've been going to this diner almost every weekend for breakfast since we first moved to the city - found one waiter in particular that we hit it off with and he just happened to be working on Friday morning... So, we said our goodbyes - took a quick pictures for our keepsakes, had a few laughs and talked about the past year over our usual breakfast orders. And what a year it has been...

After spending such great time with our friends on Thursday night, I was reminded once again how lucky we were to be in this awesome city and to have had this experience over the past 12 months. Seems like we've been through it all although it's been such a short amount of time. It's hard not to get super nostalgic as I think back on all the great memories, visitors, sights and experiences we've had. We really didn't know what to expect when we moved up here and everything about this year was totally unexpected....scary and yet amazing all at the same time.

To all of our visitors, thank you so much for coming up and enjoying NYC with us. You being here allowed us to tour Manhattan up and down and now we both feel like we know it inside and out...well, sorda... =)

To our families, well...there really aren't enough words to tell you all how much your support means. We truly could not and would not have been able to enjoy this great experience without each and every one of you. Your constant love and advice keeps us going day after day - we are so lucky to have the very best families in the entire world, hands down. =)

To our NYC friends, WOW - I don't even know what to say. We've been lucky enough to have some great people in our lives over the years and 2008 was no different. Our lives will forever be changed by the generosity and friendliness of those we've met - we went from being the newbies in town to feeling like we've lived here forever and THAT is solely because of the people who've taken us in and made us feel so very welcome.

To Byron and Jess: Truly I don't know what we'll do without our 'Friend's friends'... =) Who knew that two of the best friends we'd ever have lived so far away - no doubt God puts us in the right places to meet the right people who will change our lives forever.

To Ed: Since the day I met Marc he's been telling me about this Eddie character from Merritt Island...who knew you'd be so cool!? It's been a blast hanging out and although we're going to miss you a ton, I think Maddie and Dexter especially will be going through Ed Withdrawal. You must visit soon to keep our dogs happy....uh, and because we'll all miss you. =)

To Edna: Thanks for continuing to remind me that 'Baby Jesus' is with me always...and for being my first and best friend here in NYC. When I felt absolutely all alone, you took care of me - you will never know how it felt to know I had an NYC girlfriend. =)

Below are some of the pictures I took as I walked home after breakfast...its an overwhelming feeling to know you love a place and certain people so much and to also know, there are no guarantees as to when you'll see those people or places again. So - you know me - take as many pictures as possible to always remember every moment.

These pictures are OUR CHELSEA...

These pictures are from our apartment windows - YES, I know how lucky we are to have had this view. What you don't know is that we didn't only have an awesome view of this amazing city, we also had a view directly into the apartment of Chase Crawford and Ed Westwick......don't drool on your computer's ladies. =) Additionally, our next door neighbor was a Cover Girl supermodel, so Marc got his fair share of drooling in as well. =) Why am I telling you this? Well...it's surreal isn't it? And that pretty much describes to a T the last year in NYC...absolutely surreal.

Saying goodbye always hurts and trust me, it doesn't get easier as you do it more and more in your life. What it does do is make you appreciate the time you've been given to enjoy another great city with amazing people and places...this time around is no different.

My entire life, even since high school, I've always wanted to live in Manhattan... And I did it - we did it - and it was the best experience of my life thus far as I knew it would be.

Manhattan is the city of my dreams...and it's also the city where my dreams came true. So I'll say goodbye in my head but never in my heart.

What's next.....stay tuned. =)

The NYC Apartment Transformation

2009-03-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

I thought this would be a great time to highlight the NYC apartment transformation as we've come a long way through a lot of different stages over the past year! Check it out below.

-Moving In-

-Getting Settled-

-Moving Out-

-Moving ALL Out-

As you can see, the movers did a great job and hopefully our stuff is safe and sound until we figure out our next stop on the map. You can see our 'travel gear' in the closet above... This is what happens when you need clothes for super-cold winter weather, mild winter weather and hot spring/summer weather, all within the timeframe of a month or so. Not to mention all the bells and whistles that go along with carting two dogs across the country...Maddie and Dexter get tired just thinking about....or maybe it's from the packing, either way - they were OUT Friday as we packed up and moved out!

Last Night Out

2009-03-01T09:38:00.001-08:00

Thanks to all of our GREAT friends who came to say 'See Ya Later' on Thursday night at our local fav spot, The Half King... We had a fun time and are so lucky to have met all of you. You all will be missed and hopefully we'll see you sooner than later. Thanks for our gifts and our meal and drinks as well - Melissa and Steve gave us a frame that says 'Remember This Moment'...we have the perfect picture for it. We'll always remember - thanks for all the great memories. Doesn't get much better than this! =)

Moving Blues

2009-02-25T12:06:00.001-08:00

So as most of you know, Marc and I are in the process of packing up and heading out of our favorite new city, NYC. We are still in search of the right new job for Marc and our lease it up, so moving out of the city and waiting to find out what's next felt like the right move for the time being.

Friday we start our treck across the U.S. as we're heading down to Annapolis, MD to spend some time with Dad Magnone and then we'll hop in a car and drive on down to Merritt Island, FL to hang a little with Mom Magnone, Wally and crew. We're hoping we get to see Little One AKA Drew a bit while we're in FL as well. =) After that, who knows - maybe we'll turn west and head to Texas or....who knows where we'll end up!

Juggling through this week has been a challenge which we'll continue to go through until we drive away on Friday...we are SO SAD to be leaving but excited to find out where the path will lead.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support over the last few weeks and year, for that matter. I'll post an update on Friday, hopefully, highlighting our last get-together here in town and our departure from The Big Apple.

For now, here's a couple of shots of our teeny apartment + dogs + boxes = one big mess! =)

Just a quick note - Maddie and Dexter wander around in circles all day and night and give us 'those looks' like 'what in the world is going on around here?' I think they are actually as tired as we are, hence the last picture above...so cute.

Andrew's Christening Day

2009-02-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

Sunday was Andrew's big day in church - his christening day in St. Pete! Of course we were all in attendance and the ceremony was really sweet - he's such a good baby!

Marc and I got to stand at the front as Godparents with Leslie and Bill - it was such a great moment...might have been a tear or two but I kep my composure pretty well, although it was really hard - I was so happy! =)

After the ceremony at the church, we had a big party back at Les and Bill's to celebrate. Mom Magnone made the best Eggplant Parmigian and Lasagna to go along with snacks of all kinds... We ate and ate and ate some more while visiting and playing with little Andrew...

Moe and Marc chillin' in the kitchen - surprise-surprise, Marc's cell is in his hand... =)

Les had these little M&M's made for the big day - so cute!

Andrew and Poppi - just hangin' - isn't his outfit so cute!?

I love Andrew's face in the picture above with Bill's Mom...doesn't he look like he's up to something? =)

Andrew and his Godparents

Us with the happy baby and parents

And here's our family shot - thankfully a photographer was also taking pictures - I hope Bill's eyes are open in the other pics!

We had such a blast in Tampa - we always do. Can't wait to go down next time and see the little munchkin - hopefully our next visit will be warmer! We love you Les, Bill and Drew - thanks for being so special and important in our lives every single day - you guys rock! =)

Tampa Time

2009-02-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

We're in Tampa this weekend, enjoying time with our new little nephew - he's so cute! Just a precious little baby boy...perfect in every way. He's so sweet - talks and laughs and hugs...he's great! And do you know the best part? We get to be his Godparents! =) I'll post pictures after our big day in church tomorrow - but until then, here are some good ones of our family time together since we got here.

We were just getting into Tampa in the picture above

And look at our sweet surprise...Mama Les showed up with Baby Andrew to meet his aunt and uncle for the first time!

Precious little cargo - on the way home from the airport - look at his cute baseball shoes!

Aunt Jenn and Drew - just hangin'...

Aunt Jenn and Uncle Marc

We went on date night Thursday evening while Mom and Dad Magnone stayed with Andrew...how do you like the way Marc's wearing his shirt? That was just for Leslie... =)

Friday we hung out all day with the baby and THEN we went to see G Love and Special Sauce with Les and Bill - so much fun!

Love these silly shots - above is me and Bill sporting our classy drinks and below is Marc and Matt, goofing off, as usual...

Saturday it was back to baby time - isn't he soooo cute? Don't you think he looks a little like Marc?

Love this picture of Marc and Andrew - watching the North Carolina game together =)

OK, that's all for now - will update tomorrow after we've been officially inducted into the role of Godparents! Hope everyone's having a great weekend.

Valentine's 2009

2009-02-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

Marc and I had a great Valentine's Day weekend. I got home a little early on Friday and he had flowers ALL OVER THE HOUSE. It was so awesome! All of you know how much I love flowers so it was the perfect gift - he also had a Dillon Panthers t-shirt for me - LOVE IT. I'm a big Friday Night Lights fan and you should be do - if you're not watching, please START NOW...they need more viewers so they don't cancel our fav show! He also got me a heart-shaped Billy's Bakery cake...OMG, so good...there really are no words to describe it. I was also totally surprised by flowers from Dad - 2 dozen tulips and new red vase to go into my collection - also some candies in a cute heart-shaped keepsake box. So sweet... Dad Magnone also sent flowers that were beautiful with another vase that will go well in my collection - it has a little red heart on it, love it!

So as you can tell, I was totally spoiled for my Valentine's Day...didn't expect anything and got so much. I definitely felt special - made my whole weekend.

My Valentine's gifts from Marc

Flowers from my Dad - thanks Dad - I love you so much!

Flowers from Dad Magnone - thank you, love you too!

Saturday evening we went out to dinner at Red Cat with Jess and Byron and ate some delicious pork chops - yum. THEN - here's the most fun part - we went to this place called PLEASE DON'T TELL. It's a bar on in the East Village located inside a hot dog restaurant.... There's a phone booth in the restaurant you walk into and pick up the phone and BOOM - the door on the other side opens.... Have to have reservations and we were lucky enough to get in - so much fun. The drinks left a little to be desired but the atmosphere rocked and what a great story to tell. After a couple of drinks Byron and Marc had a quick hot dog and we headed home.

Red Cat in Chelsea

The NY Crew

Phone booth going into Please Don't Tell

Byron and Jess

Marc and Jenn

My FAB new shoes - saws Cara's brag bit and though I'd have one too! =)

Marc and B toasting their hot dogs to end our evening!

Thanks to everyone for such a great Valentine's Day - I hope you all know how much you mean to me and that you are all my valentine's. =)

Catching Up

2009-02-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

Lots has been going on over the past few weeks - I've been completely slammed at work which isn't a bad thing! I'm really enjoying my new job but am also remembering what it really means to work day in and day out and actually accomplish things along the way. I'm exhausted by the time I get home - and all I want to do is sleep. For example, on Friday of this past week, I woke up at 6am - took a train to Secaucus, New Jersey where my manager picked me up - we drove to Norwalk, Connecticut for one meeting and then to Rye Brook, New York for another meeting - then he dropped me back off in Secaucus, New Jersey for me to take the train back into NYC Penn Station... Yes, you read that correctly, I was in three states in one day and home before 6pm that evening...kinda cool, especially for this Texas girl...never knew states in the Northeast were so accessible in so little time. OH the things that I'm learning... =)

Well, since last I wrote, several important things have happened. For instance, the STEELERS won the Super Bowl - sooo awesome. We had a Super Bowl party here and enjoyed hanging out with Ed, Jess and Byron... As for me, I celebrated in my Steelers gear for about a week but have come down off my high-horse and re-claimed my Cowboys. Lord knows they need help but I'm a fan 'til the end and it's a brand new year people - let's hope this time around things are different...I'm already praying about this. =)

Let's see - also very important - our neighbors from Houston, Scott and Josh, came to visit and we had so much fun! We hit up some of the typical NYC spots but also did some new things like we went to Fig and Olive, this awesome restaurant in the Meatpacking District and THEN went to Hogs and Heifers...some of you might remember this bar from a little movie called Coyote Ugly. It was AWESOME... We then rounded out our evening at G - a predominantly gay club in Chelsea where we met up with Byron and Jess and danced our booties off.... It was totally different than anything we've done in awhile and it was also, totally AWESOME...as I've already mentioned. My favorite part of the evening was at Hogs and Heifers when Scott noticed that the bartenders' belt buckle displayed the Alamo...so for the rest of the evening, we shouted 'Remember the Alamo' in an effort to display our Texas heritage. Although I'm absolutely positive no one in NYC knew what in the world we were talking about, we did and that's really all that mattered as we shouted 'Remember the Alamo' to strangers walking down the street. Yes - it was one of those nights - we had a blast. Here's some pics from Scott and Josh's visit!

We had dinner at Tello's - our local fav - on Friday night and then headed to Times Square... This was Josh's first time in NYC so we had to take him to the best tourist spot in the city asap.

Below is the New Year's Eve Ball - it's a permanent fixture in Times Square moving forward which is kinda cool.

Of course we had to take the guys to Little Italy and the best pizzeria ever - Lombardi's - we chowed down and then headed to Pinkberry for dessert after strolling through SoHo and shopping a bit on Saturday.

So - about Pinkberry - Marc's been wanting to go FOREVER even though he wasn't sure what it was going to be like. Jess has been warning him that it's not just frozen yogurt - it's REAL frozen yogurt, with live culture and all... Anyway, after pizza we decided to go try it out so here's Marc with his Pinkberry. =) I'm not a fan but he thought it was alright - at least we can say we tried it!

Below is our night out at G - what a great shot of the crew!

I'll post again soon with Valentine's Day recaps, fun pup pictures and an update on our 'status' here in NYC. Until then - have a fantastic week!

www.MarcMagnone.com

2009-02-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

So Marc's been keeping himself VERY busy at home during the week - he's updated his website with all kinds of new fun pictures and information. It's a great resource to see all the pictures from the past year as well as wedding pics and friend and family pics, Dex and Maddie pics, etc. He's done such a good job with it...only now his ambition has put his 'updates' in direct competition with my BLOG. WHATEVER. So, sorry if you get duplicate information by visiting both places - I know I'm really behind on updating but Marc's been doing such a great job, I figured I could take a bit of a break... Although, I did find out I must have a few people who actually care because I've received a couple of complaints... =) So, check out MarcMagnone.com and feel free to leave a comment here or there with thoughts. Hopefully this will be another great resource for keeping up with the Magnone crew as we make our way across America!

Please VOTE for Maddie and Dexter!

2009-01-29T15:16:00.000-08:00

"Dexter"

"Maddie"

Weekend Escape in Our NYC

2009-01-27T07:28:00.000-08:00

After a long week, Marc and I had a great weekend, relaxing and goofing off! We went bowling on Friday night and I beat him - WAHOO! You probably don't understand what a big deal that is but for me, it's huge. I'm a terrible bowler and sometimes it seems like Marc is a semi-pro when we're out there but NOT THIS TIME...hehe. Great date night hun - especially since I WON-I WON-I WON....oh, sorry...I'll stop bragging now. :-)

Well...I'll stop bragging after this picture, I mean. I PROMISE you that is a J behind that flash...beating Mr. M! Did I mention that I won?

Saturday we layed around pretty much all day -caught up on all our tv shows, played with the dogs, cleaned up (a little) - that sort of thing. In other words, we were as lazy as possible all day long...

Even Dexter took part in the laziness - here he is being escorted from couch to bed by his Dad...just loungin'.........can anyone say SPOILED?

Saturday night was 'go time' as it was Edna's birthday party! Edna's one of my best friend's here in NYC - she works in the same office with me, actually right beside me - we're cube-neighbors - and she had a big party planned at HOME (http://nyc.homeguesthouse.com/) just down the street from our place. For those who know NYC, we live in Chelsea and the strip of clubs between 10th Ave and 11th Ave on 27th is a pretty busy place on a Saturday night....even if it is only 10 degrees outside (and trust me, it was DEFINITELY that cold - my blue legs proved it). We walked over and had a BLAST - been so long since we've gone out like that but I think 'we've still got it'. Well some of us, Marc and Ed were champs, even ordering pizza and chowing at 4am...as for me, I was sound asleep on the couch and missed the food, can you believe that? I think I'm getting old......but don't tell anyone. :-)

Below are some pictures of the fun - Happy Birthday Edna!

Week In Review

2009-01-22T18:40:00.000-08:00

Well, where should I start... First, I use the word 'week' loosely because really I'm referring to about the last 10 days of my life, give or take a few. I've decided, just for fun, to make this a countdown of sorts... We'll name it the Troublesome Top 5.

5. IT'S FREEZING.

And I'm not kidding about that - I've been walking around with so many clothes layered-up that I look like the Michelin man with my down coat on. It's never good when the temperature outside is in single digits but when you read that it 'feels like' negative something-or-other THAT is when you really know you're in trouble. The only pro to these 'arctic' temps is the snow that comes along with them - I've decided that I really do love snow. Anytime I see it I get little butterflies in my stomach and start smiling...it makes me happy for some reason, it's just so beautiful to watch. And it seems like, just for a few moments, as it starts to snow, the city is so much quieter...I can't explain it.

The positive about it freezing and snowing, Central Park covered with a gorgeous white blanket...Marc and I walked over to the park after church on Sunday morning. Here are a few shots - enjoy.

4. I ALMOST LOST MY JOB.

This is a negative thing that turned into something really great actually, a new job within my company. For months I really have had a hard time finding my 'happy place' with the position I was in during 2008. Three months prior to the year ending, a large portion of the sales staff was 'put on warning' and given some pretty steep goals to achieve in order to keep their job for 2009. One of those sales people was me... But, somehow, by the Grace of God I have no doubt, during the layoffs happening at the end of Dec 2008, my company decided to offer me a position on a different team - and to make it short, I LOVE IT - IT'S GREAT - I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT IT!

That being said, I was lucky enough to get to travel to San Diego during some of the COLDEST parts of this brutal NYC winter-weather for a sales conference at our headquarters. Love San Diego - so, so beautiful... Had a 70 degree morning run on the Pacific ocean just before catching my plane back to NYC and stepping out into the blustering cold. It took my breath away - literally - I was coughing most of the way home from the airport!

Here are a couple of pictures from the hotel I was at in Del Mar - just so pretty!

3. CHRISTOPHER'S ACCIDENT.

Well you've all read about my Brother's fight with the ice/tree/whatever-hurt-his-face while skiing in New Mexico. This happened while I was in San Diego so when I got a noon-ish phone call from him - knowing he should be skiing down a mountain instead of calling his sister, I know something was up. Thankfully, this story too has a happy ending...below is a not-that-great picture of my brother he sent me a couple of days ago just to reassure me that his face was returning back to normal and he was healing up nicely and feeling better. Speedy recovery Brother!

2. MADDIE WAS REALLY SICK.

The weekend before I headed to San Diego, our little pup was REALLY sick...I mean REALLY. We went to bed about 1 am on Sunday morning and around 2 am, woke to Maddie throwing up all over the bed. She continued to do so no less than probably 20 times (and I'm not exaggerating) so around 5:30 am, we headed to the 24 hour vet. Poor baby - she was dehydrated and lethargic so they gave her some fluids and meds and we headed home. Unfortunately, same thing happened on Monday night......so, we were at the vet first thing Monday morning. Our little girl had lost almost 3 lbs because she was so sick - the vet kept her all day, she had an I.V., a catheter and meds all day long. You can see from the photo below they had to shave her little paw for her I.V....so sad.

Luckily - and - thankfully, another good report - she's all better now! She's recovered well and is chasing her brother all around the apartment right now - Dexter's also glad 'she's back' to her old self. The vet never really figured out what caused Maddie to get so sick - we've been very careful with her diet and she seems to be doing fine now. You can tell by this picture below that all is finally back to normal!

1. A TRYING TUESDAY.

So, Tuesday of this week was an exciting day, in so many ways. For one, our great nation 'started over again' in some ways with a new leader, kinda cool. Several of my friends from NYC went and said it was such a moving experience...wish I could have been there. As for us, we were paying attention to other things that day. Clear Channel did a massive restructure of the entire company and approximately 1,800 employees lost their job - unfortunately Marc was one of those affected. While we weren't totally in the dark about it, we also weren't really expecting it either - no matter what way you look at it, it's a hard bit to swallow. I could go on and on about it - but I won't.

My husband is the hardest working man I've ever met. He's so dedicated to his job and the people surrounding him, he cares about them so much... Heck, he's been more concerned with helping his team members who lost their positions find something new than worrying about what his next steps are. He's just that kind of guy - my husband. That's why I married him. :-)

Anyway, we're not sure what's next here. The wheels are turning as I type and he's looking at lots of options that have already popped up. So what's the kicker... Most of those options aren't in New York City. I'm excited and anxious about the possibilities - so long as he gets into a spot that's as good or better than he was before, all will be good and he'll continue along this journey he's worked so hard to get thru so far.

Sooo, only God knows what our future holds - and we're praying that we figure that out sooner than later. Who knows - all of our great friends and family that came to visit may have a new place to visit sometime soon... Let's just hope that if we're moving, it's into a warmer climate!

To all those who've written, called, emailed, etc. - Marc and I are doing great. This is just a small hiccup that we'll get through together and come out stronger on the other side, I have no doubt. After all, what's life without a little adventure? :-)

Hope you enjoyed my Troublesome Top 5 - more news to come, keep your eyes peeled!

PS GO STEELERS!

Preview of 'Week In Review' (Coming Shortly)

2009-01-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

So, this might have been the most eventful week I've had in 2009 for sure, maybe in the last few years... I have a long recap to report on all the 'episodes' of the past week but just as a prelude, this should set the tone for some of the challenges we've been dealing with in the Magnone/Salters family...

My Brother. Christopher Glen. Love him dearly - he's one of my best friends - and was finally heading to his FIRST trip to ski/snowboard...wahoo...somewhere in the middle of New Mexico with 20 of his best friends from Texas A&M. Sounds like the perfect trip, eh?...especially for all of us wanna-be-college-students who like to live vicariously through our siblings...not mentioning any names here. :-)

He was bound and determined to learn to snowboard - unfortunately, less than one day into his snow days, his trip came to a giant standstill.. Here's a nice, normal picture of my brother, pre-accident:

And here's a snapshot of the post-snowboarding-minus-a-helmet-accident result:

He said all he can remember was snowboarding one moment and waking up in an emergency room the next... Short story, he was snowboarding with everyone and got a bit seperated - he doesn't remember anything passed that but was found and taken to the first aid place at the ski resort. Then a trip to the emergency room and he was reunited with his friends somewhere along the way... He suffered a concussion and some terrible scrapes/scratches/bruises/swelling/etc to his face...luckily, all is expected to heal back to normal. The assumption is that he hit a piece of ice and fell, and then hit that same patch (possibly) with his face...

My sweet baby brother's trip pretty much ended there...I think he hung around the cabin for the rest of the week and rested. I'd like to say THANK YOU GOD that someone found him - who knows what could have happened but I'm glad to report he's safe and sound.

Hope you feel better very soon Brother and that you're getting some great sympathy points as I know you're heading back to school this week... Love you. So thankful you are safe.

As a sidenote, any snowboarders out there - WEAR A HELMET. :-)

Brag Bit

2009-01-15T21:46:00.001-08:00

Andrew David is growing like a weed! Thought I'd take an 'Aunt' moment to brag on our little Stephenson Steeler. Too cute not to share! :-)

Happy New Year from Annapolis

2009-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

For those who thought we were 'living the dream' in the 4 degree weather in Times Square - WRONG - we were smarter than that...we actually fled the city trying to get away from the crazy crowds. We headed to Annapolis, MD and had a GREAT visit with Mom and Dad Magnone...... So much fun to relax together and catch up in such a fun place - we really had a blast!

Our festive New Year's Eve in Annapolis - we went out for a great seafood/steak dinner and then headed to a local bar just down the road from where we were staying. So much fun! What a perfect way to start our new year!

Also while in Annapolis, we took Maddie and Dexter to this GIGANTIC dog park that they LOVED....they were playing with all types and sizes of dogs...it was awesome! Here's a few snapshots from our time at the park...

Maddie May - AKA "Speed Racer" - she was out running all the dogs at the park...it was awesome. Her Dad was so proud......

Dex and his fellow canine friend having a quick stare down as to who was going to walk away victorious WITH the ball.... Guess who won - we'll just say we taught our boy well. :-)

Marc and Maddie - struttin' through the park...just hangin'...

We really had a great time in Annapolis - can't wait to go back. Happy New Year Everyone!

Mom, Dad and Brother Visit NYC

2009-01-06T14:07:00.001-08:00

Well once again, I'm WAY behind on updating my blog. Early in December Mom, Dad and Christopher headed up to see what Christmas in the city was all about and we had a blast! Nothing beats quality time with your family, no matter what you're doing - we were just lucky enough to be in one of the best cities in the world to enjoy each other's company.

Christmas in New York is magical...aside from being bitterly cold with lots of nasty weather and seriously CRAZY people who will knock you out just to be one person closer to the door at Macy's (trust me, I know...)...it's a charmed city that comes even more to life during the holidays. I've already posted some of the pictures from when everyone was here but will share some more and hopefully give you all a taste of our New York City Christmas.

These pictures are from our night out to Peter Lugar's for dinner, Junior's for dessert (cheesecake-of course) and then to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! What a great show filled with Christmas spirit - I think I walked around the city the rest of the night singing Christmas carols...

I made the whole family get together for some 'quality family picture taking' time - Thanks to Jess and Byron who headed over to be our professional photographers for the morning. You can't tell it from this photo, but the wind is blowing about 20 miles an hour and we are FREEZING our hineys off in the 15 degree weather.... Sunny mornings in NYC during the winter are always a scary thing - that means it's going to be even colder than usual!

We headed up town to check out 5th Avenue and all the CRAZINESS associated with shopping the days before Christmas in December... We meandered our way over to Central Park as Christopher was convinced we needed to go ice skating in Central Park. It was so much fun!

That's all three of us in the picture above - not sure if you can see Marc - he's hiding behind Christopher...

Mom and Dad in Bryant Park

As always, the Salters family LOVES to eat and we had some really nice dinners while everyone was in town. We opted against giving Christmas gifts this year and decided to instead spend our funds on good food and fun activities. It was definitely the right decision! Above is our dinner at Chart House on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. What a beautiful view to sit and look at the city while having such a nice meal - it was really awesome. Below are some of the dessert pictures of our many stops for 'something sweet' throughout the week... Christopher's pictures are from Ferarra's and mine is from Junior's - YUM.

Christopher has been talking about going to see Avenue Q since the last time he was in town so we decided we'd go check it out....WOW. Probably the most hilarious play I've ever seen but also the most graphic and politically incorrect one too. Half the time, Marc and I wanted to crawl under our seats due to the inappropriate lines coming out of the puppets mouths - I haven't laughed/cried so hard in a long time. :-)

We also went to see Cirque De Soleil (my favorite) - they have a winter show they put on every year in the WAMU Theatre at Madison Square Garden...it was really good. Alegria is still my favorite, though!

Christopher getting 'Dexter-ed' (above) and the three of us after our dinner at Chart House, standing in front of the Hudson overlooking NYC.

Our family Christmas picture for 2008 - hope everyone had Happy Holidays. We had a blast! Thanks for coming up Mom, Dad and Brother - we love you all so much!

Merry Christmas from New York City

2008-12-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone - we're so thankful for you all!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Marc and Jenn on Dexter and Maddie - Christmas 2008

2008-12-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

Birthdays and Turkey Time

2008-12-17T08:13:00.001-08:00

Back to trying to finish updating you all on what's been going on... Marc and Byron both celebrated their birthdays in November so we went to our favorite Texas-Style restaurant (Hill Country) and then headed over to a hole-in-the-wall for a few cocktails. Let's just say a few drinks turned into us arriving at our respective homes around 2:00am the following morning - good times although Jess says she refuses to go out with Marc again, too much peer pressure - haha!

Above is a picture of the group from our birthday night out...This is Marc with his gift from my family - it's awesome! One of those jerseys has his name on it...very cool - perfect for his office! He loved it - as you can see.

Of course, following Marc's birthday weekend came Thanksgiving and our first attempt at making an entire Thanksgiving meal, all by ourselves....i.e. no parents to help or supervise! In complete honesty, there were several calls made to both sides of the family so although maybe not here in person, they were all here in spirit - and helped us follow directions to achieving our perfect Thanksgiving meal.

Here's Marc with the turkey in marinade - we used an Emeril recipe and it turned out yummy...not too shabby for our first attempt at cooking a turkey!

Here's our bird - post oven, haha. It really turned out great - a little dry in places but we were both very proud of us as were our parents AND Byron and Jess, who had to eat the meal we cooked. We were thankful not to have to order out after all of this work! :-)

Our Resident Turkey Carver

Here's our meal all set up - ready to go! We were so excited about the food that we forgot to take any pictures of us all enjoying our day and meal. Between football and so much food we almost popped, we had a great Turkey Day!

Getting to the Good Stuff

2008-12-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

The month of November meant the coming of three very important things: 1) a new baby nephew, 2) Marc's birthday and 3) Thanksgiving! What a busy and exciting month.... In addition, we made a trip with Byron and Jess down to see Steve and Jen in the heart of New Jersey for a quick weekend get-a-way/visit. In this post I'll cover the visit to Steve and Jen's and some updated pictures of my perfect nephew. Will wait until next time to talk about Marc's big day and Thanksgiving, of course!

We had a blast in this little-bity town...what a relaxing weekend and oh, so much food! Steve owns an Italian restaurant where he makes homemade pastas that are delicious - my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Here are a few pictures from our visit - OH, by the way, Steve and Jen have 3 indoor dogs - Coors, Bailey and Guinness. Maddie and Dexter had a BALL!

The pictures below are of a Great Dane that lives in the neighborhood...his owners stopped by and Steve let him come into the bar (yes, it's that small of a town). He's HUGE but so gentle and sweet - like a horse, it's crazy!

This is Steve and Jen feeding him his favorite treat, MEATBALLS!

OK, next part of my update - I'M AN AUNT EVERYBODY! I haven't got the chance to brag on my cute little baby nephew and he is SOOOO precious. Les, Bill and Andrew are all doing great. Andrew had another doctor's checkup today and is growing like a weed - he's already weighing in over 10 lbs and is in the 80 percentile for his height...he's going to be so big by the time I finally get to hold him! Here are some updated pictures of this sweet little boy.

One Week Old (above)

Our Little Turkey - hehe!

More to come soon everyone...

Catching Up

2008-12-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

I know it's been too long - I've been thinking about it - taking pictures for it - making mental notes on a day by day basis...just haven't been able to get myself to actually DO it....blog, that is. So, here I am - November was a really hard month and December is looking like it might be somewhat challenging too. However, we LOVE the holidays in this family and though it's hard being away from home, we're looking forward to a Merry Christmas and a VERY Happy New Year. 2009 can't come soon enough - lol... Mom, Dad and Brother are heading up next week so I'm also really looking forward to that - can't wait to 'Kick It Up a Notch' with our NYC site-seeing during this holiday season. Though it admitedly might be so cold that it's painful outside, this New Yorker has to admit that there is something magical about being here during the Christmas season.

And so, here we go - let's start with pre-Thanksgiving activities and pictures and I'll work my way up-to-date.

First. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK. Yes, that's right - my sweet husband, in the midst of the stress of November, surprised me with NKOTB tickets! You might think I'm crazy but I was the girl who never got to actually go to a NKOTB concert and this was finally MY CHANCE! Edna and I had a ball together at Madison Square Garden, sold out concert and an awesome show - probably the best girls night out I've had in a long time, and oh-so needed!

Check out all those cell phones...

(above) He's STILL my favorite. :-)

This was my favorite shirt of the evening...

Thought this was a great shot of The Garden...sold out with NKOTB singing in the middle on a revolving stage - LOVED IT.

Second. WVU. Yep, that's right - Marc, Byron and James are all fans of the West Virginia Mountaineers so we headed to a game watching party at The Hill NYC and had a blast. This was also our 'See Ya Later and Good Luck' to James who headed off to Iraq the next week. James is in the military and now serving through April - we're all looking forward to his safe return. Here's some pictures of our group - this is our crew here in NYC (minus Ed - we missed you)...we're lucky to have found such great friends!

Third. PUPPIES. Here's the last of the puppy pictures from the Oct/Nov timeframe that I wanted to share. These two are a constant joy - so sweet and loving. Oh to be a dog for one day - haha - if only I had the energy, never-ending happiness and fantastically humorous characteristics of our Maddie and Dexter. Hopefully these pictures will give you a laugh as they did for me and Marc.

I walked into the bathroom to find this - couldn't help but laugh, I guess Dexter just really likes his bath time. It's as if he was saying, "Hi Mom - ready for my bath!"

This is my favorite picture though - I could just see the "I didn't do it Mom" look in Maddie's eyes....haha

OK, that's enough for now - hopefully this will slowly start to catch you up, I promise to continue the updates over the next few days. I'm hoping to be back up-to-date by the time Mom and Dad and Brother get here on Thursday...keep your fingers crossed, we shall see!

Have a great week everyone. Remember to count your blessings. :-)

Happy Birthday

2008-11-24T13:42:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note to say Happy Birthday to the most wonderful man - my husband and best friend. We have certainly been living an adventure since the day we met and I wouldn't want it any other way. Life is full of moments that change us forever - meeting Marc was the single moment in my life when I knew that soul mates existed. God gave me a gift and everyday I'm so thankful for him. Happy Birthday sweetheart - I hope this year will be full of happy surprises and the best of times yet to come...

I LOVE YOU ALWAYS!

Remembering

2008-11-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

Saying Goodbye

2008-11-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

My Grandma was one of the most amazing women I’ve ever known. She gave constant love and support freely and openly to anyone who needed or wanted it. She truly was a person who would do anything for anyone, no matter the circumstance.

I can remember so many great memories growing up with her and Pawpaw. I used to see Grandma every day at daycare, from age 2 until 12. She loved that daycare and every child, no matter who they were or how they acted. The older I got, I used to love to listen to her talk about the kids – she was always so proud of each of their accomplishments and that never changed. She made it a point to keep in touch with so many of them and their families – that was a huge source of joy in her life.

Her relationship with Pawpaw was so great – not many people get to see a couple so in love for so many years but I’ve been blessed with seeing that in my grandparents and in my parents’ relationships. Grandma and Pawpaw used to pick at each other constantly – it was hilarious. I would sit in the living room with Pawpaw while Grandma was nagging him from the kitchen – I can still remember the giant grins he’d get on his face as he’d say one thing after another just to get a reaction from her…then he’d look over at me and make a face and laugh and laugh. Oh so much laughter – Grandma never missed a chance to tell the story of how hard Pawpaw had to chase her before she FINALLY agreed to go out on a date with him. After all, he was younger and she didn’t want anything to do with some silly boy who was chasing her all the time – Pawpaw would just shake his head, although he’d never deny her story. He was truly the love of her life – they were soulmates and best friends and today I find peace in knowing they are together again, side by side, hand in hand, I’m sure.

Last night someone told me that Grandma was a spiritual hero – what a great description of my Grandma. For so long I’ve looked up to her and learned so much from her – her faith was strong and I always wanted to be more like her, in so many ways. She never missed a chance to tell me how God was working in her life. She loved her church, adored her family and friends but above all, she loved the Lord…her faith was an inspiration to us all.

There are so many things I’d love to tell you about my Grandma - She made the best forgotten cookies every holiday for me, they were my favorite holiday dessert. She could play a mean game of dominos and just when you think you were going to beat her, she’d sneak away with a win… it happened every time. She loved burnt bread – even when the family was all gathering to eat…she had no problem burning all of our dinner rolls, that’s what she called ‘well done bread’. Grandma had more Christmas decorations than any one person needs in an entire lifetime – decorating for the Christmas season was an entire event every year. Blue was her favorite color – I may have the only Grandma who had a blue and white lit Christmas tree….and it was beautiful, every year. Every year we’d read the Christmas story together as a family and sing carols on Christmas Eve – it was her favorite time of year….

I could go on and on with so many special memories of such a special lady…there just isn’t enough time to share them all......

My Dear Sweet Grandma,
I will miss you terribly – I already do. You taught me so many things, you helped make me who I am. I promise to remember all the wonderful things about you – all of our talks and tears and laughs and hugs. You and Pawpaw will be a part of me and our family forever. One day my children will know all about you, all about their wonderful Great-Grandma and even though I know you won’t be here in person, I hope and pray they will see you through me. I will continue to follow the Lord and let Him guide my life, the same way you lived your days here and the path you taught me to follow.

The last time I saw you, I wished and prayed for God to give you peace – to stop the pain and give you comfort during the challenges you were facing. We talked about life – silly things that really don’t matter but made that small amount of time feel as normal as possible. Your hands and lips were dry so I rubbed lotion on them – hoping to soothe even if only in the smallest way. I always just wanted to make it better Grandma – to help you feel better, and I thank the good Lord above that you are finally at peace.

Your last words to me and mine to you Grandma – from that awful hospital room that I so desperately didn’t want to leave – your last words – I Love You.
Grandma, you were one of the greatest loves of my life and always will be. You said it simplest and best in one simple word you wrote in the card for my wedding…

Always.

Yours always, my sweet Grandma. Your Pistol Pete. Your Jenn.

The Saddest Day

2008-11-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

Very sad news today – my Grandma passed away early this morning with my Uncle and Dad by her side. She’s had so many physical issues over the past few years and while my heart is broken, I’m finding peace in knowing she’s in a better place and pain free with my PawPaw by her side. She’s one of the greatest loves of my life and will be so missed…there just aren’t any words for times like these. Thanks to you all for your thoughts and prayers as Grandma and my family have struggled with her health challenges over the years. Please continue those prayers as we work through the grief and sadness of having to say goodbye.

I’m so very thankful that she doesn’t have to hurt anymore. I loved her so very much.

Here’s further information, as a couple of people have already asked.

Visitation:
Wednesday, Nov 12th
5pm – 8pm
Earthman Funeral Home
3919 Garth Road
Baytown, TX 77521
Tel.281.422.8181

Funeral:
Thursday, Nov 13th
11:30 am
First Baptist Church
210 N Magnolia Street
Highlands, TX 77562
Tel.281.426.4551

Deliveries:
Any flower deliveries, please send to Earthman Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Baptist Child Care Center:
First Baptist Church

ATTN: In Honor of Nell Salters - FBCH Child Care Center
210 N Magnolia Street
Highlands, TX 77562
Call 281.426.4551 (church office) for more information.

Uncle Marc and Aunt Jenn

2008-11-09T16:12:00.001-08:00

Andrew David Stephenson was born on Friday afternoon, November 7th entering the world at 8.5lbs and 21.75 inches. Mom and Dad are doing great - congratulations Les and Bill. What a beautiful baby boy - we can't wait to meet him!

Update

2008-11-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note for those who've asked... Was home this weekend and got to spend a little quality time with my Grandma. She's been in and out between medication and complications she's struggling with. The first day I saw here was the best by far as she was not on any breathing machines and I was able to visit with her for awhile. She eventually had to be put on a CPAP machine and was on that when I left, helping her to breath. Got back to NYC last night (this morning) at about 1:30am... She's now been moved into ICU and put on a ventilator due to her struggles breathing. She's heavily medicated as her body tries to heal itself and getting lots of help with oxygen from the ventilator.

Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers - for peace and comfort as her body struggles to recover from all she's been through. Thanks to all who've been praying and keeping in touch, your love and concern mean a lot to all of us.

Grandma Salters

2008-10-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let update those who don't know... My Grandma has been in and out of the hospital over the past two months and is currently in ICU in Baytown after an extensive surgery she's trying to recover from. I jumped on a plane today to come home and see her and the rest of my family as everyone's been having a hard time over the past couple of months.

For those of you I haven't talked to - please don't be surprised if you hear I was in town. I'm here but am in Mont Belvieu and Baytown, hanging with the family. I'll look forward to seeing y'all on our next trip down.

Please keep my Grandma in your thoughts in prayers and thanks to all of you who've been helping us through this so far. I have the greatest friends in the world - thanks to you all.

Road Trip - Atlantic City or BUST

2008-10-28T13:42:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Marc and I took a road trip across the northeastern states... We headed to Atlantic City, NJ on Friday evening and then on Saturday, drove through Pennsylvania and Delaware to get to Annapolis, Maryland for the night. It was FUN except for when I was totally convinced that we were lost on Sunday heading home...come to find out, we weren't lost - just took the REALLY LONG ROUTE back home. Isn't that right, hun? :-)

KTU, Marc's radio station in NYC was hosting a concert of 80's one-hit-wonder bands or Freestyle Free For All, if you want to get technical, so we headed down for the 'work function'. This was our first time in Atlantic City - a very cool city, definitely reminded me of a mini-Vegas. We stayed at the Taj Mahal where the concert was held... Concert was a blast - including artists like the Cover Girls, Stevie B and Marc's personal fav, Rob Base - he was SO EXCITED...haha...

I'd like to tell you I took the picture above like that on purpose....but that would be a lie. :-)

Afterwards we headed to The Casbah Club inside the Taj Mahal and proceeded to sing (and dance) the night away...all the way into the early hours of the morning. I think the last time Marc and I stayed out this late was....well - uhm - well I can't remember the last time we stayed out so late! Had fun hanging with his staff and sporting my boots New Yorker style although my feet were killing me by the end of the night. Nothing new, I know - I know.

He loves me!

I told you we were singing...haha!

See - New Yorker boots...guess it's finally official, lol! This is me taking a picture of my achy-breaky feet! We had a great weekend, enjoyed spending time in Annapolis with Dad Magnone as well as chowing on some yummy food at Lewne's Steakhouse (no, I didn't have steak...I know you were wondering).

Looking forward to our next road trip which most likely will be a big one, "The Great Magnone Road Trip of 2008" as we're planning to drive from NYC to Merritt Island, FL for Christmas! Stay tuned for a full report on that adventure.

Dexter and Maddie Snapshots

2008-10-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun shots of our puppies -

Hope they brighten your day the way they brighten ours!

Take A Moment...

2008-10-21T06:51:00.001-07:00

And check out this amazing video that Cara passed my way. Most of you know that I converted from a Baptist to a Catholic about a year and a half ago and the cool thing about the video below is that it truly does transcend across all faiths as it pertains to values and moral issues, etc. Although there are pieces of this that some may agree on and some may not, one thing stands out - truly this election should be based on the principles that built our great nation and the importance of families in the future of our America. This is my little plug to encourage others to vote - vote for what you believe in, for the things that are important to you and your family!

Enjoy the video below...if anything, I hope it makes you THINK about what issues truly are important to YOU.

Additional Celebrity Sighting News - Celebrity Apprentice

2008-10-14T13:30:00.001-07:00

So - RANDOM - but my manager knows someone who knows someone who introduced him to a former playmate (yes, you read that correctly - still G rated blog...just connecting the dots for you) who would be in the upcoming Celebrity Apprentice. She called last week (told you I was behind on pictures and posts) and asked for him to bring as many friends as he could to a fundraiser at the corner of 6th Avenue and 58th Street... So, he recruited the office to walk down with him around lunch time - they were selling cupcakes to raise money for an AIDS organization. This is one of two of the teams from Celebrity Apprentice which should be airing sometime in the spring.

The coolest part was standing and talking to Joan with cameras and microphones stuck in your face - all we were trying to do was buy a few cupcakes! =)

Who knows, maybe I'll get a few seconds of my 15 minutes of fame in the spring - keep your eyes peeled!

Joan Rivers - Celebrity Apprentice

Random Drag Queens were helping attract people - you can see in the picture above. Also in this picture is Annie Duke, professional poker player and another contestant on the show.

Here's Joan again with Brande Roderick, the former Baywatch star and playmate I mentioned above. Cool experience here in crazy New York City!

Events to Catch Up On

2008-10-12T18:52:00.001-07:00

I've been holding on to these pics for a couple of weeks... Marc surprised me with 'date night' and took me to Mamma Mia! on Broadway. It was a great show - I just love the storyline... I have to say that other shows I've seen were maybe a little more memorable but the voices of the performers in this play are phenominal. Now I can't wait to go see the movie - not sure how it'll compare to seeing it on stage but I'm looking forward to finding out. I do think it's a solid 'girl movie' so I might have to wait until I'm in the right place to watch this one - not sure Marc would sit through it with me, lol!

Marc also lucked out and had a client offer up tickets to go to one of the Food and Wine Festival events here in town this past weekend. We are big Food Network fans - or at least I am and Marc has to be by default, haha... so we were really pumped for this event.

It was an evening, red carpet affair (we found out when we showed up...oops...forgot to wear my staple "Red Carpet outfit-for-just-in-case-purposes" dress -rriiigghhttt...) full of the best sweets and treats from some of the best chefs in the country. Here's a short description from the website to give you a better idea of what we were walking into...

Late-night desserts never tasted so good - pity you can’t wear your jammies! Even so, get yourself to what might well be the greatest collection of sweets ever found in one location: frosted layer cakes with filling flavors you’ll love; dark chocolates infused with exotic spices that will ruin you for everyday candy bars; cookies crafted from the finest ingredients and resembling works of art; ice-cream so rich and creamy you will dream about it for days. For one blissful evening, New York’s finest confectioners and cheese artisans will join forces in an amazing display of sugar and dairy. Hosted by the king of over-the-top desserts – industrial-strength cake-maker Duff Goldman –this party will also feature the world’s most perfect accompaniment to sweet, rich, ooey-gooey dessert: Champagne and specialty cocktails from Absolut Vodka. Other fine wines and spirits will round out the beverage list, making this all so much better than your usual midnight trip to the cookie jar.

Needless to say, Marc and I being the dessert freaks we are were seriously pumped up for this big night of sweets. Not to mention my fanatical obsession with Ace of Cakes, hosted by Duff Goldman, sounded like a night too good to be true. And it was!!! Can't beat champagne, chocolate and celebrity sightings...we had a blast!

I really enjoyed the champagne AND this amazing centerpiece in the middle of the bar....I mean seriously, outrageously gorgeous....

Above is the hall we walked into - it was set up like a night club with tables full of deserts and drinks lining the walls..

Here's an example of ONE of the tables full of desserts...there were about 40 restaurants/bars/chefs/bakeries with tables set up like this. Needless to say, Marc and I both left with a tummy ache - but who can blame us!?

I loved this Evian 'Water Bar' - talk about getting creative with H2O...

These were sugar and chocolate sculptures - I love watching chefs put these together...they take so much work and concentration and patience....just amazing stuff.

Here we are with Duff - he was really cool...definitely one of those guys you can BS with and pick up conversation super easy... Very friendly guy!

The above are all ice cream push-pops...Yeah, That's Right! They are filled with vanilla and caramel ice cream....yuuuhuuummm!

We did have the opportunity to meet a few celebrities including Bobby Flay (my Food Network hero!) - unfortunately, we didn't get a picture with him. But look who we DID get a picture with!???

The Piano Man himself.... SO cool! (for those asking - who in the world is The Piano Man - BILLY JOEL PEOPLE!)

We had such a great night... Empire State building was lit up beautifully even though it's hard to see in the background... One last picture for the evening - I love this man! =)

Pups Update

2008-10-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

Maddie and Dexter are wonderful, as usual - still a constant part of entertainment for our days...here's some updated pictures. Enjoy!

Lots of playing under the bed...

and with new, fun toys leads to...

Very Sleepy Puppy Dogs... =)

And a very sleepy Mom!

Still the cutest pups ever, not that I'm biased or anything... =)

Remembering September 11th...In A Different Way

2008-09-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Marc and I decided to participate in this year's Tunnel to Towers 2008 5k run - a tribute to all the fallen firemen who paid the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11. This is a family-started race that originated to honor Fireman Stephen Siller. A short version of his heroic story...

Stephen Siller, beloved husband and father of five, was a firefighter from Squad 1, Park Slope Brooklyn. On 9/11, he was off-duty, and on his way to golf with his 3 older brothers. When Stephen heard on his scanner that the World Trade Center had been hit, he turned his vehicle around and headed towards the site. When his truck was prohibited from entering the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, he raced on foot towards the site with his gear strapped to his back. He was last seen alive on West and Liberty Streets where he went looking for his Squad, all of whom perished. The Tunnel to Towers Run retraces Stephen's footsteps on that fateful day. In running along his path, we honor the memory of all the Firefighters, Police, and EMS workers who performed their duty that day. In running this race, we are reclaiming still another part of the city for all our heroes and for all of those who died on 9/11.

This was, by far, one of the most memorable experiences I've had since moving to NYC close to a year ago... There were over 20,000 people who came out to show their love and support, relive their memories, work through the continued healing process of remembering that day in sadness and celebrating the lives of the fallen heroes and all the good of the American people that came from this tragedy. Firemen from all over the world participated in this race...it was truly amazing, a living memorial and tribute... As cheesy as it may sound, it was an emotional day for me and it made me proud to be an American.

On a lighter note, Marc and I both finished the race - our FIRST 5k together....it was pretty cool! The course went through the Battery Tunnel, starting in Brooklyn and into Manhattan, past Ground Zero and through Battery Park... The amount of supporters out there was awesome - and the most stunning moment of the entire event is running out of the Battery Tunnel to 343 firefighters wearing photos of the firefighters who lost their lives, standing beside 343 firefighters holding American flags...a flag for each firefighter who fell.

It was an amazing experience - there are no words to describe the feelings... I took as many photos as possible to try and remember the experience. Hope you enjoy them.

Entrance to Battery Tunnel

Three tires...can you believe it?

Making it into Manhattan

London Firefighters

NYC Fire Department

We made it to the finish and I DID beat Marc...by one second! Please disregard my 'wet rat' look - it was pouring down rain most of the run and afterwards.

Rudy Giuliani

Marc's new water holder...

Michele, Edna and Jenn - Active Crew

To all the heroes and victims....you will never be forgotten.

Weekend Review

2008-09-29T18:27:00.001-07:00

Marc and I had a busy weekend - stayed pretty busy the majority of the time. Friday we went to Hill Country for some Texas-style barbque and it was yummy! I also treated myself to some Blue Bell Ice Cream for dessert...can't get that anywhere else up north but at this restaurant. For anyone who's ever been to Rudy's, it's a 'nicer' version of the same style of cookin' and atmosphere. I was waited on by a freakin' Texas Longhorn though - in full Longhorn gear and all... Whatever. She was nice so I didn't let it spoil my dinner.

After dinner Marc hung at home with the pups and I went and met my friend Edna out to celebrate her cousins birthday. I was in a cab before she let me know that it was 'Latin Friday' night - lol. We had fun though, even if I couldn't understand a word of the music!

Saturday Marc and I headed out to Brooklyn Heights to check out the area, do a little sight-seeing and also see if it might be an area worth us moving to in order to gain a little more space and pay a little less rent. we had a good time, minus the yucky weather. Brunch and a walk on the 'Promenade' facing Manhattan and then back over to NYC through Wall Street area. Marc joked about me taking pictures 'before it crashed' - don't worry, I told him it wasn't funny.

Saturday night Ed came over to hang out and watch the Georgia/Alabama showdown....and all I have to say is wow - after watching that butt-beating I can believe that Alabama may be on their way this year. In Aggie news, we DID beat Army although there were some questionable moments when we definitely wondered if we were going to lose the game... Rough year for us Ags and the next few weeks are going to be another fresh taste of reality - they gotta get it together.

Sunday a.m. Marc and I got up and ran a 5k (which I'll blog about later) and then absolutely crashed... We were exhausted, to say the least and I think we took a 4 hour long nap, long enough for me to miss half of the Cowboys game. I can't believe they lost but better to lose now than later when it might matter more, I guess...

That's my weekend report - more to come later on our big 5k race Sunday a.m.!

Weekend Report

2008-09-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

We had another great, fun-filled weekend here in town. Jay McPhillips and his friend Kate came up for the weekend to visit - we haven't seen Jay in almost two years as he's an old friend from my days at Auburn and now resides in Tuscaloosa with the Crimson Tide Alabama crew. The San Genarro Festival was this weekend in Little Italy so we headed over to Focalore's for dinner on Friday night. Highlights from the festival include trying fried Oreo's for the first time (surprisingly really good), stuffing ourselves with Italian cookies and watching Marc house an Italian sausage and peppers sandwich after dinner, making himself sick...or at least, very uncomfortable...lol.

Saturday we headed over to Yankee Stadium for the game before the last game in 'The House That Ruth Built'. It was a great game, won in the bottom of the 9th....so much passion and so many memories. I've only been going to Yankees games for about 6 months and I'm even sad to see the stadium go - I can't imagine how the long time Yankees fans must feel about this moment. It's definitely the end of an era and I hate to see it end. The new stadium will be cool but not sure it can ever match the feelings a person has when they walk into 'the original' Yankee Stadium for the first time...

By the way, I was seriously pumped up about the Aggie vs. Miami game on Saturday (ugh - can anyone say de ja vue?) so I was happy to wear my Aggie Football shirt. I got several reactions, including 'What's an Aggie?' but my favorite comment of the day was a loud GIG 'EM from the stands as I was walking out of Yankee Stadium from a fellow Aggie - felt like home for a split second and I had a giant smile on my face heading to watch 'the big game'. Never found a place (in all of Manhattan) carrying my game but the score updates on my blackberry were enough to let me know that I wasn't missing anything worth watching... Ugh.

Sunday we went to our first Giants game against Cincinnati and it was a great game too. Man I miss going and watching live football games SO MUCH - it was nice to be 'part of the action' again for a little while, even if I wasn't watching one of my beloved teams (How 'bout them Cowboys?).

Thanks to Kate and Jay for all the hook-ups around town...it was a fun weekend - thanks for hangin'!

More Hurricane Ike Pictures - From the Salters Home

2008-09-18T07:33:00.001-07:00

Here are some shots that my Mom sent me from my home in Mont Belvieu - not too much major damage aside from the need for a new roof... What a mess though!? Glad everyone is safe - love you Mom, Dad, Grandma and Bailey...thanks for updating us with the pictures.

This is our neighbors across the street - the water you see in the back yard is overflow of a river that runs behind their house. On the other side of the river is Eagle Pointe Golf Course - for those of you who know that area. Anyway, normally you cannot see anything but grass from the road, would never know there is even a river back there because there is a large bank leading down to it.... My point - the water is WAY up.

This is our next door neighbors' place -tree broke and fence down in the back of the top picture. Below you can see the downed part of the fence laying in a giant puddle/lake of water in my Mom and Dad's front yard...

The tree above is from the side of our house and the shot below is also a shot of the back fence that has been blown apart...

Lots of branches in the backyard - several landed on our pool equipment... Let's hope it all works when we try to turn it on.

Mom and Dad need some siding repair and a new roof...look closely at this roof picture below and you'll see that there are A LOT of shingles missing...

Pool is a mess - hence the hope that the system works when we turn it on so it can be cleaned out relatively easily... The fence below is from the other side of my parents house - it has also been blown over.

This tree is from our neighbors back yard and landed on the fence and the storage building in our back yard. That's Bailey's kennel (our yellow lab) where the chain link fence is... She stayed inside the house with the family for the big storm and this is what her home looked like after Ike!

Saved my favorite picture for last...doesn't she look like a happy dog, even though her house and yard are a mess!? =)

First Pics of Hurricane Ike Damage in Mont Belvieu - Fisher's Landing

2008-09-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Grannie just sent these pictures over to me so I can see what things look like at her house - yuck! Thought I'd share...as I get more from my parents I'll post those too. Thank GOD everyone is safe...what a mess. Looks like Gran will need a new roof and fence as of now. I am happy to report that the Mont Belvieu clan has power and water as of yesterday evening so things are SLOWLY getting back to normal...Mom and Dad both went into work today. Mom's building is damaged (One Houston Center) but workable and Dad's out at Exxon, trying to put the Baytown Refinery back together. I know everyone in America is hoping for the best outcome there as those docks are a major supplier of all the outside commodities coming into the south... i.e. The sooner their back online, the sooner gas prices might go down a little...

Sorry I'm not there to help clean up, Grannie and Phillip but I'm SO THANKFUL the damage wasn't worse and that you both are safe. Love you - happy healing at the Jenkins home!

I did it!

2008-09-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

So this Sunday was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k...and I did it! I finished the full run, no stopping, which is the first time I've run full through a 5k in a very long time! It felt so good to get out there - it was amazing to the both of us to see just how many people showed up, hence how many people this disease affects. Cynthia Nixon from Sex and the City (Miranda) was the Grand Marshall so she was actually there, giving us a motivational speech...but no, I didn't get to see her. But I got to hear her - so hey, that was still cool... I should explain why I couldn't see her...there were 25,000 people there! So many people that we had 3 different start times: 1-Survivors and elite runniers, 2-all other runners, 3-walkers. It was an awesome run, straight through the center of midtown NYC and into Central Park, past the reservoir which is the first time I've ever seen it. It's beautiful! We had a fun day and it was of course, for a great cause. Thanks to all of you who donated - I'm proud to announce that I surpassed my goal and have raised $345 up to this point! Remember, you can still donate on my page up until October 31, 2008...so just in case you forgot and still are interested in giving a little to help raise money to find a cure, please be sure and donate before then! See my previous blog (Help Me Fight Breast Cancer!) post for information on how to donate.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT...My Husband, Grannie, Mom and Dad Magnone, Rachel, Les and Bill, Cara and Daniel, Edna and Maggie!

Celebrating Our First Anniversary

2008-09-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Marc and I had a great, relaxing weekend to celebrate our first anniversary last weekend. We really didn't do too much and it was GREAT. Saturday we got up and went to brunch with Byron and Jess and James and Byron's parents. Great to finally meet them - and brunch was awesome too, some little French place that was amazing. Folks, we definitely have a new place to take you to eat! The rest of Saturday was great too - we walked over to Tribeca Tranquility Spa where I managed to score a SICK (and by "sick" I mean heavily discounted) deal through Lifebooker.com on a 90 minute couples massage - wowza! It was maybe the best massage I've ever had - I mean - there are just no words...it was that good. By the time we got out, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay (sp?) had made it all the way up to us and it was pouring...ironically, NYC was under a tropical storm warning, weird - right? So we went home and hung out for awhile....did a lot of nothing - watched college football, fantastic Saturday. We actually went out in the pouring rain to see the Florida game because our satellite kept cutting in and out - the pic below is us in our local sports bar/restaurant (Jake's Saloon) where we were 2 of about 5 total people in the entire place.

We had a good time though...after we dried off! Sunday was church and dinner at Tello's - another of our local favorites - a great Italian place around the corner... and a giant surprise from Daniel and Erika. Look what they sent us -

Is it awesome or what!?!?!?! We love it! It looks GREAT in our place - there was this blank wall that has needed something for a very long time and viola - now we have the perfect spot for our new sign! Thanks guys - we love it and it's very special knowing that it came from y'all. Marc's already talking about how we can pass it down to our kids...my response was, "what kids"? =)

Moving on to Monday - we both took off! We spent the whole day together - got up and went to breakfast and then went over to the Museum of Modern Art. Here are some of the cool pictures of things we saw at the museum. One of the coolest things was a huge exhibit on Salvador Dali but no pics were allowed there so didn't get to take any to share.

Monday night Marc took me to The Chart House (a Landry's restaurant way up here - woohoo!) in Weehawken, New Jersey....or basically just on the New Jersey side of the Hudson. It was awesome - great food, beautiful scenary and best of all, me and my husband celebrating our first anniversary together. Can you believe that the top of our cake made it all the way from Houston? Thanks Mom and Dad for packing well to send it up - it tasted great!

Maddie and Dexter got us some champagne to celebrate - it was on my dresser when I got out of the shower. Those pups - they are great! ;-)

Not sure if you can see my necklace but that's my present from my hubby - he did a really good job and surprised me...definitely wasn't expecting anything like that!

Here we are with our cake top - looks like it's been through a journey, for sure but it was really great. Rustika still makes the best cakes, even a year after they are made they taste great!

On the way out, we stopped to take these shots across the water. Because we were so close to September 11th, we were able to see the light shining from ground zero in remembrance of the two towers that fell... It's an eery, beautiful sight and definitely reminds me to be thankful for all I have and remember all those who've lost their lives for our country. It's amazing to me how high that light shines...looks like it's going straight up to heaven.

So that's my anniversary report! We had a great time and were able to just enjoy each other's company, reminisce a little, miss our friends and family a lot, and be thankful for how lucky we are to have found our soulmate. Thanks to all of you who sent us cards and emails and gifts - we appreciate it all, mostly we appreciate you remembering our special day.

I Love You Marc Magnone - Thanks for making our first anniversary our best date yet... =)

Hurricane Ike Update

2008-09-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know that all my family is ok - they are holding up alright in Mont Belvieu. I think my parents' house and my Grannie's home took a beating....Mom says they'll need a new roof and have lots of trees to pick up. Grannie has a tree on her house - ugh. But, everyone is safe and sound - no electricity, haven't had any since 7pm on Friday...yuck. So, I think that's pretty miserable but I'm sure all of this is the same things that are affecting hundreds of thousands across the area.

Stay safe everyone and try to stay cool. If anyone knows of ANYTHING that Marc and I can do from up here - send you something, etc. - please, let us know. We are anxious to help but really don't think we can do much here.... Just know we're thinking of you all, wishing you comfort and peace during this time of re-building and clean up.

Doubt many of y'all will see this for quite some time but when you finally do see it, just know that you have all been in our prayers all these days and will continue to be in the days to come.

Huricane Ike and Mailing Address Collection

2008-09-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Family and Friends,

Just a couple of quick things...

1) Hurricane Ike is coming and it's a giant mess of a storm. I want all of you in Houston to bunker down and be safe - don't think this storm isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Know that someone in NYC is VERY worried and concerned about all her friends and fam back home - we won't mention any names... Anyway, Marc and I will have you all in our thoughts and prayers as you go through this mess. God takes care of us all and I know He will do the same for you through this hurricane.

Also, after the storm has passed, PLEASE let us know you're ok! We want to hear from you all so keep us updated - we love y'all and can't wait for this storm to pass! Besides, we might need to beg someone to help us fix our Houston town home - fingers crossed, no damage will be done!

2) VERY IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
I'm collecting mailing addresses as I need to update my collection. Several of you have moved over the past year and I want to make sure I've got all the right, up-to-date information. Please email me your address if you've moved or feel like I might not have your address - email to marcandjenn@gmail.com .

Thanks everybody! Have a great weekend!

Happy Anniversary - Our First Year Together

2008-09-09T10:04:00.001-07:00

How crazy is it that one year ago Marc and I were just getting married!?!?!?

I can't believe this year has flown by - it's been the longest and shortest year ever, that's what I keep saying. Between Maddie and Dexter, our giant move and both of us starting new jobs, this has been one year to remember.

The one thing that has stayed constant and unwaivering is how much I adore my husband and love him more and more each day. I never knew that life could be this good until I met him - he's my soul mate, my best friend and the love of my life...and a pretty great husband too. :-)

Happy Anniversary Baby - thanks for being you and for loving me.

Annapolis for Labor Day

2008-09-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

Marc and I decided to get out of the city last weekend and take the pups along on a road trip to Annapolis, Maryland. Marc's Dad is working on a special project there so we thought it would be fun to go down for a visit. We had a blast! So much fun - the weather was a little stinky but aside from that, no complaints. We ate A LOT (but you all shouldn't be suprised by that ), took the dogs to the dog park, did some touristy sight-seeing in Annapolis and Baltimore, saw our friend Randy for a couple of minutes and basically, just relaxed over the weekend! I finally got my hair cut again - super short but Marc likes it and it gives us an excuse to head down to Annapolis every 6-8 weeks so hey, I'm good with that. After this little getaway weekend, I'm happy to announce that I can now cross two more states off my 'states visited' list - Delaware and Maryland! =) Pics from the weekend are below - we really had an awesome time and I can't wait to go back... We almost didn't leave we loved it so much - plus, you just can't be family time these days!

The pups were ready to go once they hopped into the car

This is what Maddie did most of the trip

Passing into Delaware - Dexter posing for his picture, as usual

Welcome to Maryland - Dexter can't wait! He kept his paw on the window and kept whining...can't take passing by all that grass without getting out to play!

Hanging at the dog park - they had so much fun and got tired REALLY quick...

Dexter on the move...

Maddie giving Dex a hard time - she only wants the ball when he has it... You can see her taking a rest below...

She couldn't decide whether to bark her head off at this cute lab or to lick him to death!

Dad and his pups....

Annapolis is of course where the Naval Academy is located - check out the stadium above and the seamen below....hehe - that joke was funny the first time Marc used it. 5 times later - eh - just gets a smirk now around the house. =)

Above is where the Ravens play and below where the Orioles play in Baltimore, of course!

We headed to ESPN Zone to watch the games on Saturday...had a nice time but ESPN Zone has some silly rules about just sitting and watching... GEEZ - they take all the fun out of hanging out and watching your favorite college teams play!

Hung out at ESPN Zone in Baltimore to watch all the college games - they have awesome nachos, YUM!

We went to a great restaurant Saturday night - I think it was called Phillips - it's right on the water in Annapolis. Everyone drives their boats around town to get where they want to go -that's how much water is there! We had a great time just sitting, eating, visiting and watching...

Sunday evening we went to church around 5 and then to dinner - I had some fantastic seafood at one of the great places Dad Magnone has found in this cute little town... We really enjoyed ourselves.

Above was the view from our table - so beautiful...

Went for a nightcap at an Irish pub within walking distance of Dad Magnone's place...so we took the dogs over. Dexter was super excited about Marc's water - so much so that we couldn't keep him out of it!

Breakfast at the local Diner... Double T's wher Marc tried Scrapple for the first time...only one word to describe it - YUCK.

Time to head home - Dexter refused to stay in the back and kept climbing up front where he finally settled in Marc's lap - one paw on the steering wheel...just like any man, always needs to feel like he's in charge! HAHA!

Snoozin' puppies - couldn't leave Maddie in the back by herself so she came up and crashed in my lap...

Curious George - er - Dexter...do you see that look in his eyes SCREAMING what is THAT out there...can we go huh can we go huh can we go?!? LOL!

Back in Delaware... Dexter and Dad ruling the road!

And....we're back! This is from New Jersey about to head into the tunnel, Manhattan in the distance...what a beautiful city.

We had a great trip and can't wait to go back - hopefully much sooner than later!

Help Me Fight Breast Cancer!

2008-09-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

I've finally made the commitment to run in a 5k next Sunday through Central Park in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It's such an important cause and for so long I've wanted to get involved so - I'm doing it! Now's the time when I'll mention that I haven't been working out, much less running 3+ miles, anytime recently and it will defintely be a challenge. I'm hoping the good cause will motivate me... =)

Anyway, if you're interested in supporting me or more importantly, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, please visit the participation link below.

Thanks for your help - together I hope one day we'll be able to find a cure and beat this disease!

http://www.komennyc.org/site/TR/Race/race2008-wide?px=1701583&pg=personal&fr_id=1150&et=_Y2yzm0w5KfIIUlqDzWq-g..&s_tafId=30140

Sports Mania, Uncle Mike and More

2008-08-31T20:00:00.001-07:00

So, I have A LOT to tell you and will try to keep it as short as possible BUT this is what happens when I get behind on my blogging. The last two weeks have been CRAZY with all kinds of visitors, trips and sports - LOTS of sports.

Let's start with 'Uncle Mike' - Mike Schulenburg came into town on Saturday of last weekend (Maddie and Dex's bday!) for his first NYC visit. He was an excellent guest - A's all around - he also picked up the 'Uncle Mike' nickname as Maddie and Dexter became very attached to their daily play partner. Although the visit was short, I think the name will stick... No doubt those dogs were attached to Mike!

Of course, first stop on Saturday evening HAD TO BE Junior's - did you expect anything different?

A waiter made a quick cameo although he wasn't our waiter - still, we thought it was funny...

Sightseeing

So, Sunday morning we got up bright and early and did some hardcore sightseeing. Can anyone guess where we went for breakfast by the picture below?

The Seinfeld diner, OF COURSE!

Looks a lot different on the inside but the outside DEFINITELY gives it away that we are at the right place! Food was decent, nothing spectacular but who cares - we were at the Seinfeld diner - lol!

Interesting car below that we passed on our walk over to Central Park - couldn't help taking the picture and laughing at the same time

The Met Museum

The Guggenheim Museum

Beatstock 2008
Marc's station, WKTU ("The BEAT of New York) puts on a concert every year called Beatstock. It's two days of music and fun so Sunday evening we loaded up in a limo (compliments of Clear Channel - thank you very much) and drove out to the middle of nowhere....uh, I mean New Jersey to the PNC Bank Arts Center for a full-on KTU experience. And that's exactly what is was - featuring the Pussy Cat Dolls and Dannity Kane (you might be saying WHO and I understand...definitely a variety of music at these concerts) but most importantly, guess who was there!??? C & C Music Factory! It was awesome.....

Mike in NYC - Livin' Large

We chose to stay in the lawn - my friend Edna and her crew were there so we hung out and relaxed up top. Check out all the people!

US Open 2008 and Mets vs. Astros
Next on the agenda, Monday morning my work crew and I headed out to Flushing, NY for the US Open! It was our annual office 'summer outing' or just a great excuse to eat, drink and watch a bunch of tennis. Now, I've never been a big tennis fan BUT I highly recommend going out to the Open - it's like a giant amusement park! They even have built in shopping stores like Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Wilson, etc. I really did have a blast - so much fun that I convinced Marc he was missing out on something...so, we ended up back at the Open last night (Tuesday, Sept 2) with Byron, Jess, James and Nina watching the Roddick and Gonzalez Match - so cool! Can you believe that Roddick can serve a ball at the speed of 142 mph??? It's incredible... Anyway, will post those pics later - but for now, here's the shots from last week's US Open fun.

Me and Edna enjoying a day in the sun - watching tennis, of all things!

Mike picked a great week to come out - he's a big tennis fan as well so he met up with us. The picture below is in front of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Here's my work crew - go Active!

This shot above is of us leaving the US Open and...

Walking straight over to Shea Stadium! Yep, that's right, there's a walkway between the two venues so it really worked out that the Astros were in town playing the Mets the night after the Open all day! Mike and I walked over to meet up with Marc for the game.

This is a shot from inside Shea Stadium looking out - see the new stadium in the background? It's almost done - and it's huge!

Got to see my new favorite Astro in action - Hunter Pence

On a side note, I've been meaning to mention this... There is a player for the Mets named Davide Wright - guess who he looks like?

Pretty similar eh? I think it's CRAZY how much they look alike... So of course, this means I must be a David Wright fan - I mean how could I not?! It's almost like routing for my husband...almost...hahaha! (By the way, found that David Wright pic below on Google - NO we did not meet him - lol!)

Yankees vs. Red Sox

Tuesday night we were lucky enough to get tickets to the final Red Sox/Yankees series at the original Yankee Stadium. This place was PACKED and the fans were rowdy...

A.Rod trying to start something - ultimately Red Sox won the game - ugh.
Mike and Marc in front of Yankee Stadium - trip to the game wouldn't be the same with at least one shot in front of the field!

So, that's my update! As you can see, we've been a little busy... In other notable sports news the Cowboys are once again going to ROCK MY WORLD this year - I think we have a great team and I'm ready for it! The Aggies, on the other hand, had a very disappointing loss on Saturday- there are no words. Hopefully something will change - QUICK. Really not looking for another road like we had last year of ups and downs.... It would be nice to be consistently GOOD for awhile. We'll see...

Enough for now - more soon!

Happy First Birthday To Our Pups

2008-08-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 23rd was Maddie and Dexter's first birthday and we did a lot of celebrating, all weekend long! Friday night was Maddie and Dex's birthday party on the roof of our apartment building in Chelsea - complete with a Billy's Bakery cake for the humans and Paw Pupcakes for the dogs. We had so much fun - lots of friends stopped by including several of our neighbors. Amazingly, they all had gifts for the dogs! I didn't even think about a 'no gifts please' note on the evite - apparently our friends enjoying shopping for the canine's though because they got some really cute, fun stuff. We've let them play with a lot of it and are putting other pieces away for 'safe keeping' aka 'to replenish after first round of toys are destroyed'. Thanks so much to everyone who came to hang out and celebrate with the pups - really appreciate the gifts and wine, etc. Y'all didn't have to do that but we definitely appreciate it and I know Maddie and Dexter do as well!

I really can't believe they're already a year old - and guess what's just around the corner - mine and Marc's first anniversary. This year has flown by - lots of great memories along the way. Some of the best of those memories are getting these two little buddles of joy - they brighten our days always and greet us, no matter what, with a giant smile and lick and lots and lots of love. We couldn't ask for better pets - Happy Birthday Maddie and Dex. Mom and Dad love you very much - hehe!

Billy's Bakery Cake - for the humans

Cookies for the pups with Maddie's name spelled wrong - I know, don't even get me started!

These might look like cupcakes but they're not - they're PUPCAKES! Just for Maddie and Dex and their doggie friends...

Below are Maddie and Dexter in their 'Birthday Suits' - :)

Here are Birthday Party pictures with the crew - we had such a great time!

The Family

Mad and Dex - post party - playing with some of their new toys...

Thanks again to everyone who came out on Friday night and wished Dex and Maddie a very happy birthday - I think it was a great success! To those who weren't here - we missed you all!