Its a BOY!

We found out today that we are having a BOY!!!!
Such wonderful  news and Alex and I are thrilled!!!!!

I'm getting bigger and bigger and we can't wait to meet the little guy!!!!

Surprise!!!

So it turns out I'm pregnant!
It was such a wonderful surprise and Alex and I are BEYOND thrilled!

Belly Pics to follow!

Battery Gardens 9.10.10

We were able to celebrate again with our friends on September 10th, here in NYC. Battery Gardens was a beautiful setting for our reception!

I do!!!!!

Its been a long time since my last post so I'm going to update and add some quick entries.
Here is a picture of our wedding ceremony in MD on Aug 28th! We had a beautiful ceremony with our family and could not have asked for more perfect weather!!!

2 weeks to go!

We have just under two weeks to go now until our actual wedding date! The one question I keep getting is : Are you nervous? Am I panicking? No WAY!!!

I'm not stressed, I'm not nervous and I'm not panicked!!! I feel really good and can not be happier that I am marrying the man of my dreams. It took me a REALLY long time to find him (and him to find me)  and right now everything feels just right. We are so happy together and can not wait to make it official. I'm looking forward to celebrating with our families on the 28th and all of our dear friends on the 10th.

Getting Mail is so fun!

Who knew getting the mail everyday would be so fun. The response cards have been coming in and getting the mail everyday has been added to my list of "one of my favorite times of the day."

I look forward to seeing who is coming to our wedding all of the time!!! Keep those responses coming!!! 

Hair Trial

I love those beachy curls that models have. In the hair world, I have learned, its called "texture" or "beachy waves." I don't know about you, but my hair does not look like this after I get off the beach. The only word that comes to mind about my hair after the beach is AFRO.  I really love Marissa Millers hair...but without extensions that is never going to be me. I figured I would go for a style that is more like me and I have found that Carrie Underwood is right on my same wavelength. She too got married this year and she is simply just adorable.....Her life and mine are slightly the same...except for the fact that I don't sing Country (only Top 40) and I'm not marrying a hockey player. (I'm marrying Alex who is 10x better)

In any case, here is a picture of me after my trial at Bumble and Bumble.

I think its cute and a great beginning!!!

Wedding Bands

So I'm having a really hard time finding a wedding band!!! I wanted a diamond band to match my engagement ring and I've been searching and searching. Of course the one place that I found that has it is Tiffany & Co.

WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for our budget so I've been sleuthing around to see if I can find something else....For some reason Bezel shaped diamonds are a super unique style and not as popular...The search continues- but here is a shot of the one I would get if money was not an option. Clearly that isn't the case with us...DER have you met Alex?

The Dress

As you know, I am a big fan of J Crew...I made an appointment at the new J Crew Bridal boutique in NYC and had such a great experience!!! Here are some pics of my appointment and THE DRESS!!!

The Ring

Here it is!!! The Rock!!!

We're Engaged!

We brought some great news back from The Bahamas and I'm happy to say that Alex and I are engaged!!!! I'm super excited about my new husband to be and so happy!!! Ring pics are coming soon!!!!

It's Better in the Bahamas

You know the song, right?
Alex and I sing this tune every morning! We see this commercial probably 3-5 times every morning and it puts us in such a good mood. Why? Because IT IS better in the Bahamas!!! Which is why Alex and I are going back!!!! My darling hubby to be just booked us a fabulous week long trip prior to Memorial Day!
The last few trips we have been on, ironically, have been in warm locations but it hasn't been warm!!! We vowed that this time would be in warm weather...guaranteed warm weather. In this case 85 degree and sunny every single day. Our journey takes us to the Island of Eleuethra. This will be my 3rd Island visited in the Bahamas and I'm so excited!! The Bahamas is so special to us. Its romantic and is full of memories for Alex and his entire family. We are looking forward to a nice long vacation on a secluded island with warm weather and no cell phones!!!
Let the countdown begin!!!! T Minus 24 days!

Starting new habits

Alex and I had a great dinner last night....I made Mahi Mahi (thanks Trader Joe's), whole wheat couscous with a lemon vinaigrette and parsley (thank you Giada) and grilled zucchini. It was sooooo delish! Alex says that I make the best fish and the fish I made for him in the Bahamas was "the best he has ever had." It such a nice compliment when your hubby (and yes I'm using that word lightly) likes what you cook for him each night. Before we ate, we decided to pray before dinner and thank God for everything that we were thankful for: our lovely meal, being able to eat together and most importantly that we had each other (and Poops). We have started to create new habits and incorporating religion into our daily life is one of them. We have gone to church together in the last few weeks and we are going to go again this Sunday. I love the feeling that you get after going to church. I always feel refreshed and cleansed and seem to get a better understanding of things going on around me. One other habit we have tried to incorporate is reading passages from The Bible. Regardless of how far technology has come, dealing with people in the right way has stayed the same for thousands of years. Recently Alex and I have gone to several different churches, trying to find a place of our own. Our journey isn't over yet but I think we are starting on the right path as partners/husband and wife. (OK, we aren't married yet, but just work with me here!!!)
Starting a family means starting new traditions!

May I marry your daughter?

We had a great weekend in Maryland. Alex and I traveled to Gaithersburg this weekend to celebrate a few events. Mainly, Baby Owens' baptism in addition to seeing Violet and Catalina and the whole family. We made our way home Saturday morning after a tough work week for Alex. We arrived home and immediately settled into chillaxland....got some Saltenas for lunch (Alex was a big fan) and then sat in front of the tube for a little while. The girls and I socialized while Alex took a nap. We had a great dinner munching on Dad's grilled ribs, rice and salad. Everything was delish! The next day, we woke up to dogs barking, kids laughing and breakfast being made in the kitchen. Eggs, pancakes and all  kinds of delish breakfast items. I knew this weekend was going to be the weekend that Alex asked my dad for my hand in marriage. We talked about it, just like we talk about everything else and he told me what he was going to say. At first, his speech went something like this " Sir, I'm Considering marrying your daughter" HOLD UP I said to Alex- Considering? What like you have other choices that you are debating????? Basically the only choices that he has are between me and Darcy. I know its a tough one...We chuckled about it and then he said he would tweak his pitch about it. He came up to me and said, "Should I do it now?" I said, " Ya! Go outside and just start talking to him...strike up a conversation" He said, "well I don't want it to be too obvious...." I then suggested that he and my Dad take Darcy out in the backyard and throw the ball around to her. He thought it was a great idea and the next thing you know the screen door shut. I'll never really know what was said out there, because I'm basically marrying a version of my father and he just happens to be a man of few words. But from what Alex told me, he said his revised version went something like this: Don, Linda and I have been talking about getting married and before we go any further, I'd like to have your permission to move forward. My dad told Alex he was very happy for us and that he, of course, approved. He then went in for a quasi-hug from what Alex said. I told him to describe it to me and he did such a poor job so in my mind, for all of the stories I will tell about this day they had a good hug at the end of the conversation. I'm so happy Alex likes my family and they like him. He got an opportunity to meet all of the other Spanish relatives later that afternoon. I think everyone was so surprised that he fit in so nicely....Even Mami Luz gave him a hug and said " I love you" to him as we were leaving. I said, "she said I love you to you in Spanish?" Alex said, "No. She said I love you in English!" My family changes and amazes me every time I turn away. Mark one down for the Arzabe's. They made  me super proud!!!!!!!!!!

PFT

Or Poopie Fun Time to those of you  that know Alex....His new name for Darcy is PFT, Poopie Fun Time, Poops, Passenger Fun Time- First Name Poopie. You name it and he will call her that. They have developed such a close relationship that last night Darcy waited by the front door for Alex for 3 hours until he got home. I arrived at 6:30 pm, walked and fed Darcy. From then on, she laid next to the front door and counted down the minutes until he arrived. Does my little girl favor him now? In addition, we have gone two nights in a row with Darcy not coming to bed with me in the loft. I have been fighting a cold lately, so while I go to bed early, Alex stays up and watches TV. Both nights Darcy laid on the floor like a "real dog" !!!! Lots of more fun updates to come...but here is another picture of my two favorites.

Ray Family Trip- The Abacos

We had an amazing time in the Bahamas. Because there was a huge snow storm, our trip got off to a bit of a different start. First, our flight was canceled. We were able to rebook through Chicago. Then rebooked again so that we could fly to Raleigh, NC. We figured anything except Chicago would be best at this point! Our journey started at JFK, then went on to Raleigh, NC. From there we landed in Miami. The whole group met at Miami International Airport and headed to our gate for Marsh Harbour, Bahamas. What a small plane that was....not a puddle jumper, but one of those small planes with propellers that you would see on Fantasy Island. It felt so good once we landed. Finally we had reached our destination and our vacation could begin!
We settled into Wally's for lunch. This is a favorite with the entire Ray Clan. Wally's Specials, Gumbay Smash, Conch Fritters and the Fish Special. MMMMMMmmmm to top it off, we got to celebrate Trixie's Birthday! Once we finished lunch we were able to head over to our cottages. If you've never been to the Abaco Islands, you should go. They are one of the Bahamas best kept secrets! Find out more about the Abaco's here: http://www.bahamas.com/out-islands/abacos

Our days were spent taking walks along the beach, swimming in the harbor and in the ocean. Alex went fishing with the guys and we noshed on delicious Tuna and Dolphin
(not the mammal)  throughout the week. Dad or the Captain or Shankapatomous made delicious rum drinks for us on daily basis. He perfected the recipe so much that we renamed the rum drinks "The Shankapotamus Special"

The Captain is proud of his drinks!

I don't want to leave out Mom so here is a shout out to her as well. Trix and Mom enjoying Happy Hour in the sun behind their cottage. Ahhhh this is the good life!

We got to dine at an amazing place. Its called The Abaco Inn. Several hints were made from Mom, Dad and Trixie to have a destination wedding here!!! p.s I am all for it! But we will have to see how that turns out...here is a picture of us enjoying drinks and food at The Abaco Inn.

We took lots of great rides on the boat and I even got to learn how to drive it...pretty exciting if you ask me. Me and the waves....just having some fun.

Such a great group and such a great destination for a vacation. I can't wait to go back next year!
You can see the rest of our pictures here: http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2198068016/a=4280805_4280805/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Fun and Games

It's amazing to me what a difference a dog can make in someones life. Before Alex and I lived together, I spent countless dollars on doggie day care so that Darcy could have the love and attention she deserved while Alex and I traveled and spent time together. Since Alex got up for work so much earlier than I did, sleeping at my apartment wasn't always the choice. While Alex's building did allow dogs, he wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of a little one jumping on his nice white couches and risking the chance of " an accident." I understood, of course, but longed for the days that we wouldn't have to worry about these types of things or spend money to make everyone's life easier!

Well, once Alex moved in, the majority of our problems were solved. We no longer had to worry about doggie proofing an apartment because mine was already done and doggie day care seems like something in the past as I haven't had to check Darcy in for the longest time...

What I didn't expect to happen, was for Darcy and Alex to bond so quickly. I know how much I loved her, but it was such a shock to see that they were building such a close relationship.....She literally goes nuts when she hears him down the hall coming home, she barks constantly until he gives her attention and genuinely listens to his commands...(I am clearly not the pack leader- Cesar Milan would not be pleased with me) Every night she positions herself under the covers between the two of us and every morning she is the first one there to lick his face and say good morning. One thing Alex will attest to is that he loves it when she licks his toes...I know its gross, but you probably like it too.

A special treat that Darcy gets from Alex is a thing we like to call "Fun and Games" or "F&G" for short. This is when Alex plays with Darcy for a good 10-15 minutes and pretends he is on the football team as a quarterback getting ready for a hike or as a wrestler giving a "donnybrook". Sometimes he holds her up in the air sometimes he pins her and sometimes he just chases her around the room. Darcy usually runs into her house and then always comes back for more. She just loves it. Its so entertaining to watch that it brings the biggest smile to my face.  My two favs...hanging and havin some good clean fun. Yesterday morning, he was sitting on the couch after our morning run and wanted to make sure Darcy had done her stretches for the day as well...This is just one of those funny positions he puts her in while playing "Fun and Games"...it was so cute that I had to take some action shots.

Weight loss challenge

Since our return from Florida, Alex and I have decided to do a mini Biggest Loser Style weight challenge...We are limiting our calories, exercising and weighing ourselves together. Probably one of the most vulnerable times in my life was when Alex and I weighed ourselves in front of each other. Naked. Yikes!
Usually, I would wait for the bloat to go down, weigh myself in the AM and then talk about how much I weigh. Not in this case....I felt like all of America was watching even though it was just the two of us...and Darcy.
He made it sounds so easy..."full disclosure baby- we live together now"
After that, I knew that my vulnerable state was in his safe hands....
Our diet has proven to go over well so far...
Week 1 Alex lost 8 lbs and I lost 6 lbs.
Week 2 Alex lost 3 lbs and I lost 2 lbs..
Week 3 weigh in is coming up on Saturday...I've turned up the notch on the exercise so I'm hoping for a big number this week!!!

I'm in love

I know it sounds crazy, because I've been in love. But today, I just want to shout it from the rooftops!!!
I'M IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Meeting the man that you are going to spend the rest of your life with is great. But meeting your partner and your best friend is even better. Our living situation has blossomed into something so wonderful. And while I had to go through the banana peels stage, I'm so glad we stuck it out to make it to the other side.
This morning, while getting ready for work, I had a revelation that my "roommate", is now my partner, my teammate, my best friend and my biggest supporter.
I don't know how to explain it any other way.
Nothing special happened- just lovely, ordinary life.
Please help me remember this moment as much as possible. It's a wonderful feeling and one that I wish for everyone.

Winter Vacation

From Maryland, we headed south for our Winter Vacation. Our first stop on the list was Charleston, SC. I had never been to Charleston and Alex kept raving about it! We stayed at a lovely hotel and my sweetie took me out for a great birthday dinner to celebrate those 36 years of life!...Here are some shots of us at dinner....

I'm also thinking this will be good for our Christmas card next year...Perfect isn't it?







From there, we headed to St. Augustine. Alex and I both agreed that this is the first and last time we will spend time there. Alex thought I wouldn't be ok for the entire drive down to Florida so he planned a pit stop for me....needless to say, I got all A's for the week when we were driving. Yay me!!
Our next stop was Ft. Lauderdale. The Atlantic Hotel to be exact! It was lovely and when you walked in there was the lovely scent of pink grapefruit that I'm dying to have...I want my house to smell like the Atlantic as well!
We had a beautiful suite and spent the next few days on the beach and in the pool enjoying our 75-80 degree weather! Relaxing and vacation life is the way to go....If I could spend my days vacationing, I think I'd be a very happy person...

Our New Years Eve plans didn't pan out the way that we wanted, so instead, we made the best of it and had lunch at a gorgeous restaurant with an outside deck called Pelican Landing. Ironically, our waitress worked for the W Hotels in NYC and had just moved to Florida with her boyfriend! It's such a small world. Once the sun went down, we headed home to our abode, got a bottle of champagne and toasted the night away on our balcony. Truth be told, we didn't make it until the new year....Alex woke up twice from a deep sleep wondering if we had made it yet. It was like a kid waiting for Christmas morning...my response was simply, "not yet, go back to sleep."
With only one more day in Florida we spent time enjoying the weather and each others company.
From there, we headed to Savannah, GA. What a great place to visit! Besides basking in the sun, this was my favorite spot. We stayed at a gorgeous hotel called The Mansion on Forsythe Park...you can check it out here: http://www.mansiononforsythpark.com/

Apparently, the restaurant portion was first a funeral home, then a mansion, then was eventually converted to a restaurant and bar. Crazy how history works out isn't it? Slightly creepy too if you think about it! We enjoyed a few drinks at the bar upstairs and then walked around the restaurant to look at all of the great interior and exterior design. If I had a mansion, I would want it to be decorated just like this. Any of you who know me, know that animal print is highly regarded on my list....meow!


Our trip ended the next day with a long drive back to NYC. We finally made it home and while we were happy to be there, we miss Florida, Georgia and South Carolina dearly!

Vacations make people better! I encourage you to take one right now!