Thanksgiving in California

Here are just a few highlights from our Thanksgiving break. We went to California for ten days. It was so much fun. I love vacations.



Carli and I reunite. I am her favorite sister so she is always real excited to see me.



So cute!! It was a long day and Carli had had it. She tends to fall asleep on Zac's shoulder a lot. I finally captured the sweet moment in this photo.



One of my favorite places to eat whenever I go home is The Crab Cooker. The best seafood restaurant ever!!



I don't take too many pictures with my mom and she is such a great lady. She made our trip so enjoyable by feeding us yummy food, taking us shopping and saying some pretty funny and random things. It's never boring when she's around.



This is the whole Warnick clan. We like to eat, a lot, especially on Thanksgiving. I think we had at least twenty different dishes going on, and I am not over-exagerating.



Since Zac and I made it two years together we decided it would be appropriate to take some more updated engagement pictures just for fun. This is just one of many.



Zac and I took Carli bowling one afternoon. This was a day she had been waiting for since September when I promised her we would take her. Everytime after she would bowl she would check her phone and say, "oh man, nobody called me." It started to break my heart so I decided to do something about it. I would call her from my phone as she was finishing her last turn. As she was walking back to her seat she would hear her phone ring and get all excited that someone was calling her. When she answered I tried to disguise my voice, but she caught on. The funny thing is she didn't even care it was me. She was just glad someone was calling her. It became annoying though because after every turn she made me call her. She thought it was hilarious. We had a good laugh.



Along with bowling it has become tradition to finish the night with In-N-Out. This is one of Carli's many favorite fast food joints, along with McDonald's, Wendy's, Jack-In-the-Box, and Burger King. If they serve cheeseburgers and fries, it's her favorite. You'll notice in the picture she is very focused on her food, not even able to look up at the camera for just one second.



Here she is fighting Zac for the fries.



Have I mentioned she likes a lot of ketchup? One order of fries, ten packets of ketchup. You tell me.



For our two-year Anniversary my parents sent us to Disneyland. It was so fun to feel like a kid again. Except we didn't really feel all that young because we got sick on almost every rollercoaster we went on. Zac felt nauseaus and I felt dizzy. What's happened to us? Not only that but Zac is pure tourist here. Camera around the neck, sweatshirt up high around the waist, tennis shoes with jeans and just a few minutes before the picture was taken he had a huge Disney sucker in his hands. All he needs is a fanny pack.



The first Saturday we were there we went shopping for dresses. Wendy and I were "fighting" over this dress. Instead of one of us giving in, we both decided to buy it. Not only that, but we walked into church together wearing it. A little embaressing. It brought back major memories of when our mom would make us match every Sunday.

So that was the jist of our vacation. It was hard to return to the reality of school for Zac and work for me. It's always nice to sleep in your own bed again though. Now it's Chirstmas prep for the next few weeks. I love this time of year!!!

Upon Request

A few friends have asked to see my Christmas apparel, so here it is.

Is this not the best necklace you've ever seen? It is pure 80's. My mom was kind enough to let me borrow it for the day. The perfect way to start off the Christmas season.



Below are the new additions to my Christmas wardrobe. My mom was too kind to me while we were in town visting for Thanksgiving.

Thankful for....

I am thankful that it is now officially time to start celebrating for Christmas. I have already purchased some red plaid (traditional Christmas plaid) shoes, a red sweater and some red earings. I am ready to go, I don't know where, but I am ready. I guess I'll have to plan a Christmas party so I can wear my new apparel. I am going to write a top ten list of things I love about Christmas.

1. Gift giving (and receiving)
2. Carolling to neighbors
3. Family togtherness time
4. No work
5. Baking and eating yummy treats
6. Watching the movie "Elf" with no grief from Zac
7. Santa Claus in the mall
8. the smell of pine
9. Tinsel, yes, the cheap stuff from Wal-mart that glitters and falls off all over the carpet.
10. Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven" I get the chills every time I listen to it. That, and Josh Groban's "O Holy Night"- breath-taking

I could go on, but that will have to do for now. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. HO HO HO HO HO HO!!!

Happy Two-Year Anniversary!

We have been married for two years today. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. We went to Disneyland to celebrate. We rode Space Mountain, ate $9.00 cheeseburgers, bought one of those fun, big succors and did some quality people-watching. We decided Disneyland is mostly for kids and it's time we get some of our own to take with us next time. Zac gave me some really cute Christmas slippers and a cool sweater-jacket thing. I gave him a hockey jersey from Wal-Mart with a Phoenix Coyote on it, apparently one of the worst teams in the league. Oops! His fault for asking for such an erronious gift. I will post pictures of this day when we get back to Arizona. I left the little adaptor thingy at home that lets me download the pictures from the camera to the computer.
A quick comment about my husband. He is a superstar to be able to put up with me for two years (and many more to come). He makes me happier than I ever thought I could be.

Way too much fun!!

Sarah Stancliff, my old roommate of three and a half years came to visit from D.C. She is one of those friends you always keep in touch with and no matter how long it's been it feels like just yesterday since you last talked. She has the ability to light up a room, make you laugh, inspire you to be better and make you feel loved. She is one of a kind. I have been begging her to come to Arizona for a while now, and it finally happened. She flew across the country because she is such a sweet friend and would do anything for anybody and not think a thing of it. The day finally came that she arrived and...

Our first stop- Bajio of course. We have voted and it's the best fresh mex ever!



After we were highly satisfied from a delicious lunch, we went to the driving range where Sarah had her first experience swinging a golf club, ever. Her form is unbelievable, I know. She was wacking the ball. She is obviously a natural.



Of course Sarah got her custom made cake. She use to make the best "better than sex cake" when we were roomies so I thought I would give it a try for old times sake. She has to tell me her secret because mine just didn't compare.



This is us just having some fun on our way to see "Dan in Real Life." By far the funniest movie I've seen in a long time.



We made a trip to Wal-Mart because these are where some of our most cherished times were spent on Friday nights in Provo. We would turn in our film, (back in the day when people still did that) and then shop around for an hour until it was done. This time we gave ourselves a time limit. We had fifteen minutes to find our friend, Isac, a birthday present for under a dollar.



We are all looking at a little dissolving dinosaur in the sink. This is the best Dustin could come up with for a gift. This just goes to show you can have fun doing nothing with the right company.



On Monday we hiked Camelback mountain. It was a lot of fun. I am really out of shape. The hike wasn't that long, it was just kind of steep. It felt so good to get some fresh air and some awesome weather.



We couldn't end the visit with out watching the Family Man. I think I have watched this movie at least 100 times with Sarah when we were in college. Her passion for it is still alive and well so we had to watch it. It's not my favorite movie, but with her it's so fun because she loves it so much. I don't think we ever went to bed before 2:30. I felt young and spontaneous again and it was so fun. I will be paying for the lack of sleep this next week, but it was so worth it.



Some other things we did that we forgot to document:

Sarah taught me how to be a ballerina
Skittles bowling
Ate at the Grand Lux Cafe and Texas Roadhouse (my new favorite restaurant)
Watched "Office" re-runs
Went on a "walk and talk"
Ate ice cream, brownies, cake, caramel apples, and candy and Trader Joe treats provided by Sarah
Went to the mall
Listened to Christmas music

Sarah, thank you for making our weekend feel like a vacation for us too. Zac and I were so entertained having such a lively house-guest for a few days. I need you to do me a small favor and move out here. We could have this much fun everyday. Think about it, ok?

Don't Ask

I have no idea what we are doing in this picture. We were both just in really wierd moods. My husband is not gay, just a lot of fun.

Tag-it-up!!

Thanks to my dear friend Carly I get to write lots of things about myself and not even feel bad about it. I guess I've been asked to share seven things about me.

1. I don't have much of a memory for anything, my childhood, my husband's kind and not so kind acts of love, and what I did yesterday. In a way not having sharp memory is a blessing. My parents could have really messed up when I was a kid and I would never know. Zac has escaped many situations where he may have messed up, but instead convinced me he remembers what "really happened".
I blame this lack of memory on my sister Christy. She dropped me on my head when I was 6 weeks old, about five feet, onto the asphault. My parents let her hold me in the car on the way to church. She was only 7 or 8 years old. When she went to open the door I fell through her arms and bam, "like a watermelon splattering from a tower", says my mom. The miracle, I didn't have one cut on my head and no brain damage, so they say. Yeah, I guess you could say it was a miracle. Does that make me a miracle baby?

2. I have some seriously strange quirks. I will just list them.
*I use Cheetos to eat my yogurt.
*I shake my whole body when I shake/toss up salads.
*I never shut the door while using the bathroom. I don't like to feel disconnected.
*I sip my soda through a straw made of licorice.
*I've never cried in a movie.
*I get up at least 3 times during the night to pee.
*I squirt whip cream straight into my mouth right before I got ot bed. I like the creamy coding in my throat. Not gross, good.
*I wash my hair twice a week.

3. I am completely obsessed with Christmas. I start going through withdrawals in June so I rent all the classic Christmas movies. This act usually gets me through until November 1st, the first day Zac allows me to start celebrating the holiday with him. Since then, I have decorated the apartment, listened to all my Christmas cd's (I have about 20) and started thinking about what to ask for. Sometimes when I am bored I walk through the Christmas aisles at Wal-Mart. It's the closest to the North Pole I can think of. If you see me walking down the street with a big grin and my IPOD, I am most likely listening to Christmas music thinking of fun traditions. Not to worry.

4. My first date with my husband should have caused me to never return his phone calls, but I didn't. Fortunately, I am not turned off by guys who have to ask to use a strangers bathroom for 20 minutes while out for a jog, with a girl they just met, me. I won't go into detail.

5. I don't hold grudges. I think it is my gift in life. You know how most people have gifts like a beautiful voice, amazing creativity, or a huge heart. No, mine just allows me not to hate anyone.

6. This is a lot of information about me, you are welcome to quit now. You could make some comment on one of the previous items and I would never even know you didn't finish my lengthy autobiography. Oh yeah, number six, I talk a lot. I have a lot of random thoughts in my head going one-hundred miles an hour all day long until my head hits the pillow, and then I am out for the night. If I were stranded on a desert all alone, I could probably keep myslef entertained.

7. I love my family- A LOT!!! My parents have always been there for me. My siblings are my life-lines (cheesy, my statement, not my sisters). Last, but not least, my husband is one of a kind, perfect for me.

The people I tag are:

Sarah Draper
Wendy Thomas
Holly Lang
Sarah Stancliff
Missy Heid
Lillie Biesinger
Jenny Whiting

Write seven things about yourself and then choose seven others to tag. Have FUN!!

Daytons visit AZ

Where should I be at this very moment? At work. What did I do instead? Hung out with my sister and her family. She has five cute girls and is expecting her sixth, a baby boy, in April. They were so nice to drive all the way out here to see our humble abode and visit a while. They are the first from my family to come and visit us.

This is the "Welcome treat" I made for my nieces. It was so fun to use my little creative side I so often supress.



Note to family members and friends: this cupcake festivus could be yours too if you come to Arizona to visit. I am just going to keep the cake in a box and change the name tags accordingly. Totally joking, I will make you fresh cupcakes and who knows maybe even a different layout. This is going to be a Freestone Family tradition, personalized cake for any and all visitors.
Guidelines: Must have traveled from outside of Arizona, or across the valley. Sorry neighbors.



We went to the Cardinal Stadium, Cabella's and out to dinner. It was short, but I will take quality over quantity anytime. Thank you Daytons for making my afternoon so exciting.