tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54189692533558645442024-03-12T20:45:39.149-07:00Dustin and Marina's BlogThe Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-15338388547164844312010-07-15T19:52:00.000-07:002010-07-15T20:16:35.786-07:00My Dustin...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/TD_O22AHGkI/AAAAAAAAAWc/J3VQXJrbWrs/s1600/dustin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/TD_O22AHGkI/AAAAAAAAAWc/J3VQXJrbWrs/s320/dustin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494337512019532354" /></a><br />Ok, so we all know I'm a HORRIBLE blogger... I accept it, but I had to post something about my sweet husband. It was his birthday on the 29th of June and I'm just now getting to post something. Ugh! My excuse is... I'M BUSY! <br />Anyway, so it was his 29th birthday, on the 29th... so I thought it would be cool to have a list of 29 things I like about my dear husband.<br /><br />1. He is so supportive<br />2. He loves me unconditionally<br />3. He is kind<br />4. He will do anything for me<br />5. He is a great cook<br />6. He is intelligent<br />7. He is worthy of his priesthood<br />8. He makes me laugh<br />9. He is adorable<br />10. He is handsome<br />11. He doesn't mind when I want to drive<br />12. He thinks I'm beautiful<br />13. He tells me I'm beautiful when I need to hear it the most<br />14. He is my best friend<br />15. He will watch Top Chef with me, even though he doesn't really like it<br />16. He has never ever EVER told me NOT to buy something I wanted<br />17. He is my own personal nurse and doctor<br />18. He is not afraid of anything!!! haha<br />19. He is compassionate<br />20. He will surprise me with flowers just when I need it<br />21. He can have a conversation about anything<br />22. His REAL smile makes me melt<br />23. He gets up every morning to shut off the alarm, even though I'm the one who needs to get up first<br />24. He "loves" everything I cook or bake<br />25. He is never hard on me because I'm already hard enough on myself<br />26. He laughs at my silly jokes<br />27. He is so good with kids<br />28. I can ALWAYS count on him<br />29. He is MINE! Forever and ever<br /><br />Happy Birthday honey!!!!!! I am so so so very glad you were born and that you are in my life! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-87235584488649142722010-03-09T20:42:00.000-08:002010-03-09T23:02:27.837-08:00The Weekend - Part 2: BON JOVI!OK... so Jon Bon Jovi and I go way back... He doesn't know that, but still... we do. I remember being "little" and listening to their songs and I also remember thinking that Jon Bon Jovi is extremely hot.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c-2BCqxCI/AAAAAAAAAWU/q-4lTJDPjEc/s1600-h/CIMG0647.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c-2BCqxCI/AAAAAAAAAWU/q-4lTJDPjEc/s200/CIMG0647.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446891372041389090"></a><br /> Yes, he had nasty long hair and a hairy chest, but I did not seem to care. And when I started to care, he cut his hair and shaved his chest. Oh yeah, that was all for me! hahaha ANYWAY, long story short... I LOVE the band and LOVE Jon Bon Jovi even more, so last October when I found out they would be in Las Vegas this past weekend, I did not care how much the tickets would be and bought two of them. After waiting for many months, I got to see them live for the 3rd time and had a WONDERFUL time! They are old, but played for a solid 3 hours nonstop! It was so worth my money. My awesome sister, Carolina, flew out from New Mexico so she could go to the concert with me. Which made Dustin and myself very happy! Dustin, because he didn't have to go see Bon Jovi; and myself, so I could scream all I wanted without having to deal with Dustin rolling his eyes at me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c9zBuS5ZI/AAAAAAAAAWM/u2bI0p209kA/s1600-h/IMG00192.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c9zBuS5ZI/AAAAAAAAAWM/u2bI0p209kA/s200/IMG00192.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446890221173138834"></a><br />We paid $250 each and still didn't get awesome seats; the "awesome" seats were over $2000... so the pictures aren't that great, but are enough to help me reminisce for years to come.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c9iZcgzRI/AAAAAAAAAWE/u5Qd1Szizqs/s1600-h/CIMG0709.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c9iZcgzRI/AAAAAAAAAWE/u5Qd1Szizqs/s200/CIMG0709.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446889935483227410"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c9h0QUH-I/AAAAAAAAAV8/9j4nA3mEQl0/s1600-h/CIMG0665.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c9h0QUH-I/AAAAAAAAAV8/9j4nA3mEQl0/s200/CIMG0665.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446889925499953122"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c82czS9II/AAAAAAAAAV0/yJJOzFvRjeI/s1600-h/CIMG0653.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c82czS9II/AAAAAAAAAV0/yJJOzFvRjeI/s200/CIMG0653.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446889180469851266"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c814vDOrI/AAAAAAAAAVs/D9Kg_hS3HSI/s1600-h/CIMG0629.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c814vDOrI/AAAAAAAAAVs/D9Kg_hS3HSI/s200/CIMG0629.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446889170788367026"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c81i0MzRI/AAAAAAAAAVk/2dQwG8MYnVs/s1600-h/CIMG0620.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c81i0MzRI/AAAAAAAAAVk/2dQwG8MYnVs/s200/CIMG0620.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446889164904385810"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c81N3JFWI/AAAAAAAAAVc/rRmQBOjYchE/s1600-h/CIMG0619.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c81N3JFWI/AAAAAAAAAVc/rRmQBOjYchE/s200/CIMG0619.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446889159279580514"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c80uxdMVI/AAAAAAAAAVU/BzcEPaYLrHA/s1600-h/CIMG0610.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S5c80uxdMVI/AAAAAAAAAVU/BzcEPaYLrHA/s200/CIMG0610.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446889150934233426"></a><br />Here's a little video of them singing one of my favorite songs EVER... unfortunately the quality isn't very good, but you can have an idea! <br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxe3w0s6v4cS46yVj77jlAbaRQvuEe6cwErrLrelrlDtt7taJvtTfcAjvi9HFXWCRDAy0sGIq6_hRbCL2rh_g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-66619128176099836832010-03-07T23:09:00.000-08:002010-03-07T23:31:06.354-08:00The Weekend: Part 1 - Group Date!On Friday, right after work Dustin and I went on a group date with some very cool people if I say so myself. It was THE LONGEST DATE ever, it started at 6:30pm and we didn't get home until 1am!!!! Here is what we did... (all Tara's idea). We started off with a little dinner, where everyone brought something... but there was a catch, instead of using the normal utensils...each person had to eat with an unusual kitchen gadget...like a ladle, potato masher, whisk, tongs, etc. It was pretty funny!!! I finished my meal with my utensil (I did get totally lucky, it was pretty much a giant fork); however, half of our group gave up and used forks. And by most of the group I mean the men and Tara!!! :)<br /><br />THEN - after dinner...we headed over to a Thrift Store. When we got there - we handed our men TEN dollars and told them to go pick out a crazy outfit for US and we picked out an outfit for them. We met at the cash register... and then....we PUT ON the outfits....and went bowling!!!! Oh yeah, it was RIDICULOUS! I wish I had the pictures to post, because not one person looked good! It was hilarious!! For those of you who know me pretty well probably can't believe I actually did all this, but YEAH... I totally did. It was WAY out of my comfort zone, but it was so much fun! We had a blast! Bowling was a little different too, so I wouldn't feel so bad for sucking! It turned out to be a little competition between the spouses and whoever lost got to do something nice for the other one. I totally won and Dustin's prize was to clean the kitchen and dining room. YAY!<br /><br />So after bowling, we headed over to Lynsie and Ezra's house (thank you so much for hosting) and ate some ice cream with brownies and yummy toppings. It was great! We love our new friends! Thanks to Tara for being so creative and for forcing us all to do this! We had a GREAT time!!!The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-45237118793625645682010-01-25T23:28:00.000-08:002010-01-25T23:48:33.743-08:00I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!So my last post was in August and it can't even be considered a real post since it was one of those tags... Since then, not a lot has happened, but... here it goes:<br /><br />- I actually found a job, well... my husband found one for me. It has been great to feel "useful" again and to be able to interact with people. Oh, the extra income is also nice. I don't remember the last time I've been this busy... school, work, husband and house have kept me moving that's for sure.<br /><br />- We went to Utah for Thanksgiving and had a great time with Dustin's family, and the weather was "nice". It was cold, but it didn't snow, which made me miss living in Utah... whenever I visit there and it is not snowing, I LOVE IT! I guess Utah will always be my "home away from home". We also got to have dinner with our good friends Bonnie and Spencer, it was so fun getting to see them!!! Wish they lived closer!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S16bEZ4CORI/AAAAAAAAATo/Kx3cMc1iYQw/s1600-h/24.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S16bEZ4CORI/AAAAAAAAATo/Kx3cMc1iYQw/s200/24.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430948700623091986" /></a><br /><br />- We also went to Brazil for Christmas and New Year's. Yes, we've been so blessed during the holidays to get to spend time with both sides of our families. Brazil was a lot of fun even though it rained almost every day we were there. I'm usually satisfied with just hanging out with my family, but I'm sure Dustin could have used a little change of scenery! Hopefully next time we go we can visit a different state, not just Sao Paulo! Because it rained so much, we played A LOT of The Beatles Rockband for Wii!!! It was so much fun! :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S16dGt6Ig2I/AAAAAAAAAUA/1Kmv_AjlZ8k/s1600-h/xmas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S16dGt6Ig2I/AAAAAAAAAUA/1Kmv_AjlZ8k/s200/xmas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430950939383595874" /></a><br />My mom's Christmas tree.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S16dGNeNceI/AAAAAAAAAT4/BoOle5Z8gPY/s1600-h/lumarina.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S16dGNeNceI/AAAAAAAAAT4/BoOle5Z8gPY/s200/lumarina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430950930676543970" /></a><br />Me and my beautiful baby sister Luiza! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S16dF9Bg-zI/AAAAAAAAATw/qeCyRpFgwMQ/s1600-h/rockband.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/S16dF9Bg-zI/AAAAAAAAATw/qeCyRpFgwMQ/s200/rockband.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430950926261222194" /></a><br /><br />In a nutshell, that's what we have been up to. Hope everyone's holidays were wonderful! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-86124842763435408332009-08-30T19:46:00.000-07:002009-08-30T23:18:51.706-07:00Tagged... that means I finally get to post something new.1. What is your current obsession?<br />This is going to sound sad, but my current obsession is Simply Orange Juice with Pineapple. And about a month ago, my pool.<br /><br />2. What do you hate that everyone else seems to love?<br />Harry Potter. Oh, and those ugg boots... I think they are UGLY! <br /><br />3. What are you wearing today?<br />Green shirt and black pants. Very comfy.<br /><br />4. What’s for dinner?<br />Italian crockpot chicken and potatoes by Dustin. Sooo yummy!<br /><br />5. What would you eat for your last meal?<br />My mom's lasagna or my grandma's ngocchi and Carrabba's Sogno Di Cioccolata dessert. Yes, I love Italian food.<br /><br />6. What is the last thing you bought?<br />Groceries. Sad huh!<br /><br />7. What are you listening to right now?<br />Gravity, by Sarah Bareilles<br /><br />8. What do you think of the person that tagged you?<br />Jamie is sweet, funny, witty, beautiful and super down to earth. That's why we get along so well. LOVE HER!!!!!!!! <br /><br />9. If you could have a house- fully paid for and totally furnished – anywhere in the world, where would it be?<br />Florence, Italy. I have never been there but I have seen pictures and LOVE it! Maybe in the next couple of years I will make it over there.<br /><br />10. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would it be?<br />Just for the next hour? Hmmm... I guess I would pick Iraq just so see what's going on, but I don't want to be there a minute longer.<br /><br />11. What is one of your hobbies?<br />Does going to the gym count as a hobby? Man, I'm pathetic! hahaha <br /><br />12. Favorite thing you did this summer?<br />Going to Brazil for a month and then have my mom here with me for another month! Love her!<br /><br />13. What is your favorite color?<br />Purple and blue<br /><br />14. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?<br />Right now... anything that fits me makes me happy! But I do have this one dress I love that I wore to a friend's wedding years ago... maybe I will get to wear it again in a year or so. ;) <br /><br />15. What is your dream job? <br />I don't know. Something that I could do from home and make tons of money! <br /><br />16. Describe your personal style?<br />Comfortable!!!!!!!<br /><br />17. What is your favorite tree?<br />I love all trees, except the ones in my backyard that make my pool all dirty.<br /><br />18. What are you going to do after this?<br />Watch TV with my hubby.<br /><br />19. What is your favorite fruit?<br />Oh nooo I can't pick one. Apples, strawberries, mangoes and pineapples.<br /><br />20. What inspires you?<br />Strong women<br /><br />21. Who was the last person that you kissed?<br />Dustin<br /><br />22. What are you currently reading?<br />The Appeal <br /><br />23. Go to your bookshelf, take down the first book that you see with a red binding, turn to page 26 and type out the first line.<br />"Let me analyze this a little," I said to Morelli. "Your expertise in bed is my alibi." Hahhahahahahaha no comment. <br /><br />24. What delighted you the most today?<br />My Sunday nap.<br /><br />25. If your life had a theme song, what would it be?<br />I want to break free! <br /><br />26. If you bought a wiener dog today, what would you name it?<br />Feio<br /><br />27. What is your most memorable dream?<br />I remember my best friend growing up's dad following me with a pitchfork, but we were falling.... it was weird but I had that dream a couple of times.<br /><br />28.What have you been avoiding that you can do today?<br />Homework as always!!!!<br /><br />The rules: Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own.<br />2. Tag five other people.<br />People I Tag: Maisy, Erika, Ashley, Kathryn (who will never do it)and LynsieThe Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-6013787592882535602009-06-20T17:43:00.000-07:002009-06-20T18:38:51.302-07:00Post 2 (and maybe last in Brazil)So I thought I would be posting all the time, and as you can see that has not been the case. All I can tell you guys is that I am freezing here in São Paulo, it's almost making me miss Vegas a little bit. I haven't seen my husband for weeks now and I miss him tons, but here's a list of things that I love in Brazil:<br /><br />- My family. It's great having my family around all the time. It's going to be tough on me when I leave, they are a great support system and I miss having them around.<br /><br />- The food. All of it, junk food, my mom's food, pizza, chocolates, cakes... EVERYTHING. I love it all! Well... except the stuff that I normally don't eat. I love how lunch is the big meal here, and dinner is usually something small. Brazilians don't want to go to bed feeling stuffed. The plates and cups here are A LOT smaller, therefore, servings are smaller and as a result you don't eat as much.<br /><br />- The people. Brazilians are so friendly. You meet someone once and they become your friend instantly. You can't stay in line waiting for something without someone talking to you. I love the warmth of my people.<br /><br />- Having a maid. Oh yeah, it's very common in Brazil for people to have a maid or someone that comes a couple of times a week to help out around the house. There's nothing wrong with having a clean house all the time and not having to be the one doing it. LOVE IT!!!!!<br /><br />- Health insurance. I know, weird but I have health insurance down here in Brazil and got to go to a ton of doctors and not pay a penny, no co-pay, nothing!!! It's awesome!<br /><br />- Traffic. Hahahaha just kidding, that is the one thing I hate about being in such a huge city as São Paulo. The only time that there is no traffic is after 11PM or so. <br /><br />Anyway, I'm sure I will think of other things later... but I am having a good time down here, it's great to be with family. But I can't wait to go back to Las Vegas and be with my hubby and Bella.The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-54570255448602078282009-05-26T13:03:00.000-07:002009-05-26T19:46:31.559-07:00In Brazil... (post 1)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/Shymzve0C1I/AAAAAAAAATc/QvlJ71vqd18/s1600-h/banespa1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/Shymzve0C1I/AAAAAAAAATc/QvlJ71vqd18/s200/banespa1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340326666003811154" /></a><br /><br />Ok, so I called it "post 1" because I'm hoping I will get to post tons while I'm down here. I don't know how often this will happen but I promise to try. <br />We got to São Paulo last Friday morning after a LONNNNNNNNG couple of flights. It was great to finally get here. We were expecting cold weather since it's Fall here but it has been very pleasant. <br />We have been busy but it's been fun. Dustin is leaving tomorrow already so that makes me SAD!!!! We will be apart for a couple weeks and I will miss him since we've only been apart for a couple of days since we got married six years ago.<br />Anyway, I started this post a couple of days ago and had more to say but now I can't really think of anything too interesting. I'll keep you all posted if something fun and exciting happens!The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-54318074724874576942009-05-12T07:25:00.001-07:002009-05-12T07:32:51.895-07:00It's Marina's BirthdayThis is Dustin again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SgmHttro1NI/AAAAAAAAATM/7CV_Fry4F-c/s1600-h/marigorda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 161px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SgmHttro1NI/AAAAAAAAATM/7CV_Fry4F-c/s200/marigorda.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334944453023552722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Happy birthday honey! Like I told you yesterday, today is the anniversary of the best gift I've ever gotten being delivered to Earth (you even look kind of like a present in that picture). I love you so much. You're the greatest.<br /><br />Let's do one more picture too, this time of you on a cold day:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SgmIRnD1iOI/AAAAAAAAATU/VkdevvN0dcM/s1600-h/toca.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SgmIRnD1iOI/AAAAAAAAATU/VkdevvN0dcM/s200/toca.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334945069721290978" /></a>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-47654809955315529372009-05-01T21:30:00.000-07:002009-05-01T23:39:03.131-07:00This post is dedicated to Lynsie!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SfvTkZ5nJkI/AAAAAAAAATE/bcSkXn0j8dQ/s1600-h/the-computer-demands-a-blog.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 120px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SfvTkZ5nJkI/AAAAAAAAATE/bcSkXn0j8dQ/s200/the-computer-demands-a-blog.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331087206304392770" /></a><br />So last Saturday we had the chance to hang out with some cool people from our ward at Sommer's house to have a BBQ. Lynsie was one of those people and she complained that I have not updated my blog in forever, which is true!!!<div><br /></div><div>So today I went to a <a href="http://www.scentsy.com/lynsiet">Scentsy</a> party and two other people mentioned me not updating my blog... Maaaan, I didn't know my blog was that popular! hahaha</div><div><br /></div><div>The reason I haven't been blogging much is because not a lot has been going on. School is boring and I often wonder why in heavens I decided to go back, Dustin has been working tons and it hasn't been hot enough for me to brag about my wonderful pool. </div><div><br /></div><div>OK, so I do have some news... Dustin and I are going to Brazil!!!!! Yay! Dustin won't get to stay there for very long but I will get to stay for over a month! :) It has been two years since we last went down there, so we are very excited! :) </div><div><br /></div><div>I am sure I will have lots of time to blog while I am in Brazil, so you guys won't miss me too much! :) hahahaha </div>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-30657457382706075022009-02-24T23:52:00.000-08:002009-02-25T13:52:17.156-08:00SettlementThis is a Dustin post.<br /><br />So for the past 6 months I have been working on one big case. I have 12 or 13 smaller cases, but about 90% of my time at work has been devoted to one big case. The case had previously been handled by another attorney who left our firm, and there were a lot of things that had to be . . . fixed.<br /><br />Well, my big case settled last weekend. And for those of you unfamiliar with settling cases as a defense attorney I can tell you it is quite . . . anticlimactic. When I did plaintiff's work a settlement was great, because it meant my client was getting a big check, and the firm was getting a big check, and (in theory, if not in practice) I was getting closer to a big check.<br /><br />As a defense attorney, settling a case means my client (usually an insurance company) has to write a big check, I stop getting the opportunity to bill on the case, and I have to find other ways to fill my time. It has been nice to have the stress of the big case off my back, but I miss knowing I could go into work at any time and have something to do. Now I have to make sure all of my small cases are caught up. The firm has a lot of work, so I will be able to make my hours, but it was interesting that everyone kept congratulating me for a job well done (which was nice) and for not having to worry about the case anymore. We got a great result for my client and my insurance carrier, so I am happy with the result, but it didn't feel like a win. It felt like a tie, at best. I guess I need to learn to adjust my conception of what a "win" is for me as a defense attorney.<br /><br />Anyway, just thought I would share a little bit of my legal world with everyone. I'm sure Marina has more fun posts with videos and pictures of bella coming soon.The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-46830317998337482522009-02-23T14:50:00.000-08:002009-02-23T15:08:24.733-08:00I ♥ Karlie!<div>Ok, so today I got to babysit Karlie (Jonathan and Kathryn's little girl) for a little bit. The last time I babysat her was months ago, and it's so funny to see how much she's grown up! She is at that fun age where she repeats stuff that you ask her to say. Soooo I was trying to teach her how to count in Portuguese and it was the cutest thing!!!! I love her dearly and am so glad her parents let me hang out with her once in a while! hahaha Enjoy the little video! </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxk7AceL_h5-J-P9HngjiZJ3MK8yahLz5Qt9t9bt2UCaxzVRfA0lbCxFswR7z7py2uDhrDKt8midC7M2UBn' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-29080759075637230212009-02-04T12:04:00.000-08:002009-02-04T12:49:12.621-08:00Nothing to blog about...I guess my life is pretty boring because I was thinking about what to blog and nothing comes to mind, so I decided I could share with you all THE BEST banana recipe ever! At least, I love it! And have not come across a better one yet.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299040974478325042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 145px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SYn5sNYFNTI/AAAAAAAAAS8/N_qduGhe_-w/s200/r35305fp.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />1 1/4 cups sugar<br />1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened<br />2 eggs<br />1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)<br />1/2 cup buttermilk<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup chopped nuts, if desired<br /><br />1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.<br /><br />2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.<br /><br />3. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.<br /><br /><br />This is not part of the recipe, but I usually make this little mixture of sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it on top before baking it. That makes a little crust and itssooooooooooo good!! Oh, I should also mention that I got this recipe from a Betty Crocker recipe book.The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-80434619292244756962009-01-18T13:04:00.001-08:002009-01-18T13:15:21.400-08:00So frustrating!So I haven't had a job in over a year. At first, it was exciting to take some time off. Moving was a pain so I thought staying at home doing nothing would be fun. It was until I got bored and wanted to look for a job. When that happened, we started to look for a home to purchase and since I lived in Henderson, and we were looking in Summerlin, I thought it would be dumb to find a job and have to quit so soon because of the commute. After we bought the house and moved in, was almost to Summer time; in hot hot Las Vegas, and with a pool in my backyard... well, I didn't care too much to find a job. Instead, I spent a lot of time enjoying my pool and getting a nice tan. <div><br /><div>I started to look for a job in the fall and didn't feel like I was qualified to do anything (which wasn't true but that's how I felt), but decided to go back to school to get my degree. It's been good going back to school but I got the point now that I HAVE TO FIND A JOB!!!!! So I started looking again... EXCEPT that the economical situation is so bad in this country right now that nobody is hiring. It's so frustrating!!!! I truly miss not having to worry about money and also the social interaction with people other than my husband. Poor Dustin gets home and all I do is talk talk talk....</div><div><br /></div><div>ANYWAY, if anyone knows of any jobs in Las Vegas or jobs that you can do from home, please let me know!?! Thank you! </div><div><br /></div><div>*I know this wasn't a fun post, but I needed to vent for a bit*</div></div>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-5921352500358552172008-12-29T23:51:00.000-08:002008-12-30T08:31:37.553-08:00Merry Christmas!This year I was lucky enough to have my sister <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Luiza</span> and her friend Carol coming to visit all the way from Brazil as well as my sister Carolina and her dog Julie, who came from New Mexico. Poor Dustin had to share the house with 4 VERY loud-crazy Brazilian girls and 2 female dogs! We had a good time cooking up some yummy food and celebrated Christmas Brazilian style, where we wait until midnight on Christmas eve to open up the presents. <img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SVnUo8pyzAI/AAAAAAAAARw/7LYrbcCw-W4/s320/SANY0473.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285489437637266434" /><div>I think I was the one who got the most presents this year so that made me happy! :) I got: a brand new dining table (from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Luiza</span> and her friend Carol), a spice rack, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hoover's</span> hard floor cleaner and a very nice perfume all from Dustin. I also got a gift card from Carolina, a purse and shoes from my mom, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">earrings</span> from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Luiza</span> and her friend, and some other things from some dear friends! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SVnTxQmg4wI/AAAAAAAAARY/dJQe4TcyVtE/s320/12-24-08_1747.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285488480919544578" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Carolina's dog, Julie, is Bella's half sister and Bella is half her size. This was Julie's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Santa's</span> outfit on Bella, it looked so cute, but extra large!!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SVnTxUdhNnI/AAAAAAAAARg/ZqOkrypL1qw/s320/SANY0492.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285488481955559026" /><div style="text-align: center;">This is my beautiful sister <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Luiza</span> with Bella and Bella's stocking! I had two little stockings for the dogs and they were full of treats. They were very excited!!! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Luiza</span> had just finished cooking when she took this picture, she did not have any makeup on and will kill me when she sees I put this picture up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SVnTxjyVMsI/AAAAAAAAARo/5VSJD74ghPo/s320/SANY0465.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285488486069383874" /><div style="text-align: center;">This is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Luiza</span> and Carol (her friend) posing with Bella. It was so much fun having them here! We all had a very good time and I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-15617589179684437642008-12-11T00:00:00.000-08:002008-12-11T00:00:03.743-08:00Happy Birthday Carô!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278345599755113810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 211px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SUBzW2smVVI/AAAAAAAAARA/o4cCjOW4yi4/s320/caro+e+mari1.jpg" border="0" /><br />Today is my sister Carolina's birthday. And even though she doesn't like to tell people, she is the oldest one in our family. She actually doesn't look like she is the oldest but that's beside the point!<br />She is a very good sister, as you can see in the pictures, she always had me with her... even when she didn't want to, she was forced to carry me around. I loved being with her and her friends.<br />After many years she moved to Utah and since I was still in High School, I couldn't follow her... but as soon as I could I was there with her!<br />Carolina has a huge heart and cares so much for everyone! We as sisters will always argue and fight a little but that's just because we love each other too much!<br />Thanks for everything Carô and I hope you have a great birthday today. Sorry we can't be there with you! Love you tons!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SUBzXNfMD_I/AAAAAAAAARI/BnGNn9gIVfE/s1600-h/caromarina.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278345605872881650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 188px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SUBzXNfMD_I/AAAAAAAAARI/BnGNn9gIVfE/s320/caromarina.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-87675487444548876822008-12-04T13:10:00.000-08:002008-12-04T13:11:00.303-08:00A little Christmas treat...<div style='background-color:#e9e9e9; width: 425px;'><object id='A99209' quality='high' data='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=GYjUtIyoDMmMRPi5&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' height='319' width='425'><param name='wmode' value='transparent'></param><param name='movie' value='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=GYjUtIyoDMmMRPi5&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself'></param><param name='scaleMode' value='showAll'></param><param name='quality' value='high'></param><param name='allowNetworking' value='all'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /><param name='FlashVars' value='external_make_id=GYjUtIyoDMmMRPi5&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself'></param><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'></param></object><div style='text-align:center; width:435px; margin-top:6px;'>Send your own <a href='http://www.elfyourself.com'>ElfYourself</a> <a href='http://sendables.jibjab.com/sendables'>eCards</a></div></div><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIyODQyNDk3NDQ*OSZwdD*xMjI4NDI1MDU*NTE4JnA9NDE4ODEzJmQ9MjAyNjcwJm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTImdD*mbz*wNDFhYjMxYzIzYjA*Zjg4YWM3NjJlMjk5OTRmMTgxZg==.gif" />The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-5925369467916613042008-11-25T23:05:00.000-08:002008-11-25T23:23:24.576-08:00Happy Thanksgiving!Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Brazil so it's never been one of the holidays I go crazy about. However, since I've been living here in the USA for a while now I've gotten used to it and look forward to the holiday and of course all the eating. I never really enjoy when on Thanksgiving dinner people start saying what they are thankful for and totally put you on the spot. I usually skip it and don't say anything, but since I have a blog this year, I thought I should share with everyone what I am thankful for.<br /><br /><ul><li>My husband</li><li>My parents</li><li>All of my family</li><li>Dustin's family</li><li>Bella</li><li>Good friends and their kids</li><li>The gospel</li><li>Jesus Christ</li><li>The temple</li><li>Our house</li><li>Our cars</li><li>Dustin's good job</li><li>The opportunity to go back to school</li><li>Our "new" ward</li><li>Clothes</li><li>Health</li><li>The weather right now in Las Vegas</li><li>Knowledge</li><li>Food</li><li>Water</li><li>Nature</li><li>Chocolate (it's not food, it's another necessity)</li></ul><p>Alright, I guess this is enough for now, there are more silly things I'm thankful for but if I list all of them this will be a very long post! So, what are YOU thankful for?</p>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-60840364343469363862008-11-09T20:36:00.000-08:002008-11-10T08:22:43.350-08:00Congratulations Renato and Priscilla!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266886035322756418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 244px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 356px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SRe88afg3UI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/nVStViwasRw/s320/Casamento+Re+e+Pry2.jpg" border="0" />This post is more for me than anyone else really since we can keep these posts forever! My brother Renato got married on Friday and it was one of the saddest I've ever felt for living so far away. My dad was awesome enough to use today's technology and set up a little "live feed" station so me, my sister and Priscilla's sister; who also lives in the USA could watch it. It was great to watch the whole thing but it was still sad that we couldn't be there. <div>In Brazil, the temple marriage isn't considered a "legal marriage" so most people have a nice wedding reception where the bishop or stake President (in this case my Dad), will do the legal ceremony with all the paperwork. And then, they get sealed in the temple. It's tiring, but worth it! I love my brother! He is one of the funniest people I've ever met in my life and it makes me sad that I couldn't be part of something so special in his life. But I'm sure the only thing he was really worried about and antsy to get to was to get everything over with, grab his brand new wife, hop on a plane and start enjoying his honeymoon! :) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Amo voces e </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">boa sorte! Beijos!</span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266889786568204530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SRfAWw-H4PI/AAAAAAAAANo/yMmR-PIVpsg/s320/DSC01876.JPG" border="0" /></div><div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">The newest addition to the Toffanelli Family! Welcome Priscilla, we're happy to have you as part of our family!<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266894602628326242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 256px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SRfEvGMVY2I/AAAAAAAAAN4/Mzv3jm6sA9c/s320/Re+e+Pry8.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266894141998479026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SRfEUSNntrI/AAAAAAAAANw/qhBUyHSRF4c/s320/Lu,Pry,Re,Luiz.jpg" border="0" /> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Luiza was one of the bridesmaids and that was how she was thanked, Brazilian style! :)</div></div>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-81691635589909504992008-11-04T23:01:00.000-08:002008-11-04T23:29:19.363-08:00I'm going back to school!I go back to school on the 10th of November (next Monday) and I'm surprisingly very excited! This has been a goal of mine since Dustin finished getting his law degree. However, for the last year I had been putting it off because I didn't know I would qualify for a student loan. It didn't click that I'm not on a student visa anymore. (International students don't get approved for a federal student loan). And after applying for a couple of jobs and realizing I'm not really qualified to do much more than what I have already done, I decided to take the step and go back to school.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SRFG3NE1VsI/AAAAAAAAAMI/SGXYXa82TYM/s1600-h/UOP_Logo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265067353589503682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 205px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 95px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SRFG3NE1VsI/AAAAAAAAAMI/SGXYXa82TYM/s320/UOP_Logo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Now, I couldn't see myself going to a campus and having to deal with 18-21 year olds... so I went to <a href="http://phoenix.edu/">University of Phoeni</a><a href="http://phoenix.edu/">x</a> and decided to do their online program; which is awesome and it enables me to work during the day! I transferred some credits, which means I could start on my Bachelors degree OR I could get my Associates and Bachelors degree AT THE SAME TIME! So that's what I decided to do, I'll be getting two degrees at the same time in the same amount of time. If you're interested in going back to school and think what I'm doing is a good idea, let me know and I'll give you my enrollment counselor's name and number, he is awesome!!!<br />So yeah, YAY me and wish me luck! :)The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-17175425722196517272008-10-29T19:41:00.000-07:002008-10-29T19:51:48.337-07:004x4 TagMaisy tagged me with the 4x4 tag and since I have nothing better to do I'll do it!<br /><br />Here are the rules:<br />Open your pictures folder and post the 4th picture in your 4th folder, then give a brief description of the picture and pass on the tag.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262772977764708898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SQkgI9EwsiI/AAAAAAAAALc/F12ttiofx7A/s400/PB050004.JPG" border="0" />I'm not really sure what was happening here. But it was on Dustin's birthday and I assume Karlie was wondering what that metal thing on the floor was and Kaio was pointing at leaves in the pool. It's kinda cute how none of them are looking at the camera.<br /><br />I'm going to tag a couple of people and you guys HAVE to do it. Hhaha just kidding... I'm tagging: Kathryn, Katya, Niki and AshleyThe Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-75853611895812693662008-10-18T22:49:00.000-07:002008-10-18T23:04:26.553-07:00Mommmmmmy!!!!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SPrNKh4X7OI/AAAAAAAAAK0/D-uMSWdSeqg/s1600-h/mom_dad.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258741095685680354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SPrNKh4X7OI/AAAAAAAAAK0/D-uMSWdSeqg/s320/mom_dad.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was lucky enough to have both of my parents visiting me for a little while. My dad was here for 3 days and my mom for 13 days. She left tonight and I already miss her. I know some people might think I'm a weirdo or too sensitive, but I'm so close to my mom and living so far away from her hurts m<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SPrMfgaMcOI/AAAAAAAAAKs/ysHQAUhJskY/s1600-h/mom_dad.jpg"></a>e a lot. She is the most amazing woman ever. Everyone that meets her, loves her even if they don't even speak the same language. She has managed to be a cool and hip mom without losing our respect for her. I'm so thankful for her and my father. They are great examples in my life and I don't know what would have been of me if I didn't have them in my life. I'm not a parent yet, but I do hope to be like my parents some day. If I am, I'm sure my kids will love me tons!!! :)<br /><br /><div>I LOVE my parents so much and already can't wait to see them again!</div>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-80326857624994651842008-10-01T10:32:00.000-07:002008-10-01T11:30:44.801-07:00October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!<div align="left">For those of you that know me pretty well know that I'm a pink-ribbon nut! I try to every month buy something with the pink ribbon on it so I feel like I'm helping at least a little bit with resources to find the cure to bre<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SOO0oiFYbeI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/f15Fdl4dC3s/s1600-h/pinkRibbon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252240198881275362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 153px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 231px" height="292" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SOO0oiFYbeI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/f15Fdl4dC3s/s320/pinkRibbon.jpg" width="175" border="0" /></a>ast cancer.</div><div align="left">Did you know that 1 in 3 women will have breast cancer? Do we know enough about the disease in order to know what to do just in case it happens to us, a friend or family member? I think it would be a good idea to add something to my blog in case you're interested in knowing more about it. I got this from the <a href="http://ww3.komen.org/home">Susan G. Komen for the Cure </a>homepage. There is a lot of great information there, so if you ever have a couple of minutes, go there and read a little about this life threatening, yet curable disease.</div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left"><u><strong>What is Breast Cancer?</strong></u></div><div align="left">Every day, cells in your body divide, grow and die. Most of the time cells divide and grow in an orderly manner. But sometimes cells grow out of control. This kind of growth of cells forms a mass or lump called a tumor. Tumors are either benign or malignant.<br /></div><br /><div align="left"><em><strong>Benign [bee-NINE] tumors</strong><br /></em>Benign tumors are not cancerous. But left untreated, some can pose a health risk, so they are often removed. When these tumors are removed, they typically do not reappear. Most importantly, the cells of a benign tumor do not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body.</div><div align="left"><br /><strong><em>Malignant [ma-LIG-nant] (cancerous) tumors</em><br /></strong>Malignant tumors are made of abnormal cells. Malignant tumor cells can invade nearby tissue<br />and spread to other parts of the body. A malignant tumor that develops in the breast is called<br />breast cancer. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><u>Breast cancer growth</u></strong></div><br /><div align="left"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SOO6CQJAcYI/AAAAAAAAAKM/D9niGUz1hmo/s1600-h/Untitled.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252246138299380098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="91" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SOO6CQJAcYI/AAAAAAAAAKM/D9niGUz1hmo/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="308" border="0" /></a>The light circles represent normal breast cells and the dark-shaded circles represent cancerous breast cells. As the cancerous cells grow and multiply, they develop into a malignant tumor within the breast.<br /><br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><u></u></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><u>How does breast cancer grow and spread?</u></strong></div><strong><u></u></strong><div align="left">To continue growing, malignant breast tumors need to be fed. They get nourishment by developing new blood vessels in a process called angiogenesis. The new blood vessels supply the tumor with nutrients that promote growth. As the malignant breast tumor grows, it can expand into nearby tissue. This process is called invasion. Cells can also break away from the primary, or main, tumor and spread to other parts of the body.The cells spread by traveling through the blood stream and lymphatic system. This process is called metastasis. When malignant breast cells appear in a new location, they begin to divide and grow out of control again as they create another tumor. Even though the new tumor is growing in another part of the body, it is still called breast cancer. The most common locations of breast cancer metastases are the lymph nodes, liver, brain, bones and lungs.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><u></u></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><u>Why does breast cancer grow?</u></strong></div><div align="left">We all have genes that control the way our cells divide and grow. When these genes do not work like they should, a genetic error, or mutation, has occurred. Mutations may be inherited or spontaneous. Inherited mutations are ones you were born with — an abnormal gene that one of your parents passed on to you at birth. Inherited mutations of specific genes, such as the BRCAI and BRCA2 genes, increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Spontaneous mutations occur within your body during your lifetime. The actual cause or causes of mutations<br />still remains unknown. Researchers have identified two types of genes that are important to cell growth. Errors in these genes turn normal cells into cancerous ones.</div><div align="left"><br /><u><strong></strong></u></div><div align="left"><u><strong>But remember…</strong></u><br />Cells may be growing out of control before any symptoms of the disease appear. That is why breast screening to find early changes is so important.The sooner a problem is found, the better a woman’s chances are for survival. Experts recommend that women 40 years and older have a mammogram every year. If you have a history of breast cancer in your family, talk with your doctor about risk assessment, when to start getting mammograms and how often to have them. If your mother or sister had breast cancer before menopause, you may need to start getting mammograms and yearly clinical breast exams before age 40. It is important for all women to have clinical breast exams done by a health care provider at least every three years starting at age 20 and every year after age 40.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><u><strong></strong></u></div><div align="left"><u><strong>Breast Self-Awareness</strong></u><br />Except for skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, but it can be successfully treated. Screening tests can find cancer early, when it’s most treatable.<br />Susan G. Komen for the Cure® recommends that you:</div><div align="left"><br />1. Know your risk<br />Talk to your family to learn about your family health history<br />Talk to your provider about your personal risk of breast cancer </div><div align="left"><br />2. Get screened<br />Ask your doctor which screening tests are right for you if you are at a higher risk<br />Have a mammogram every year starting at age 40 if you are at average risk<br />Have a clinical breast exam at least every 3 years starting at 20, and every year starting at 40</div><div align="left"><br />3. Know what is normal for you. See your health care provider right away if you notice any of these breast changes:<br />Lump, hard knot or thickening<br />Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening<br />Change in the size or shape of the breast<br />Dimpling or puckering of the skin<br />Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple<br />Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast<br />Nipple discharge that starts suddenly<br />New pain in one spot that doesn’t go away</div><div align="left"><br />4. Make healthy lifestyle choices<br />Maintain a healthy weight<br />Add exercise into your routine<br />Limit alcohol intake<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">I know this post was long but I feel strongly about this topic. And we can never be TOO informed about it. <u>AGAIN,</u> if you are reading this and would like to know more about breast cancer go to the <a href="http://ww3.komen.org/home">Susan G. Komen for the Cure</a> homepage, they have so much info there!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">I saw on a TV show the other day that most women don't do a breast self exam because they don't really know HOW or WHEN to do it. And when they do it, they don't know what's normal. If you are one of them, here's a link to a short tutorial that will teach how to look and feel for any changes in your breasts.<a href="http://cms.komen.org/bse/">http://cms.komen.org/bse/</a> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Thanks for reading this post and here's to finding the cure!!! </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-59038562195590202252008-09-11T14:16:00.000-07:002008-09-13T15:40:13.023-07:00Happy Birthday Bella!!!<div align="left">Our little Bella is three years old today! She was born September 11, 2005. She is my mom's dog's daughter. We picked her up in December (of the same year) from my parents. And she's been making our lives so much better ever since. Of course she is a pain once in a while, especially when we have friends over that have kids, but still we wouldn't trade her for anything in this world.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">I love dogs and LOVE having one of my own. If humans were more like dogs, this world would be a better place! I have a little book called "Utterly lovable dogs" and it has some great quotes I'd like to share.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center">"<em>Whoever else thinks you are of little worth- to your dog you are the centre of the universe" - Pam Brown</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em>"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion" - Author unknown</em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>"The average dog has one request to all humankind. Love me." - Helen Exley</em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>"Give a pup a home and a little love and he will give you his heart forever" - Pam Brown</em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>"A dog trusts deeply and so is easily betrayed" - Charlotte Gray<br /><br />"A dull day, a sad day, a frustrating day - but everyething seems bright when a small furry object hurls into your arms and tells you how very glad he is to see you home" - Pam Brown</em></div><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="left">This is so Bella... so it's the last one I'm sharing:</div><br /><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em>"You come home. The dog throws itself at you. 'Where have you been? You've been so long... I love you, love you, love you. What's in the bag? Something for me? Oh, let me lick your ear. Oh, let me chew your gloves. You're HOME!!!'" - Pam Brown</em><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245629015088001586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SMw3y_PNcjI/AAAAAAAAAJc/VMryVoZDX7U/s320/DSC07660.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="center">She was about a month old when this picture was taken! She looked like a little rat!<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245618596578758226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SMwuUjRCjlI/AAAAAAAAAH0/HMbyky1SFWI/s320/CIMG1724.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">She was about 2 months old when this picture was taken. Notice that it's a computer monitor behind her! She was soooo little! Those white bandages kept her ears all up and perky! Otherwise her ears would fall down and she wouldn't look like a true Yorkie.<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245619174025919810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SMwu2KbK_UI/AAAAAAAAAH8/64K-pyGhYfE/s320/CIMG1807.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center">This was the day we were leaving Brazil to go back to Virginia, she barely had enough hair to put up on a bow.<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245630042298435778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SMw4ux5QyMI/AAAAAAAAAJk/x5kcTsxN7Gg/s320/P3180020.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center">This was a very sad day for her. She got spayed that day... look how sad she looks! :( Poor baby!<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245619181419266274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SMwu2l94gOI/AAAAAAAAAIU/dlY-ggP6hjI/s320/P3040006.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="center">She was about a year old when this picture was taken. She looks so beautiful! Yorkshire Terriers start with dark black hair and then it fades with time. This is my favorite picture of her!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245628533705695746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SMw3W98uYgI/AAAAAAAAAJU/H-Pa-rCZMjY/s320/09-11-07_1512.jpg" border="0" /> </div><p align="center">This was last year, when she turned 2 years old. She was being difficult and not wanting to take a picture!<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245625943254315234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SMw1ALw_MOI/AAAAAAAAAI0/bUL_RgrSMac/s320/06-18-08_1306.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">This is her latest picture. She is all grown up now, 3 years old and 5 lbs! Look at that face! I can't resist. Doesn't she look like an angel? Yeah, well...she is not! But like I said, wouldn't trade her for anything in this world! We love our little Bella! </p>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-29734649426131689862008-08-30T23:51:00.000-07:002008-09-03T00:14:25.537-07:00Happy Anniversary to US!<div align="left">I guess Summer is the season of Anniversaries... so here we are, celebrating our 5th Wedding Anniversary on August 30th. We've been together for 8 years and it still amazes me how we still can stand each other! hahaha Dustin said that he heard somewhere that once you've hit the 5 year mark, you're good to go for the rest of your life. I told him "yay" not very enthusiastically, he just smiled and gave me a kiss instead of being hurt. I'm so glad that we've finally passed the phase of not understanding when each other is being sarcastic. :)<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Anyway, <strong><u>HAPPY ANNIVERSARY</u></strong> honey! You're the best and I'm looking forward to spending forever with you since I don't really have a choice! (he constantly says I'm stuck with him). <strong><u>LOVE YOU!</u></strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241686525003190066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SL42H3LETzI/AAAAAAAAAG8/BCbAiwOALUQ/s320/dustin%2Beu.JPG" border="0" /></div><p align="center">This was taken in 2000! Look at us a lot younger and skinnier!</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241687130147238002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SL42rFgpsHI/AAAAAAAAAHE/KDEInC61bkA/s320/dustin_eu.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center">This was taken on our Wedding in August, 2003! The happiest day of our lives! </p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241688257661943906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c0znEw2xeLA/SL43st1GwGI/AAAAAAAAAHU/07-NURzbDuI/s320/PB050020.JPG" border="0" />This is us now... 2008! Yep, older, fatter, less hair BUT wiser and still crazy about each other!</p>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418969253355864544.post-15583106234809144762008-08-29T23:40:00.000-07:002008-09-02T23:50:46.400-07:00What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?Who needs Dr. Phil if you can just go to this homepage, type in your name and it will tell you everything there is to know about you?! This is all so true, every Marina I've ever met is JUST like me! hahaha OK, this is totally bogus but I thought it was fun so I'm posting it anyway!<br /><br /><table width="350" align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"><tr><td bg align="center" style="color:#EEEEEE;"><span style="'color:black;font-family:Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><strong>What Marina Means</strong></span></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><img src="http://www.blogthingsimages.com/whatsyournameshiddenmeaningquiz/name.gif" height="100" width="100" /></center><span style="color:#000000;">You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.<br />You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.<br />You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!<br /><br />You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. <br />You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. <br />You have the classic "Type A" personality.<br /><br />You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.<br />You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.<br />You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.<br /><br />You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.<br />You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.<br />You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.<br /><br />You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.<br />You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.<br />You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.</span></td></tr></table><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyournameshiddenmeaningquiz/">What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?</a></div>The Bircheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101574085614199509noreply@blogger.com0