Wagner's Penguin Encounter

I LOVE decorating the for all of the holidays.  Since we moved into our own home in February I have had so much fun decorating the entire house for all the holidays. Although I have been secretly waiting for Christmas because I have the most decorations for this holiday. On Black Friday I made Josh get all of the Christmas boxes down so I could start decorating the house.  I had no idea at how much I have collected these past few years until I started unwrapping everything.  Needless to say I have a TON of penguin paraphernalia....example....3 cookie jars, 7 coffee mugs (I don't even drink coffee), tons & tons of dishes, and other odds and ends.

Once I started putting items into place and stood back and took a look I got the feeling that I was at the Penguin Encounter as Sea World.  Here are some pictures to prove it....Living room, Family room, Kitchen, Bathrooms, Kitchen table...you get the picture.

I am just a little obsessed...

 :::My Mom getting in on the action:::

 :::Josh adding the tree topper:::

 :::1,200 Lights:::

 :::Penguins in the Hutch:::

 :::Found lighted garland, oh and another penguin sign:::

 :::Love Penguin's so much I covered up the Bloodhound calendar:::

 :::Family Stockings minus Josh's:::

 :::Penguin's invaded the bathroom as well:::

:::Our front yard:::

Our 1st Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the holidays that has never been the same year to year.  In years past we would always celebrate the weekend before Thanksgiving with the Deglmann side of the family so that my parents could get their "adult vacation" for 3 days out at Glamis.  My brother and I would spend the days with my Grandma Deglmann who always and the days filled with adventures or just plain lazy days.  Once we were old enough to got the privilege of going out to the desert as well.  Then the desert trips ended and we would go up to our close family friends house.  Then came Josh...we would always split the holidays between our families.  We would plan out the day on who's house we would go to first and how much time was spent there before we were off to the second house.

This year was different...Josh wanted to host dinner at our house since it was the first big holiday and we recently purchased our dining room table.  Now I am not a party planner nor do I like telling people what to bring, but the day turned out nice.  We were able to have the entire family here and able to fit everyone comfortably.  Luckily my parents came up the night before to help with the final touches and for my mom to do the turkey to make sure that it would be done in time for dinner and that it would be edible.  She did a fantastic job!

So now maybe next year I will be able to cook it like she does, but hey lets not get ahead of ourselves.

"The Boat"

Clearman's Galley is better known as "The Boat" to my family and few friends that have experienced the Boat with me it is also known as "Clearman's Galley".  The only time I remember really eating at the Boat was when my family would go back home to San Gabriel Valley to see the dentist (long story).  After every dentist appointment we would go eat at the Boat.  Now its referred to as "The Boat" because the old building used to be restaurant style but you would order your food in the galley of and actual boat! I mean how cool is that?!

You may be asking yourself this very question...whats the point?  Well for you non-experienced Boat eaters you are missing out!  The Boat has the BEST cheesy bread around.  You can purchase the containers of spread and some sour dough bread at a local grocery store and make it yourself at home, but it DOES NOT compare to restaurant style.  I mean it just sucks you in...so hot & cheesy and toasted just so perfectly that it just melts in you mouth.  Now you maybe saying "you go there just for bread?" No, the hamburgers are huge & amazing. Lets not forget about the french fries...these are huge steak fries.  See I can go on and on about the Boat. My family has been known to be craving the Boat and just happen to get in the car and take the 1:30 min or so drive up (ask Josh...he thought we were crazy the first time, but when he ate it. He understood.)

So if anyone is up for a drive for an amazing lunch or dinner I will be glad to make it. I mean its awesome food and great relaxing atmosphere eating on the big tables and watching sports on the big screen.  This is the "new & improved" but same ol' Boat that we went to. Difference is that it changed spots in the parking lot, is now a building and a boat, and much bigger.

::Street view.  This used to be the boat you ordered in::

::What more could you ask for?::

Hamburgers, Beer, & Cheesy Bread

:Front of new building::

 ::Mama Tina enjoying the cheesy bread::

 ::Look at those fries and cheesy bread::



Happy Birthday Gramma Honey!

My Gramma Honey had the best birthday.  Why do you ask...because it is Halloween!  Now, my Gramma Honey passed away back in 1998, but our family still celebrates.  It is more of a bittersweet holiday for us.

To honor my Gramma's birthday every year my Mommy and I purchase something that reminds us of her.  Normally it's a Witch and if it has purple on it it is a double bonus because that is her favorite color. Needless to say I have about 12 different Witch related items decorating my house and every time I see one it puts a smile on my face. We always go up and visit her grave site and put flowers and sometimes we eat Taco Bell with her.  Today my parent's and I went up to visit her and my Uncle came too so it was great little visit and shared a few memories of my Gramma. 

I think of my Gramma everyday and wonder how she is doing, but then again I know she is having a fantastic time up in heaven watching over us.  A quote from my favorite movie Top Gun she is, "Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. You know, giving  the bird!"

Gramma Honey...I love you and hope you had a wonderful birthday!

"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." ~Eskimo Proverb~

Betty Croker I am not!

My dad asked me to make him some chocolate chip cookies because my mom said, "you don't need them." Well he is my Daddy, so of course I am going to make them for him.  Now I am not a "cooker or baker". I don't have a lot of patience, so it never goes so well.  Anticipation and the smell of them is so strong and irresistible!

Finally the time goes off and to my surprise out of the 3...yes 3 baking sheets 2 were completely black on the bottom and NOT edible!  I have a double oven, 3 cookies sheets, baking a double batch of chocolate chip cookies and I have to resort to using the 1cookie sheet the cookies turned out edible on!

Needless to say, my name is Aubrey and is not going to be Betty Crocker anytime soon!!

HSN...My new favorite channel

I have this strange obsession with watching infomercials when I can't fall asleep at night or when I am waiting for something else to come on television.  Now I have purchased a few items from infomercials in years past, but then I started watching HSN.

Now HSN is infomercials on steroids! I mean there is everything on this channel from my wonderful new best friend Tom (my GPS), Cricut Imagine, and today a Versacooker.  I mean hello its Today's Special so I had to purchase it.  I have no clue who Wolfgang Puck is, but he is a pretty amazing chef & made this Versacooker that is a slow cooker, oven and something else look amazing! We all know I don't have a clue what to do in the kitchen.  It is like flipping a coin if the meal will turn out edible.

Anyways, I can't wait for it to come to cook in it. Hopefully have it turn out fantastic and edible. I will keep you inform on how it turns out!

My Cricut Imagine

I love to do scrapbooking & card making, so HSN was doing a 24 hour craft day. Well all I have to say is that I watched as much as possible & wanted to purchase everything.  We all know I wasn't allowed to purchase everything since Josh was home with me (darn jury duty), BUT I was allowed to get the new Cricut Imagine!

Now for you non-scrapbook people, the Cricut is a cutting system that cuts out alphabets & images and makes scrapbooking a blasts.  It cuts from 1/2 in all the way up to 24 in.!  The newest version of the Cricut is the Cricut Imagine.  This machine is a printer & cutter, so it gives you endless possibilities!  I have having so much fun playing with it and getting to know how to use it.  I am still in the beginning stages of learning all of it but I have made my first card with it & LOVE IT!

 :::::The Machine:::::

 :::::Dining Room table...aka...New Craft table:::::

:::::My 1st card for a baby shower:::::

Needless to say I don't think I will be doing housework anytime soon. =)