Yuri's 60th @ Meson European Restaurant

Saturday Emil and I were invited to celebrate Yuri's 60th birthday at Meson European Restaurant. Emil and Yuri are very close...since Emil's father is not here, Yuri took Emil under his wing since he first came to America in 1993.
CC gave me a "poof" in my hair. I tried to get a picture but I cut off half of my face in the process!! Haha! For some reason the camera on my phone was not working well that night!
The restaurant was beautiful...and such elegant music was playing....

Everyone was having a great time...

(Arkadiy, Rita and Nella)

I ordered the New York Strip. It was honestly the best steak I have ever had in my life!
Lisa and I sat next to each other so we could talk....

And talk we did.... and take pictures....

We were drinking this. I've never had it before but it sure was good!!! Sweet and not dry!!

The table was set so nice and pretty. I loved the glow of these candles...

And here is the man of the hour giving his toast....thanking everyone for coming and being a part of this special occasion.

The boys, Papa Bear, Serg, Yuri, Arkadiy and Stas

My Papa Bear giving his toast to Yuri.... he was teary eyed and so was Stas

Stas...Lisa's husband...He is also very close to Yuri.

This was some of the art on one wall. The whole restaurant was covered in beautiful contemporary art! I wish I would have taken more pictures of them!

It was only AFTER I took this photo that I saw exactly which painting was "behind" me...

Me again... still talking to CC.

Our first course was salami's, deli meats, smoked salmon and a variety of delicious cheese. Next we had salad, then ravioli with this delicious creamy sauce. Our main entree was next. Then it was time for desert.

Our coffee was served with these cute silver creamers....

I ordered cream brulee. Papa Bear ordered tiramisu. The brulee was outstanding!!!

We had a great time! Originally Papa Bear and I were supposed to spend the rest of the evening together. However....his friends wanted to continue the party at the swimming pool. So he went that way and I went to my Mom to spend the night. I can't stand sleeping alone at home. It freaks me out!

Sunday we pretty much stayed in and relaxed. I didn't go home til the afternoon. Lately I have been having a hard time sleeping. I fall asleep around 4 in the morning and wake up every 20 or 30 minutes. I have a hard time falling back asleep. Finally I get frustrated and wake up for good around 7 or 8. Not fun...and it makes for a stressful next day.

I always hope that I will be so tired I will fall asleep at a decent hour and sleep through the night. It usually doesn't happen! However, Sunday night I did sleep well. Papa Bear woke me up early though. And last night again... it was around 3 before I fell asleep. I just don't know what's going on. I HATE it! I just want to sleep...

Friday night and Apple Pie

CC has been begging me to make apple pie again. So after all our work was done Papa Bear went to visit Stas and we started making apple pie. While the pie was baking CC taught Lena and I how to do the Waka Waka dance. Ohhh we were sweating! My brother Eric also called. We talked until almost two in the morning about our dad, grandma and Aunt Moya. It was so nice!
This morning I went into the kitchen and saw this in my sink...


And then I looked at the pie..,


Did I mention the girls stayed up way past me?!?!
And this was my girls...


Lena snuggled was on the ottoman snuggled next to CC.
We ran a few errands and now Papa Bear and I took the girls to Mom so we can go to Yuri's 60th birthday party.
It's been raining and I've been loving it! So have my roses. I'm blogging from my phone on the way to the party. There is an accident in front of us holding us up. We've been at this light almost 20 minutes!! Ahhh!! I don't like waiting... And we are already 28 minutes late!
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5QF

Today is Friday...which means...5QF!!!

I have really begun to look forward to posting my 5QF answers and reading everyone else's...


1. What is the first nightmare you remember?

When I was little I would dream over and over that I was in this big dark carwash. Each stall was huge, it could probably fit 2 rows of 10 trucks parked sideways. So anyway, I was hiding behind a big truck up on those big wheels and there were some guys at the opening of that stall.
Behind them is just alot of green, green trees. I could hear them talking, whispering.. and they were saying, "Ok. It's time. Let's bring him out." They were talking about a big-foot type of creature. I see this huge hairy form, darker than the darkness of that stall emerging from a side hall. He gets closer and closer and I try to shrink down lower behind the tire because I am so scared....and then I wake up. I had that dream over and over from about ages 4-7. Don't know what it means but still today I can vividly see it and it still creeps me out because I can remember how I would wake up with my heart pounding. And it was the exact same dream.. never a change.

2. Even if you're not a sports fan, what's your favorite sport to play/watch?


I love, love, love boxing! And these two are my favorite boxers!

Gatti killed himself earlier this year. His fights with best friend Mickey Ward were an amazement to watch. In two of their three matches Gatti actually broke his hand while fighting and his heart was so into the fight that he continued boxing in that condition. Look up Gatti/Ward fights on youtube. You won't be disappointed!


Next up are the Klitschko brothers. Vitaly on the left, Vladimir on the right. Both brothers are boxers from Kiev, Ukraine. They both hold PhD's in Sports Medicine. They speak Ukrainian, Russian, German and English. Vladimir trains under Emmanuel Stewart. They are so skilled and intelligent boxers. Youtube them as well... again, you won't be disappointed!
I also love basketball! Living in San Antonio I have to love the Spurs by default! You can read about my run-ins with players here.

Now I root for my Spurs 99% of the time... however, when they play the Mavericks I am sooo on the fence. I would be happy what ever the outcome of that match, but honestly I think I would lean a bit towards the Mavs. I can't help it...they are AWESOME!

3. If you could pull off one piece of trendy fashion, what would you want it to be (jeggings, hats, thigh high boots, etc.)?

Oh, this is a good question. I would love more than anything to be able to wear maxi dresses!

However, because I am so short and so very, very large chested these dresses are a complete no-go for me.....

Another thing I cannot wear, which I think would be adorable for the fall season are shirt dresses paired with some fuzzy leggings.

But since I have so many extra pounds, big chest and super short...again this is a no-go!

4. Did you make good grades in school?

Yes I did. In fact, I was a member of the National Honor Society!

I got my first "B" in fourth or fifth grade and I thought it was the end of the world! I was soooo upset! I also took Japanese in high school. I loved that class! It was so fun!

5. What magazines do you subscribe to?

Oh my favorite reads...and the only reason I look forward to checking the mail!

House Beautiful, Country Living, Nail Pro (my mom's) and Southern Living! Pure bliss!!! Do you love those magazines too?? Am I the only one who can read my House Beautiful front front to back in one day???

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed my five answers!! I can't wait to read yours!

First Month as a SAHM

Monday marked my one month anniversary of staying home with the girls. And I love it!!
So what have I been doing this past month..besides spending alot of extra time blogging????

Spending lots of snuggle time with this angel. I love when he cries at my legs to pick him up and then he snuggles his sweet little head in my neck or beside my ear. I love to hear him snore when he puts his nosey in my ear. He recently started sleeping beside me at night. Usually he would lay on my tummy for a while then move down to my feet or to the top of my pillow and suck on my hair. Now he sleeps beside me and it feel sooooo good!
I have also been cooking more than I think I ever cooked in my married life! J/K! But when you worked around 50 hours a week, cooking wasn't at the top of your list of things to do!

It's a good thing I love to cook. Because I am literally in the kitchen from the moment I wake up until bedtime.

But I'm not complaining at all!!!!

And neither is anyone else here at home!
Since I cook all day, I am also washing dishes all day!

I cannot stand dishes in the sink over night!!

So dishes never stop piling up and I never stop washing. Since I've been home, in one month, I have gone through an entire bottle of dish soap!!

Another thing I have been so happy to do is ....CLEAN!!!

The bathrooms are cleaned.. my closet is 3/4 clean (I just need Papa Bear to go through his side, or his 1/4!), the tea sets are out of my bedroom and I started on the laundry room yesterday. I eventually want to paint the laundry room and add some shelves in there.

Now that I'm home I have been more on top of the girls homeschooling... I prepare their homework on Sunday night and am actually HERE to help them do it!!

You cannot even imagine how good that feels!!! I love homeschooling my girls. They learn so fast in that one-on-one environment. They love to take "field trips" to Sonic for happy hour!

And I've even ventured into crafts... this is a fuzzy flip flip we've been making. I made one flip flop for each girl. I guess I need to finish the other ones! Ha!

And as I've said before I am spending so much more time with my Lena. She is such a sweet, amazing, kind hearted girl.

I am realizing how much I have really missed out on learning about her and who she is when I worked so much. It depresses me. And she is so happy to have me home. She constantly comes up and hugs me or kisses me. Her little arms feel so good around my neck! I love her more than words can say!

It's been fun and wonderful spending time with CC and relieving her of household duties. She is finally able to be a teenager and sleep and relax. It's fun to watch her and Lena bond and chase each other and giggle and share secrets! I love what a good and sweet girl CC is...and she's so responsible! I hope those traits stay with her as she goes through life.

So, this past month has been wonderful. I do help Papa Bear with his work and I enjoy doing it. At times it seems I stay busier here than I did working. I get to sleep as late as I want, which usually is never past 8,but hey, it's better than waking up at 4:30a.m.!!

Top 2 Tuesday - Things you Want to Accomplish

This is my first time participating in Top 2 Tuesday.

So we are supposed to list the top 2 things we would like to accomplish before the end of the year.

I didn't have to think too hard, as these are always on the top of my mind...

{1} I have been trying to figure out how to be a travel agent. This is something I have always wanted to do and now that I'm not working I have time to get down and start but I have NO idea where to start. I see all these classes online that help you learn this system or that lingo...but none of them are actually REQUIRED to get a travel agent license. And in Texas you don't have to have a license...but in order to get an IATAN number you have to pass some ARC test...and getting to that ARC test is a whole different ball park...I am so confused and frustrated!! I just want to be a darn travel agent!!

{2} Next month I start classes at college for the last math and English I will need to get my degree. I hope, pray, beg that I will be able to pass them. I haven't been in school for quite some time and I am terrified of that Math. But I know I have to buckle down and really devote myself to school for those next two months to pass. I know I can do it.... right?

So...that's my top 2 for this week.... thank you for stopping by!!

Saturday and games

Oh this post is coming late but I have been so busy I just haven't had time to sit down and write. Emil took the girls to Lisa's house so CC can run with Lisa and Lena can play with Jakob.

Saturday Emil took CC to the shooting range. She loved it!! So while they were shooting, Lena, Mom and I had lunch together at Mission Cafe. We had a buy one entree get one free coupon so we though we'd give it a try.

The lunch special was beef or chicken enchiladas with tortilla soup and a drink for $6.89... not bad! The sign said they have the best tortilla soup in San Antonio...they weren't lying! It was amazing!!!
Lena had beef and cheese nachos.... so good!

Moms chicken enchiladas....

My beef enchiladas....

All of that for $12!! It was soooo good. We had so much fun just sitting and talking and not having to rush anywhere!

CC downloaded this game on my iPhone... Coin Dozer... I love playing it! So fun...

The Lena download this game on my phone.. Cookie Dozer....

Oh man...it is soooooo fun! And it made us all want these.....

And those are good too! Lena was begging me to make them..so I did and she disappeared until the dough was ready!! So now I have over 4 dozen chocolate chip cookies here in the house and I am going to be forced to eat them! Great!