Hello 2011!!!!!

Wow!  Is it really the Middle of March?????  I've been a serious slacker this year and I can't believe it's been like 6 months since my last post!  I want to say that I've been so busy with awesome things but the thing is....  school and work love to take over my life.  I'm only taking 2 classes this semester but they are super hard, sadly I feel like the math classes I still have to take are going to kick my butt too but I think I can do it and I know it will be worth it in the end!!!

Anyways...  Here's an update of the past 6 months!  Hope you enjoy!!!

So...  Third Eye Blind came to town and it was free concert, and I LOVE free things so a bunch of us went!!  It was alot of fun and even though I only know like 3 of their songs it was a good time nonetheless!!  This picture of Myke is priceless haha

So in the Summer me and Afton had bought tickets to So You Think You Can Dance and it seemed like it took FOREVER for it to get here.  We were sooooooo excited for it though and had so much fun with Hayley!!!  Here are some highlights of the night!

Ps...  Have you been to Glendale Arena lately?  It's awesome down there and I'd really like to go walk around there and see what's there.  It looks sooo fun.

We saw Marianne and Kymri there and we snuck this picture...  I put this one up too because the dancers were in the background... but here's one finally with Boo

This past November Afton and I thought we'd venture out and do some Black Friday Shopping and so I was chatting with Jamie and we decided we would surprise my mom with a Cricut because they are sooooo cheap on blackfriday...  well cheaper I should say.  So this is Jamie and I waiting for them to let us snatch our Cricut!!  It was the hardest thing not to tell my Mom for a MONTH!!!  I hate secrets!

So my Best Friend Jenna had a baby December 17.  Mr.Bennett is the cutest thing ever!!  I can't get enough of him!  Here's us together at the hospital.

Christmas came and went.  It wasn't the same without Tyler, and Jamie and David had Christmas with the Nielson's so it was a pretty lonely Christmas here.  Good think I had little Ashlynn to keep me company at the family party!  Isn't she the cutest!!!

After Christmas we had a big Arnett Family Reunion.  It was so much fun.  Each day was filled with awesome games and awesome company!  I had the opportunity to be on the planning committee and I loved being included in all that was planned.  Right before we had gotten started on the planning my Aunt Peg had made this video of all these dresses my Aunt Glenna had that were my Grannies.  Not going to lie I bawled like a baby when I watched that video but it got me to thinking.  So when we started planning our Reunion I I had this bright idea to do a fashion show with all my Grannies old dresses.  It was a HIT!!!!!  I had so much fun planning this with Jamie and I think all the girls that participated had a great time too!  Here is most of the girls in Grannie's dresses.

Then here is Jamie and I.... haha I laugh everytime I see this.  My Granny would wear this clown costume every year for Halloween and I can't believe how great of shape it's still in!  And The MC Hammer pants Jamie got to wear were a big hit too!!!

We had a great time and It was priceless to see the looks on my Aunt's faces and how much they loved it.  It couldn't have gone any better.

So the Reunion was a HIT and look at this enormous group I get to call Family.  I'm so blessed to come from such an awesome family with so many amazing examples to look up to!

We are Family 2010

New Years was alot of fun!  All my friends and I went to the Tempe Block Party on Mill Ave.  Jimmy Eat World was playing and let's be honest New Years is kind of lame when you aren't married, there isn't much to do.  So we made our own fun.  We rode the light rail there and had a great time!  Afton took most the pictures on her camera but this is one of my favorites that I had taken.

Me and Nate were talking beforehand about what our theme could be for 2011 and I had been in such a sour mood before we had talked and I was telling "I'm sick of being the nice girl that everyone can walk all over... 2011.... Screw You!"  Haha sorry for the language but it was funny and it kind of stuck.  I don't say it very often but when I do it's always funny.  So here's to a new year!!!!!!!!

We had to start the new year off right and Myke and Afton knew exactly how to do that!  So after we had a nice little breakfast (or 1 in the morning snack) at IHOP, we hopped in the car and drove to San Diego.  We met Chip and Deena Webb there and stayed at Deena's parent's Beach House for the next two days!  It was the LONGEST drive!!  I was sooo tired and long story but Myke couldn't help drive because his license was supsended haha so funny to think about.  So Afton and I had to drive the whole time and I was really nervous about Afton driving because she would fall asleep on her way home from school sometime and she was running on much lower sleep this time.  But we finally made it to San Diego and ohhhh man do I love that place.  We took a little nap then got up and went to breakfast.  After that we walked down the pier and just enjoyed the beach.  We stopped by Urban Outfitters and found this jem of a book that demonstrated how to make these delicious cake pops.  I really wanted it and so did Myke so we went in halfzies on the book and have loved it pretty well.  We ate out for lunch so we decided to stay in for dinner and makes some pizza's and since we were going to the store what better time to try making these cake pops.  It was my birthday in 2 days and so we decided this would be my birthday cake!  They were sooooo good!!!  I love chocolate cake!!!!

The next day we got up early and got ready to go WHALE WATCHING!!!  Now, we had planned to do this for a while now and I was really excited and had all these expectations, not to mention that we've been watching Planet Earth (the whole series) and I was really excited to see a whale close up!  It didn't quite live up to my abnormally high expectations but it was amazing nonetheless!!!  AND I've never been on a boat in the Ocean before and it was kind of freaky!!!!  Here's Afton and I as we are leaving San Diego!

This is the tail of the whale we tracked!  It was kind of awesome and sureal.

Here's a picture of the 3 Musketeers, I was really nervous I was going to drop my camera into the Ocean.

After our Whale Watching excursion we were sooo hungry so we ate lunch and then said good bye to the Webb's and headed on our way to Newport Beach.  I LOVE Newport & Huntington Beach and wouldn't have wanted to spend my birthday anywhere else!!!  We got there late and were super tired, so we drove around a little bit (went into a record store) ate some dinner and then just hit the hay.  

It was big day the next day. i.e. my birthday duh!

So I convinced them that we should go to Charlie's Chili for my Birthday Breakfast.  I LOVE Charlie's Chili and luckily so did they!!  Afton and Myke were super troopers, I took full advantage of it being my birthday!  So after breakfast we walked down the Pier.

We also got to meet this guy.... he REALLY wanted the fisherman's fish and it was sooo funny to watch!!!!

Then we hopped on the Freeway to go the California Science Center.  Afton had found this website that told you where all the free exhibits were in LA and so we had a list of things we wanted to do.  The Science Center was fun, but I think it would have been funner if we were 12.  So we stayed there a little bit, grabbed some lunch then headed out to Malibu to see the Getty Villa.  I wasn't the most excited for this one but once I got there I was sooo happy we had gone!!!  I love Greek architecture and this place was georgeous!!!!  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!!!

 

This one above is my favorite!  

After the Getty Villa we got a little snack and drove through Malibu Beach.  Side note: I always remember hearing how Malibu was the nicest beach in California and I always thought it was probably just something the snobby people living there had made up... Now having been to Malibu I kind of understand where they were coming from.  The beach is Beautiful!!!!  The PCH rides along the beach literally and then there are these houses that are right on the beach but not like Newport, right on the beach, it is AWESOME!!!  We had to stop and get pictures of the awesome sunset!!!  It was SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!!!!

After Malibu we hurried into LA to get me some Sprinkle's CupCakes for my birthday! We got our cupcakes and then went back to Santa Monica Pier hoping to ride some of the carnival rides on the Pier.  Sadly they were closed but it was fun to walk around and see all the funny people!!!  We then hopped int he car and headed to the Griffith's Observatory in the Hollywood Hills.  It literally was right by the Hollywood sign.  We knew that it was closed but thought it would be cool to see if you could walk around and you could!!!  The city lights from up there were amazing!!!!!  

This was the building but look at the view behind it!

I love the picture below.  Myke was taking these amazing photographs and all I have is a point and shoot camera so me and Afton were just messing around and this is one of my favorites haha can you see the city lights behind us?

It was freezing but we loved every minute of it.

After the Observatory we started the drive back to Newport where we were staying.  Now this is where I insert that Afton and Myke were the biggest troopers of it being my Birthday.  Everything we did was accompanied by "Let's do this, it's my birthday!" haha Afton finally said she couldn't wait for it to be the next day so she didn't have to be nice to me anymore haha she was joking but it was one of my favorite birthdays thus far.  

THANKS MYKE AND AFTON!!!!! 

Looks like 25 is going to be a good year for me!!!!!

When we got back we bent to BJ's to dinner and like always it never disappoints!!!  We then went back for Dessert and it was amazing too!!!  I had gotten the Red Velvet cupcake with cheesecake frosting.  It was delicious!!!!!

I went to bed very happy to say the least!

The next day we checked out of our hotel and headed into LA.  We wanted to check out the Natural Historic Museum that was free that day.  I think I could have walked around that place all day!!!  It was soooo cool!!!  Check out the Elephants!!!

After we finished at the Museum we dropped off Afton to stay with her friend Anne and me and Myke hit the road to come home.  It was a really fun trip and one of the best Birthdays ever!!!! 

I started school a couple weeks later and my life had been busy with that!  It's been quite the semester.  Although I did graduate from MCC last semester with my Associates Degree.  I'm proud to say I'm a college graduate, it only took me this long :)

In February I did take a break and went up to Sedona!  We went up to run the Sedona 10k...  I wish I had prepared more for it but I'm proud I finished it.  Me, Afton, and Katherine all ran the 10k and Chip, Deena, Myke and Ben all ran the half marathon.  They are animals, I hope one day to be that in shape :)  

Here is all of us after we were finished!

We had a great time in Sedona and I was happy I went!  

Now it's Spring Break and I've loved not having School and work for the past week!!  I'm sad I have to go back tomorrow! 

Hope you've enjoyed this recap.  Hopefully I won't be a stranger!