04.30.2005

Rafi had a birthday! And to celebrate we hosted a luau party. Embarassingly we didn't take too many photos, but either way the memories will last - just as the excess food has. ;) He has been enjoying building his "super computer." We are also wishing a happy birthday to our nephew and niece Luis Raul and Maria Sofia.

Our friends Victor, Carlos, and Amanda participated in the MS-150 this month. It is a 150 mile ride that spans from Houston to Austin to benefit Muscular Sclerosis, which is an important cause to our sister-in-law Mónica, and therefore to us. It's a marathon of biking! Congrats to them all - it is quite an accomplishment. And while we weren't able to find them in the crowd, we did take these photos. Hopefully next year we will be able to participate with them. We did buy some t-shirts this year as a contribution, though.

As for other news, we've been working on the house again - this time the yard. I just love experimenting with flowers! (I call it experimenting - Rafi just says that I kill them.) Someday we'll have a deck... sooooome daaayyy....

And Pixel is in school again! He is enrolled in beginner agility classes. Here are some photos of his first day. He is really enjoying himself (as are we) and is rapidly improving with every session. Although it's doubtful we would ever compete (we signed up just for fun and to give him a "job" - dogs like to have a job), we entertain the thought of signing up for "just for fun" exhibitions.

Here's a final shout out to Kassie - Have a GREAT time on your much deserved vacation! :)

03.31.2005

While most of March was pretty low-key, it did bring another awesome ski trip! About 14 of us (including my brother Mark) stayed in a really neat cabin in Lake Tahoe (Nevada side) and skiied Heavenly. My friend from high school Jeromey and his wife Crystal were able to join us from California - which was SO much fun (despite a slight ski-stopping injury). I think we all learned a little bit on that trip. Rafi and I learned that next year we will wear helmets so as not to prohibit our speed (and to prevent trips to the emergency room), to read the signs more carefully (so as not to wind up lost after the lifts have closed), and to bring lots and lots of CASH (and to eat the kiddie meals for the cheaper prices!). For a more detailed write-up (including who got lost, who was sick, and who got injured) visit our Tavel 2005 page.

After the ski trip Rafi stayed for GDC (Game Developers Conference). Among the usual stuff (parties, free loot, etc.), he got to meet Bill Murray! He says he's a nice, down-to-earth guy, but that he likes to party. Sooo Hollywood... ;)

And Pixel turned the big 1 year old! We celebrated in the usual fashion - McD's hamburger and a party hat.

We also enjoyed a visit from Gabby - oh, and her parents Vanessa and Bernard, of course! It was really great to see them - and we thank them again for the lovely UT (Go Horns!) doggy dish they sent us after. :)

On a final note, happy birthday to Granddad, our sobrina (niece) Nicole, and my friend Kassie's daughter Hannah! I was able to attend Hannah's party (3 years old!) and am so impressed with how intelligent Miss Hannah the "Queen in Training" is - such a smarty pants!

02.28.2005

February - the month of love, Austin marathons, and Texas weather!

I did it! I completed my first marathon! Read all about it and see pics here. It was a crazy ride - a ride I swore during the whole time I would never, EVER take again. But the very next day I had more hopes of completing another one. Hehe... So currently I'm considering one in April or taking a rest and doing Freescale again next year. We'll see. Until then, though, I will return to running more 5k and 10k races and maybe do some speedwork. Hopefully the next one won't have such brutal Texas weather!

Valentine's Day (celebrated the Friday after the marathon) was thoughtfully planned by Rafi. We went to the restaurant in the famous Driskill Hotel - very posh eats!

Finally we wish both moms a happy birthday!!! They both are looking great!

01.31.2005

Happy birthday, to me, happy birthday to me! Well, you know how the rest goes. This month I turned 27. Hmph. As a kid I thought 27 was old, so why do I still feel 19? :) I had a great birthday spent with friends at dinner then playing pool. At the end of the cold night, though, I was very happy to be at home, lounging in pj's, and snuggling with my dogbabies and, of course, my husband. Thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate. You are all special friends to me. :)

New Year's Eve was a great event! We had so much fun dancing salsa and merengue until 4 in the morning. What a blast! I started the following morning (the first day of 2005) off on the right foot - in running shoes! I ran the Resolution 5k a mere 5 hours after coming home the night before. Needless to say it wasn't my best run, but hey, whaddya expect? :) It was fun nonetheless.

And here are some adorable photos of our adorable nieces and nephew who are growing up so fast! Thanks, Monica, for sending them on! Our dogbabies are still the twinkles in our eyes, too. In these photos you can see what a goof Pixel is.

In other news, my marathon training has now come to a taper. This month I ran a couple runs approximately 22 miles long each - give or take some. That's a good solid 4 hours of running, and a good solid 4 hours of thinking "what in the hell am I doing out here?" Heheh... But this whole journey has been very rewarding, fulfilling, and momentous - worth every ache and pain along the way. Only a couple weeks to go!

Marathon training update:: Longest run to date: 22 miles. Total miles run this month: 92.85 miles.