Next stop.. Orange County!

This long awaited "mini vacation/wedding weekend" had finally come and we were finally in California for Chad’s sister Christy’s wedding! Right from the get go, we had things to do and people to see. Our flight landed around 1pm and after a quick run thru the In and Out drive thru, we settled in for a yummy belly filling meal of burgers and fries. (Our diet stopped the minute we stepped on that plane.. ;)

Awww... SMOOOCHIES!! (taking a rest at Chad's mom's place)

Chad and I being silly with the kids toys while we waited to head to the rehearsal. :)

We are such goofballs! Just like the good old days..

Showing his stealth skills...

Taking in Laguna Beach right before the rehearsal started...

20 years later... LITERALLY!

It's funny how so much time can go by between events... and when you think back on them, it seems like you were just there.... at that same place, just the day before. The last time I saw Vikki Villarreal, now Vikki V. Rowe, was almost two years ago... and although that may seem like a lot to some, the last time I had seen her before that, was 1989!!! Now I'm no mathmetician, but that's damn near 20 years!! Talk about having a lot to catch up on! :) If it wasn't for modern technology, namely Myspace, Vikki and I would have left our pasts in the past forever, but sometime around the time that I first moved up to Dallas, Vikki found me. Not long after that, we planned for a VERY, VERY long awaited lunch date to catch up on the last 20 years. I had never felt so OLD in my life! It took us two years, one wedding, 1 one year anniversary of wedded bliss, and one engagement later to finally meet up again. lol.. This past Friday, on one of Chad's extremely unusual Friday's off, we went on a double date with Vikki and her husband Grant. It was a great time of catching up, pizza and Pete's Dueling Piano's... and we can't wait to hang out again! (This time at least hopefully before our WEDDING!) ;)

I SWEAR she looks EXACTLY the same! :)

Don't you love those weird "Hold and Pose" looks? lol..

Not a flattering face shot Yvette! Oh well! :)

Food Network Style.. :)

Before Chad came into my life, all I honestly watched was the Food Network. I didn't ever really put into practice what I saw, I hardly cooked at all... but I've always enjoyed watching people create and work with their hands. I've come to love and appreciate that Chad and I are very similar in the fact that we BOTH have strong creative spirits. Chad, in his own way, creates art with the food he prepares... having a keen attention to colors and composition in his plating techniques and with his ability to combine and delicately balance unique flavors. During Chad's last day off, he worked his magic on one of the most delicious home cooked meals he'd ever made.... and I enjoyed every minute, just watching him create. I would've lent a hand, except this time he was prepping a recipe for a Young Chef's competition he'd had entered in. Wish him luck.. the final round of this competition is on Monday, where he has to prepare his dish for several judges! :)

Chad and his SCCCRRRIIIMMPPSS...

A splash of color...

Working on our garlic/cheese bread..

Chad's creation of shrimp and clams in a serrano ham, tomato, onion, garlic and lemon reduction sauce...
Our BEAUTIFUL dinner awaits...

A day at the park... :)

During Omar & Christi's visit to Dallas with Miss Addison, Chad and I thought it best to take advantage of the beautiful day and take the family out to White Rock Lake. After a long stroll along the lake front, we ended up at a cute little park where Addie took her very first park swing ride. It took her awhile to the embrace the idea of being off the ground, while not being in the comfort of mommy and daddy's arms, but as you can see, our day at the park was a HUGE HIT! Giggles and fun and a beautiful sunny day... what could be better?!

She couldn't contain her GIGGLES!! :)

Addie with her Auntie Yvetties... :)

Miss Addie with Uncle Chad and Aunt Yvette :)

Dining out in Dallas-Battle of the Chefs

Chad, aka "Bossman" and Michael, aka "Butters" goofing off before the event. :)

Finding ART in every aspect of food...
Look, it's a FACE!! :) it's like picking out images from clouds in the sky. :)

"Selling" his table of goodies.. :)

Waiting and watching...

SMILE PRETTY!!

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Although every event is essentially the same for Chad and his "Help", aka ME, I enjoy and appreciate each and every single one. Each one has a different variety of people to meet, different tasty morsel to give away and different building to explore. This event was at the Frontiers of Flight Museum, near Love Field and although Chad and I had both been in Dallas for almost 2 and a half years, we'd both been unfamiliar with this particular Dallas attraction. After the usual set up was complete, we took a few minutes to wander the sea of old war time planes and cool missile replicas, then took some time to settle into our "spot" where Chad and Butters served up a familiar but still different "taco", (similar to his Camp John Marc creation). It was yet another success for the Oceanaire team, and if it really HAD been a "Battle of the Chefs", there is NO doubt that Chad would've walked away a winner... countless guests at the reception commented that his taco creation was the BEST of all the tasty treats on display from other restaurants. :) Good job baby!