My Life Before Kids

Most only know me as a Mommy and Steve's wife and not for all the crazy hours and hard work I put in before quitting to assume the hardest job on the earth - Stay at home Mommy.

Steve and I met at The Embassy Suites in Raleigh, North Carolina. They were remodeling the restaurant in the hotel and Steve transferred there from Dallas to open it up and run it. I was hired a couple months after he was and we opened Nicola's Ristorante. It was a great restaurant and awesome Italian food. While I was there we partnered up with a local art group and displayed local artists work in the restaurant and bar. We had twice a year art shows that had huge turn outs. It was a great first job to have in Restaurant Management. I also oversaw the roomservice and bar area. The employees at this place were INSANE. Typical restaurant workers - partying hard and with all of that came crazy situations I had to deal with.

Here is a picture of the inside of the restuarant.

Hotel the restaurant was located in.

After Steve and I got married we had to be transferred to different properties within 6 weeks since we were both managers and technically he was my superior as Executive Chef. We decided to move to Dallas where Steve had lived for many years. I stayed with the company and Steve ventured out. I took a position at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District in downtown Dallas as an Assistant Food and Beverage Director.

This was where the upscale dining restuarant called The Opus was located (tables were removed for the picture).

Front of the Symphony.

This was the main entrance off of the street - to the left was The Opus and behind where this picture was taken was a more casual dining restaurant called The Pasta Pavillion. This was by far the coolest job I've ever had. The other managers were awesome and we had so much fun. Ironically - this was the job Steve was at before transferring to Raleigh - he was the Executive Chef here. The restaurants were only opened before symphony performances and only for 2 hours. We were usually open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings and then Sunday for brunch. When the Symphony wasn't playing we did huge banquets and dinners. Biggest seated dinner was for 1400 people and we had other reception type banquets for over 2000.

It was always exciting and always filled with famous people. While working there I met Kenny Rogers, Michael McDonald, Lyle Lovett, Phil Vasser, Larry Hagman (JR from the show Dallas), Angie Harmon and many many others. We did all backstage food and beverage for the performers and being management we were always backstage at some point.

After the Meyerson I was promoted across the street to General Manager (at the whopping age of 28 years old!!) at The Belo Mansion. It is an old mansion owned by the Dallas Bar Association. We did the food and beverage daily during the week for the attorneys taking continuing education classes and then every.single.weekend - we did weddings. Friday nites, 2 weddings Saturday (afternoon and evening) and then also sometimes on Sundays.

I was pregnant the last 9 months while working here. I hated this job with a passion. The money was awesome but the people who worked for the Bar Association were horrid. It was the worst job I have ever had. The people and then all the pressure and stress with being the top one in charge royally sucked. One of the happiest days of my life was pulling out of that parking lot for the last time! Within the first 2 months I was there I had to fire one of my catering managers who continued to show up to work drunk and at her functions. She was one of the top performing sales managers in the company so to say I wasn't met with resistance by people to fire her (this is after she was able to take a leave of absense for 30 days to go to rehab) is an understatement. This job just plain sucked.

Happy 4th Birthday Ava!!

Yesterday our baby girl turned 4! Like I said earlier - it's been a long 4 years. Great years - but long ones. LOL Life wouldn't be complete without Ava in it.

Last night we had our great friends and families over. Mark, Amy, Jack and Christine as well as Dan, Kris, Lexi, Kourtney, Reilly and Erin came to have cake and ice cream. Ava wanted cake for breakfast so we had already cut into the cake but she insisted on round 2 of Happy Birthday when her friends came. She loved the attention!! Mark my words - this kid will be a politician - she loves the spotlight!

Round 2 of singing. Ava picked her cake - chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling with chocolate icing and a rainbow.

You would have thought it was Christmas! She woke up bright and early and wanted to open gifts immediately!

Dumb Mommy moment. At quick glance - I thought this wrapping paper was of popsicles. Upon closer look (aka - when Isabella asked why I bought baby bottle wrapping paper) did I realize they were in fact, NOT popsicles.

A closer look.

FurReal puppy from Grandma and Papi.

Happy to get a princess scooter.

Acting silly during round 1 of Happy Birthday singing.

Showing me how old she was.

Get ready to flip out Daddy!!!

I think we have a budding Vegetarian on our hands. Isabella is getting very concerned about using and wearing leather and eating meat. It really is the red meat she is having the most trouble with - she loves steak but last night she just kept staring at it and saying "I can't believe this was a live cow", "don't you think it is cruel to eat a cow". As a chef, Steve has "issues" to say the least with people with picky palettes and vegetarians. Guess I need to start talking with him about acceptance a bit more. :)

Backyard Camping

Here is the small tent - just a 2-3 person - which worked fine. I can pretty much guarantee there won't be 4 people ever in it.

Roasting marshmellows

We had to put the firepit on some wood so it wouldn't burn the grass and leave a dark spot.

The Good Life

Life has been pretty good lately. Nothing major going on, just lots of small things to keep us busy. Last night and tonight Steve and the girls have camped out in the back yard in a tent. I've camped inside - in our high thread count sheets. Believe me - they are much happier with me NOT being out there. LOL They build a fire in the fire pit, roast marshmellows, make smores and they said they sat around the fire last night and told stories. They did take the portable DVD player out there with them so they aren't roughing it too much.

Tonight we went to an Indianapolis Indians minor league baseball game. It was the first baseball game for the girls and the first time I've been to a baseball game in quite a while. They had 10 innings listed on the score board so I don't know if they started playing more innings than before. I thought there use to be only 7??? Maybe for overtime or whatever they do in baseball?? Kris and Dan and Lexi also were there and Steve and the girls walked over and talked with them for a bit and then when we were leaving Kris and Dan and their nephew Nolan came and chatted with us. Kris and Dan are so sweet together - and Nolan - ahhh, I might want to have another baby if it turned out as sweet and cute as that little guy. We left after 5 or 6 innings - but it was fun.

Tomorrow we get our piano. Steve and Dan are driving about 30 minutes away to load it and bring it home - Bella starts piano next week so we are excited to get the show on the road. I'm ready to just have a piano in the house. We got a great deal on one - bought it off of craigslist for only $300 - it is just an oak upright piano. I of course wanted a concert pianist baby grand Steinway - but champagne taste on a beer budget - so compromise it was. :) Hopefully, in a couple years we will upgrade to a nicer upright (mahogany or black is what I'd like) and then a few years down the road a black baby grand. These girls better love playing - LOL. Although they are going to be doing it whether they love it or not. There aren't too many adults that you meet that don't wish they knew how to play the piano.

We started a small group with 3 other couples in the church. We met for the first time on Sunday. I have good, good feelings about the group and the bible study and fellowship we will be doing. The other couples all have children that are the same age as Isabella and Ava so it works out great. We are going to start meeting at one house and dropping the kids off at another house so we don't have constant interruptions. We had a babysitter last week but the kids still came in and out a lot. Next Sunday we are going to have the kids and babysitter at our house and we'll meet at another couples house a mile away.

Sunday is Ava's birthday. She'll be 4. I can't believe it. I'd like to say it's flown by but truthfully, it's been a looong 4 years. God love Ava - she's such a stinker and constantly keeps us laughing one minute and pulling our hair out the next. She is such a blessing to us though!

Mark and Amy and the kids have been on vacation this week so it's been lonely without them around. They come home in a couple days - so I'll be glad to see them and the girls will be super glad to see Jack again.

Steve and I have really started focusing on cardio for the past 2 weeks. We are up to 45 minutes now and we are pretty hard core. I'm not a sweater really - but man, oh man. I am soaked at the end of the workout. My legs are spent and like rubber for the remainder of the day - but it releases those endorphins and just makes you feel great. I better be shedding some pounds or else the endorphins better make me feel really, really, really good.

I thought my mom and I and the girls were going to be able to go over and visit with my Uncle Dave and Aunt Barb this weekend but it didn't work out with Moms schedule. Hopefully we'll get over there in a couple weeks. It really has been an eye opener to me that we shouldn't wait until someone gets sick in order to go visit those we love.

So, that's the last few days recap. Nothing major - but lots of little things.

I'll post pictures of the camp out (I gave the camera to Isabella last night) and of Ava's birthday in a few days. When I asked her what she wanted she told me a scooter, some Barbie thing for the bathtub (I took pictures of it with my cell phone for when I go back) but then she said she didn't care what she got - she just wanted "lots of presents". Typical.

Love to all!!!

Shouting from the Mountain Tops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve made partner with Maggiano's. This is huge!!!!!!!!!!! This Garza household is so happy and excited and proud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah Steve!!!! (and Jen - his GM who also made Partner).

Dinner With Friends

Last night we went out to dinner with our friends and neighbors Mark and Amy and Dan and Kris. We went to a place called Bonge's Tavern. It is in the middle of nowhere, has about 10 tables and besides the awesome, fabulous tasting food their claim to fame is the tailgating that takes place in the parking lot as you wait for your table.

We went on a Wednesday night at 7:00 and had a 90 minute wait. Kris and Dan had brought a bottle of wine just in case we did have to wait - thank goodness because we sure did enjoy it. The wait was actually quite pleasant. They had some benches and chairs sitting outside so we sat down, drank two bottles of wine (we had to buy another from the restaurant. Well, actually Mark and Amy bought it - thanks guys!) and talked, laughed, talked some more and laughed some more. It was a great time.

Once we were seated I open my purse to put my sunglasses in it and this is what I see in there...
a pair of Ava's panties!!!!!!!!! Now, if that doesn't make you feel like a Mom, I don't know what will. LOL I forgot I had them in there from Monday night. We went over to some friends house and the girls were playing outside with a slip and slide and having water gun fights so they wore their swimsuits there and I brought them some panties in case they wanted to change out of their swimsuits...and obviously, Ava stayed in her swimsuit the entire time - hence the Cinderella panties in my purse. (I couldn't get a good picture with the flash on so I had to take it with it off and thats why the pic is so dark.)

Here is my handsome husband sitting out in the parking lot enjoy a great conversation.

Lovebirds - Mark and Amy. They are so sweet together and love each other so much. It is great to be around them.

Me with Amy and Kris outside.

Kris and her *friend* Dan. (inside joke - they are in a serious relationship - Amy and I practically had their wedding planned for them by the end of the night).

A crooked shot of Steve and I.

A straight foreward picture - although I like the crooked one better of us.

Another of us girls without Kris wearing her Naughty Teacher reading glasses.

Steve and Mark.

Not the best picture of me because I have a shiny face from sweat and deer in the headlight looking eyes but it shows - no deep furrow lines or deep lines on my forehead thanks to Botox! LOL

Steve showing his utter disappointment with the Colts helmet on the bottle of ketchup. I don't understand why every restaurant in Indiana wouldn't want to put Dallas Cowboy logos all over their product.

The whole gang just as our meal arrived.

Amy laughing at how small my feet are so she put her foot in my shoe to show the difference in size from her foot and mine. I don't know what I'm laughing about in the background. LOL

At the end of the night - my feet were tired from wearing the almost 4 inch heals for hours so I asked Steve if he would carry me over the gravel outside. Amy decided she wanted to give me a piggy back ride - of course I didn't turn her down. LOL *Disclaimer: all patrons had already left for the evening - we were the only ones left in the restaurant.*

We had such a great time that we vowed we were going to go out once a month as a group and try different restaurants. Next month we are hitting up a new Mexican place Kris and Dan have been to and said was great. Already looking forward to it.

Walter

Introducing the newest Garza member:

The girls have been asking for a frog (yes - a frog) for the last month or so. There is a frog (or several that look alike) that appear on our front porch every evening when it gets dark. They have begged and pleaded to be able to catch one and keep it in a box. Now, I don't like frogs but I'm not mean enough to put the poor thing in a box so it can die overnight. So, we were talking with Amy and Cory (her 14 year old son) and telling them they wanted to get a frog or a turtle. Cory said they could have his turtle he's had for the last 5 years. He gave us everything - the cage, warming light, bowls, mulch, ect. We made out on the deal because we just gave him an iTunes gift card and we got all of the above PLUS the turtle.

The girls LOVE Walter to pieces. I actually like watching him eat. We are getting great use out of our garden because Walter is a vegetarian. He's been eating leafy green lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Ava wants to hold him constantly but I'm a nervous wreck when she holds him. Ava isn't the most delicate person around.

Today the girls and I went through their rooms and got a bunch of toys together to give to one of our neighbors so she could have some toys when her nieces and nephews came over to play. They only complained about 1 item each that I put in the box that they wanted so I gave it back to them - I thought great progress had been made for them only wanting one item/toy. When we walked back after dropping it off Isabella said "I love giving to charity". LOL

Introduction

We are probably strangers to everyone now. Life is just busy with lots of things going on and we are outside most of the day and evening so I just don't have blogging material or the time to sit and write long winded posts. LOL So...(a certain SIL....lol) don't harass me for updates until you start your own blog and find stuff to write about daily. It's not as easy as some may think. Just kidding!!!!

Last night we had the neighborhood block party celebrating the 4th of July. Great turnout - about 80 adults and 20 or so kids. Steve grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and another neighbor Benjamin was grilling corn on the cob on his grill and everyone brought a side dish to share. Then when it got dark Steve let off some fireworks we got from my Moms store. This year was by far the best firework display - we bought some really good items.

Pam bought stuff for the kids to decorate their bikes and scooters and then later in the night we did a little parade with the kids. It was so stinking cute - they were so proud of their decorated bikes and just smiled big grins as they road up and down the road we had blocked off.

Christine decorated the Barbie Jeep for Ava - it looked really cute.

Isabella and her patriotic bike decor.

Ava sporting the dirtiest face of the night.

Me and two of the sweetest girls around. We have such a great time when we are together and we are so similar and hold back NO secrets. Lots of laughing going on with Kris, Amy and I.

Steve and I.