ALASTAIR + LALEINIA

June 30th 2012 was the day that Laleinia finally found more enlightenment in Football than Shopping. Back to the bay area we went for California's version of el clasico! We had been anxiously awaiting our first football match together, and finally it was here. It seemed like everything was going against us, first with Alastair locking the keys inside the car at the Gilroy outlet malls (which were awful by the way), and then with Google Maps leading us astray in their home town, dumping us by a dried up lake on Stanford campus, but when all was said and done, we arrived at Stanford Stadium and took our seats on the first row behind the goal. Beckham, a life long hero for Alastair and one step closer to Victoria for Laleinia, was most likely the reason for the Earthquakes abandoning their home for the larger Stanford Stadium, where the 50,000 in the crowd saw him curl in a trademark free-kick to cross that off their bucket lists. He doesn't score too many for LA Galaxy, ...

Alastair and Laleinia have been itching for a new adventure. After many hours of working throughout June, a weekend getaway was much needed. Bags were packed and off they went! Laleinia and Alastair haven't been to Hollywood, and they've been wanting to go to a beautiful beach, so Los Angeles was perfect. Down south is just a blur of cities, so we're going to call it all Los Angeles. We arrived pretty late and headed straight to the Hollywood walk of fame. Even at a late hour there were many clubs and shops meeting the demands of the many people. Sirens from cop cars kept blaring every few minutes and many heads turned when a very fancy car sped by. It seemed as if we were in Las Vegas all over again. After walking down the strip, we headed back to our hotel. Breakfast was to be eaten at the very cute OP cafe in Santa Monica. It was rather crowded, so we ate outside. The weather was fine, so we didn't mind. Alastair ordered a breakfast burrito and ...

The Golden Gate Bridge has been the talk of the town lately. That lovely metal structure turned 75 years this weekend. In celebration, Californians flocked to San Francisco to celebrate this historical event. Instead of partying on the bridge, Laleinia and Alastair headed to Angel Island. Pic of the day!  They brought some bikes, bagged lunches, and helmets (of course). Right when they arrived, the ferry was ready for departure. They dashed towards the line of people and made it for the earliest ferry ride. They only had to wait five minutes. It was their first boat ride together, so exciting. Once they were on the island, they dodged the pedestrians and headed to the bike trail. The rest of the afternoon was spent snapping pictures of the beautiful views, city structures, boats, and old ruins. The 5 mile bike ride around the island was such a fun adventure, they both loved it!   Once they finished the ride, the ferry was ready to depart from the island...

 No, not the band, just some old fashioned fun. Laleinia took Alastair out on a date. There were no flowers or chocolates. Two fun passes were bought at Funworks. They spent hours running around and having fun. Here's what they did: Three rounds of putt-putt golf Three rounds of go-carts Rock wall Arcade games Bumper cars Air hockey  Two thumbs up for a great date night. Good job, Laleinia!

This weekend, Alastair and Laleinia packed their bags for a weekend getaway to Sacramento. They attended the reception of the Hunts, who served in the NYRM with Alastair. The reception was a blast, and Alastair loved seeing some of his friends from the mission. We stayed the night at the Mickelson residence, hence, the clowns. Paul and Natyeli were planning on running a 5k the next morning, so Alastair and Laleinia decided to join in. There was no training beforehand, no preparation, nothing. Laleinia was very nervous because she has never ran over 2 miles in one run. This was a challenge for her! The people of Marysville congregated by some park, and within 15 minutes, the race was on! Alastair suggested that they run faster to beat the crowd...bad idea! Within a few minutes, Laleinia was out of breath. She motioned Alastair to go on without her. Alastair went on to finish in 3rd place and Laleinia successfully accomplished her first 5k. It was hot, tiring, and rewarding. We...