Mom's visit--Surf City USA & Cirque

Mom, Matt and I headed over to Huntington Beach early on Sunday to watch the last Cowboys play-off game (at the time, we didn't know it was the last!).
Matt did a lot of research and found Longboards, which had the perfect breakfast/bar to spend the morning cheering on our team. Much to our surprise, after we ate breakfast and watched the game for over an hour, Mom went out and took a picture of our restaurant---we were at no-ka-oi (which means 'the Best' in Hawaiian) not Longboards (which is next door)! Oh well, the food was great and the waitstaff was very friendly.
By the time the game was over (and of course the Cowboys lost) we had also lost out on our nice sunny weather. The clouds started rolling in and the wind picked up. We still ventured out to the pier and took in all the sights in Huntington Beach (aka Surf City USA).

Our big activity for the weekend was the Cirque du Soleil show, Kooza, under the big tent in Irvine. We have been to a couple of Cirques together and, as always, we were not disappointed! I hope that we can go see a Cirque du Soleil in Vegas soon!

Mom's visit continued...Mission Inn

One Sunday afternoon while Mom was here we decided to go down to Riverside to visit the Mission Inn and shop at a few antique stores. Surprisingly, we didn't buy anything at the antique stores (I was looking for some knobs for my newly painted desk--pictures to follow. Thanks Mom! but I didn't find any.)

We had planned to walk through the Mission Inn Museum and take a stroll through the public areas of the Inn. Luckily when we got to the museum they were just about to start the guided tour so we joined the group. We learned a lot about the history and architecture of the inn and enjoyed our behind the scenes tour.

Mom's Visit

We were lucky to have Mom visiting us for the past two weeks. Unfortunately, I didn't have any extra time off (just the weekends) but we took advantage of every minute we had together to go out and explore!

This picture was taken from our front yard on Friday morning after all of the snow up in the mountains.


I had to show Mom my new stomping ground in Loma Linda. This is the Heart & Surgical Hospital (or locally known as HSH) where I rotated in October and November. It is the newest and smallest of the Loma Linda surgical facilities.



After exploring around town we drove up the mountain to beautiful Lake Arrowhead where we shopped, explored and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

It's Miller Time!

That title may may you think of a different adult beverage but not for these Millers! We enjoyed a wonderful sophisticated evening together at the Desert Springs Marriott Resort in Palm Desert with fancy drinks at the lobby bar. As usual the christmas decorations were beautiful and we enjoyed a boat ride through the canals of the resort.

Our perfect evening could have ended there, but Matt and I decided to meet his cousin Lydia and her new husband Scott at the Agua Caliente Casino. We enjoyed visiting with them and winning a little $$!

Christmas 2009

I'm not in a writing mood (which could also explain why I haven't started writing all of my Christmas Thank You notes), so the following is a rare blog post from my husband.

Christmas came early for my wife - we were getting ready on Christmas Eve to meet family in the Palm Desert and... surprise! I was standing there with her new road bike - replete with a garland and a bow! She even took it out for a test ride before we headed out...

Our little 'reindeers' were happy to get to Bob Bob's (which they consider their desert vacation home). This year, we celebrated Christmas Eve with Uncle Bob, Aunt Alice, Bob Bob, Aunt Peggy and my cousin Cameron. We had a delicious casserole, great salad and good conversation.

The next day, Santa had delivered many presents and Cameron enjoyed a few in the morning. By afternoon, we picked up Mom and Dad from the airport and the gift exchange ensued. The pups tore up loose paper and bows were adorned in fashionable style. Princess Juliet, my parents' Yorkie, found her spot and enjoyed Christmas from many a warm and inviting lap.

Christmas evening we went to Uncle Bob and Aunt Alice's house for dinner and challenging games. The evening started with drinks and appetizers and Christmas trivia, we shared fine food and company and a fun family rivalry began with a Miller-bingo game. We were happy to have Lydia and her new husband Scott with us all the way from Sacramento. We all behaved pretty well and didn't pull his leg with too many pretend 'family traditions'!!!




Another picture perfect ending to a beautiful day in Palm Desert.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!