Our 3rd Anniversary at AOC

Ry surprised me and took me to AOC in Los Angeles for our 3rd Anniversary! I've been wanting to go here forever to see for myself what all the hype is about and it did not disappoint! We had tasty tapas paired with wonderful wine, which is what gives AOC a superstar wine reputation! Dessert was the best part... a milky string of Tiffany's pearls :)

Ry and I had the best time reminiscing about our THREE years of marriage already... time goes by so fast when you have the love of your life next to you... cheers to many more years together!

Christmas 2007 in Irvine & Laguna!

Our FIRST Christmas Tree! We are so excited to finally have our first Christmas with our very own Christmas Tree, every other time we were traveling and with family so it never made sense to get our own but those days are over!

We got to hang all of our special ornaments that we've acquired through the years from family as well as our travels. Each ornament means something to us and it's so fun to have them all on one tree!

This year we had Christmas with my family since we are spending New Years with Ry's family. We had our traditional Czech Dinner and opened our gifts Christmas Eve, I love that we still uphold all of our Czech traditions and special moments.

Mom and I fixed our special meal while the guys relaxed with Martini's, nothing is better than relaxing with family over the holidays! Merry Christmas!

Halloween Party in Laguna Beach 2007

This year after being stressed with awful fires, we moved in with my parents for a week and prayed that the fires wouldn't hit our apartment! After much worry, it was time to let off some steam and celebrate Halloween! Guff invited us over for a Halloween party, what a great time we had!

Katie and Jarid dressed up as K-Fed and Brittney Spears and Ry and I went as Dracula and his kitten... we obviously made up that combination! Kim and Jon were there too and we all had the best time drinking and dancing!

We love hanging out with our new neighbors, we have the best time together. Happy Halloween to all!

Ihilani, Oahu

This year for Labor Day we decided to explore the island of Oahu. It was a short 4 hour non-stop flight into Honolulu and we were graced with Hawaii's warm climate- nothing can be better! We rented a car and drove west to JW Marriott's beautiful Ihilani Resort- what a perfect place to vacation! We quickly changed into our swimming attire and hit up the beach and pool!

We lounged pool side with our favorite rum and pineapple cocktails and relaxed, just what the doctor ordered! The resort was tucked away on 3 bays so we walked along the paved sidewalk and enjoyed the lush scenery and pristine blue water.

Sunday we took a day trip to Honolulu and checked out Waikiki Beach... SO crowded! We were definitely thankful to be staying at our secluded resort! Regardless, we found two lounge chairs and soaked up the Waikiki lifestyle. We looked at the pretty beach-side hotels and checked out a couple shops.

We had some delicious dinners at our hotel and watched magnificent sunsets, Hawaii never ceases to amaze us.

It was a short but sweet trip, we were thankful to at least get a taste of Hawaii for whatever time we could! Can't wait to go back!

Boating with our Neighbors

We are so thrilled to have settled in at The Village in Irvine, we truly love living here and one of the many reasons why is because of our neighbors that we quickly befriended! We have enjoyed many delicious BBQ nights, Office & Grey's Anatomy nights, dinners & margarita's at Javier's and this past weekend...

We rented a Duffy, brought our own pizza and wine, and sang the night away while Jon played on his guitar.

We are so thankful for our new neighbors... you have made moving to Irvine a blast and we look forward to many more good times together!

Sweet Italy- July 2007

Sweet Italy... what a beautiful country and what a wonderful 8 days we got to spend there. We started off our journey in Rome... walked all around the historic city, sat on the Spanish Steps, filled up our water bottles at the Fontana de Trevi, saw the Pantheon, had gelato at every stand that we saw, marvelled at St. Peter's Basilica...


Had a private tour of the Vatican City (where we learned SO much about Rome's ancient history), stood in absolute awe of Michelangelo's Sistene Chapel, and had a peak at where the Pope lives and makes his appearances...

We toured the famous Colosseum and walked through the Roman Forum, which was like walking back through time. What a surreal and breath-taking experience.

Our favorite part of Rome was visiting the beautiful markets and hanging out by the Spanish Steps and at night, guitar players would play and sing the Beatles and many other classics, it was the perfect way to soak up the Italian way of life. We stayed at a great little hotel called the Franklin Inn, I would definitely recommend this place- clean, contemporary, and affordable.

Sad to leave Rome but ready for new adventures, we boarded a train that took us to Florence. Florence graced us with the gorgeous Duomo & Golden doors, the Ponte Vecchio (shown above), the Boboli Gardens, the stunning U-shaped Uffizi Museum, and of course the star of the show... The David at the Accademia. We stayed with Uta at Antica Dimora- a charming little Inn that was very conveniently located.

From Florence we took a day drip to Tuscany, where we visited Castelo Vicchiomaggio- a beautiful wine estate in the Tuscan region that produces some of the top wine in Italy. We toured the grounds, met the owners, and had a private tasting with their 90-year-old wine expert, Mario!

From Florence we headed to our final destination- Venice. Venice was definitely our favorite overall, although each city had it's own undeniable charm. Venice was so romantic and since Ry and I love the ocean and water, it's obvious why we favored Venice. We loved getting lost in the narrow, winding walkways, seeing St. Mark's Square, having coffee and gelato on Piazza San Marco, eating the most delicious pizza every night and sometimes lunch, too! (pictured above)

We of course couldn't miss taking a gondola down the Grand Canal and we also took a side trip to Venice's beach town. On our last day, we explored the Peggy Guggenheim museum- what a beautiful museum that can't be missed! We stayed at a Mosaic school's bed and breakfast and had the most gorgeous room made out of all mosaic tiles- the Inn at Domus Orsoni. Sweet, sweet, Italy... we had the BEST time and our trip to this county will be unforgettable.

Ry's Surprise 30th Birthday

It was time to celebrate my hubby turning THIRTY!!! I just had to plan a BIG surprise for my baby, he deserves only the best! I rented a clubhouse at our apartment complex and invited our families as well as all of Ry's friends.

Our mom's were so sweet to help with all of the cooking... they made the best burgers with all the fixings!

After an elaborate plan, I finally brought Ry to the clubhouse and everyone was there to surprise him, he was very surprised and I was happy that my planned worked!

After lots of burgers and margarita's it was time for Ry to blow out his 30 candles on his Coldstone Birthday Cake... he blew them ALL out and I hope he made many wishes that will come true :)

I was so glad Ry was able to spend time with his most favorite friends that he hadn't seen in a while. The party was a success and I am the most proud and thankful wife in the world! Happy 30th Birthday to the love of my life... you are God's greatest gift to me.

4th of July 2007 at Montage

Another fun-filled 4th of July weekend with all of our families! We grabbed a great spot at Montage and spent the day swimming in the ocean, drinking Margarita's, eating great food, playing with the frisbee and enjoying eachother's company. Happy 4th of July!

Laura's Bday at Padri's

My beautiful friend Laura's Birthday! A group of girls met at her place to kick off celebrating her special day...

We toasted to Laura with delicious wine and then went to Padri's for an excellent dinner and dancing afterwards! We all had a blast and it was fun to be with the girls. Happy Birthday Laura!

Cesko with my Mom 2008

One trip to Europe down and another one quickly arrived! A month after Berlin, I planned a week long trip to see my family in Czech and my mom decided to join me last minute! We flew into Vienna and were greeted by Jituska, Mirek and Paul... it was SO good to see them! They drove us to our town and we were home at last!

Zdenka let us into our apartment and we visited with everyone before crashing into bed... hello jet-lag!

We spent the week hanging out with family... lots of coffee's with my Grandma and Zdenka, trips to Penny Market with my Grandma...

Lots of shopping...

Evening parties with my entire family...

Lots of food and fun with Zuzanka...

A little trip with my Grandpa to see a new viewpoint in our town and to see my grandma's beautiful memorial...

We miss her so much and she will forever be in our hearts...

Quality time with our Grandpa...

Beautiful scenery, walks and fresh air!

We made our usual trip to Luhacovice for Oplatky and pastries and towards the end of our trip, my mom and I rented a car and drove to Vienna's wine region and stayed at Taubenkobel for a night before our flight out. There, we tasted wine, ate cherries right off the cherry trees, took a bike ride around the charming town, and of course ate dinner and breakfast at Taubenkobel like royalty. It was SO nice seeing my family... I miss them so much and as usual, our time there was short but, as sweet as can be.

Berlin 2007

Since I am lonely with Ry away, I decided to spend as much time as I could with family! I had an extra week off so, before my Czech trip I decided to fly to Berlin for a week to visit Dasa, Domi and Ivo. I grew up going to Berlin quite often and I was looking forward to revisiting all of my favorite spots.

My family picked me up from the airport and we headed straight to Lafayette for a delicious lunch followed by coffee at my very favorite Tchibo at Podzdammer Platz. It was SO good to see Dasa, Domi and Ivo, I just love them.

On Monday, my aunt and uncle had a day off so they took me to Postumemy, a beautiful park a little outside of Berlin, where we strolled around, had a picnic lunch and coffee and pastries at the Movenpick Cafe. Another favorite of mine.

Since the rest of the week my family was at work and school, I was excited to explore my usual haunts on my own. I took the Esbahn straight to Zoologische Garten and explored everything there was to offer in the bustling district. First stop was a little monument showcasing a real remnant from the Berlin wall... so much history here, I find it so interesting.

Next was KaDeWe, my most favorite shopping plaza... kind of like a Harrod's but much better in my opinion!

The best part about KaDeWe is the amazing food hall... there is nothing I love more than walking around and seeing all the fresh breads, cakes, pastries, chocolates, wine bars, cheese stands... it's heaven!

I had a quick lunch followed by a piece of this apricot tart with a marzipan cream filling and a cappuccino... the BEST snack EVER! Wish I could have this everyday.

Throughout the week while everyone was at work, we would set up little dates to meet up in the city... one day I met Dasa in a newer district that was all about green living and she showed me couple shops and a beautiful farmer's market.

She then took me out to a new Thai restaurant... we had delicious meals, wine and conversation- as usual!

Unfortunately the week went by so quickly, before I could even get through jet lag- it was my last night! On my last night, my family was so sweet to put together an amazing Tepan Dinner. Dasa and I went to an exclusive market to buy the best meats and produce and then we went home to prepare everything. We toasted with wine and seared up our dinner... it was so fun and delicious.

It was time to say good-bye and I was so sad to leave. I had such and fun and relaxing week with Dasa, Domi and Ivo and I will miss them so much. It's too bad we live so far apart but I cherish every moment we have together, thank you for hosting me!