Happy Halloween!

I was debating on whether or not to take Max trick-or-treating. (being sick and all) He was feeling tons better today and Peter said that it would be sad not to take him to at least a couple houses. So we met up with our friends Kelly and John and took the kids around their neighborhood. I didn't know how well Max would catch on but after a few houses he knew the routine. He did not say trick-or-treat, but when they held the bowl out for the kids to take a piece, he did not hesitate. Max was a samurai and Pookie was a dragon. (Thanks again for the cute dragon costume Erika!)

EARTHQUAKE...

So we experienced our first earthquake about 1 1/2 hours ago. I was at the church with the Young Women and Peter was home watching Max. The YW were watching a scary movie and right in the middle of a pause in the movie, I noticed the ground shaking. We all just kind of sat there for a second until someone said is that an earthquake. All of the sudden many of the girls started to scream. My first thought was how are Max and Peter. We live on the 4th floor and all I could think about was the building collapsing and Peter not making it into Max's room in time. (I know it is very dramatic, but for some reason I like to envision what "could" happen way too much. It is a problem I am working on) :-) I sent Peter a text message and he replied so I knew they were fine. It was not a very big one and there was no major damage to my knowledge. I guess living in such a beautiful place, with great weather, great parks, museums, beaches and shopping (to name a few) comes with a price tag...EARTHQUAKES!

Sick Boy...

So when we picked Max up on Sunday, he seemed a little warm to me. He did not want to eat anything all evening (except a few crackers that he sucked on and a couple of grapes) He went to bed at 7:00pm which is about an hour-hour and a half early. He woke up at 10:30pm roasting and had a hard time breathing. He had a temp of 102.8. He kept waking up all night about every hour. Monday morning I took him to the doctor and he has Bronchitis. He looks so sad, it breaks my heart. Hopefully he will feel better SOON! (this is the first time he has ever been sick)

Random pictures...

After downloading all the pictures off my camera from this last week I found a few more good memories I didn't share with you all.

Here Max and Pookie are begging Daddy for some of his ice cream. (Max was a little luckier than Pookie)









This is Max playing in the water fountain in front of our apartment. I have never taken him down there to play. It has always turned me off. There is a big sign that says "do not consume the water," but there are kids playing in it all the time and I figured they keep coming back so it can't be that bad. (Now that I think about it, maybe that is where he got sick!!!)


This is Max crawling into Pookie's cage. (I normally keep it in storage and just got it down for our dog sitter.) He thought it was so much fun climbing in and then shutting the door.

The MacArthur Place

Unfortunately I have no pictures from this weekend but Peter and I had an amazing time at the MacArthur Place. We dropped Max off at the Gordon's and Pookie off at the Ryder's and headed up around 10:30 AM. The drive up was beautiful.

We arrived a little early to check in so we went downtown to eat lunch and walk around the "touristy" shops they had. Once we checked in we walked around the MacArthur Place and visited with some of Peter's co-workers. After we visited with some people we went to the spa for our first treatment. I had a facial and Peter got a massage. It was wonderful. After the spa we met up with everyone for dinner and had a very tasty dinner.

The next morning we woke up on our own, instead of the sound of Max yelling "uh-oh" or "ball". (don't get me wrong, that is a wonderful sound to wake up to and I did miss it more than I thought I would) After, we woke up we went down to eat breakfast and went back to the spa for more pampering. We each got body srubs, baths and massages.

Peter loved his and I loved mine, that is, up until about 15 minutes into my massage. About 15 minutes into my massage I heard a noise like the sound of maybe a shoe squeaking. I thought for a second, was that her shoe? Then I heard it two more times a little louder and longer each time. I kept hearing the sound every time the masseuse would push down really hard on my back. Anyway, after the third time I heard it she said "excuse me"...yes that is correct, she passed gas!! After she said excuse me, I heard the sound 3-4 more times then a really loud long one followed by an "OH SORRY!!" It was terrible. The massage couldn't have ended soon enough.

Other than my last massage, it was a much needed relaxing weekend. Thank you to the Ryders and the Gordons for watching Max and Pookie while we were away. Knowing our "kids" were in great hands while we were away made our getaway much more relaxing.

Pumpkin Patch

Tuesday I took Max to the Pumpkin Patch. He had a great time.













They had a little "petting zoo" that he loved. He was not afraid of any of the animals. He would even give the ones on the ground hugs and say "aawwww" when he hugged them.






Although there was one sheep he was not too fond of. It was not shaved yet and it looked different than all the others. He walked up to it and squatted down, looked at it's face, stood up and said "no, no, no" then the goat started to walk toward him and he slowly started walking backwards till he backed into me. It was really funny.








He also rode the train and rode on a pony. I think his favorite part was the pony ride. He was so excited when he sat on the pony's back...he did not stop smiling the whole time. He kept touching the pony's mane and looking up at me smiling. We also picked some great pumpkins to carve.




Tuesday was another milestone in Max's life. His first date. Max took Gemma for a ride on the tractor.












After the pumpkin patch we went to the beach. It was such a beautiful day. It had to be in the 80's which is pretty rare for half moon bay. Max kept running down toward the water where he saw a father and son playing football. He wanted to play with them so bad. He kept running to where they were and stopping right in the middle of there game pointing to the ball. (If you haven't guessed, balls are his favorite!)


The rest of this week has been spent running errands trying to get ready for this weekend. Peter's work sends all the associates and partners (and their spouses) to an exclusive hotel and pampers us. We get to enjoy free stay, food but most of all FREE SPA!!!! Peter and I do not just get to enjoy 1 day at the spa, but 2!! (Peter and I are taking full advantage of it!) The only negative thing about this whole weekend is that Max is not invited. This is the first time leaving Max for this long and I already miss him. I will let you all know how it went.

I have been Tagged

4 Jobs I've Had:
1. Title Searcher/Escrow Assistant
2. Burger King...NOT a burger flipper...an "order taker" in which you have to have mad computer and customer service skills :-)
3. JC Penney pricing associate
4. and the best one of all....MOM!

4 Places I've Lived:
1. Boston, MA
2. Sand Springs, OK
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. San Francisco, CA

4 Favorite TV Shows:
1. The Office
2. The View
3. Oprah
4. Ellen

4 Vacations I've Been On:
1. Hawaii...twice :-)
2. Disney World
3. San Diego
4. Washington-Seattle and Victoria Island

4 Favorite Dishes:
1. Manicotti
2. French Onion Soup (just lately, I have been craving Mimi's soup)
3. Alice Springs Chicken at Outback (no bacon)
4. Queensland Salad at Outback (again no bacon)

4 Places I'd Like To Be:
1. On our cruise we are going on in January
2. In a cabin with Peter and Max somewhere away from everything
3. At my parents
4. At the spa

Tag:
1. Jodee
2. Kristina
3. Melissa
4. Rachel

Our Next Vacation

I just wanted to make sure that if anyone needed us January 20th through January 27th, you knew where to find us!








7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Royal Caribbean International
Freedom Of The Seas
Sailing January 20, 2008
Visual Tour: Freedom Of The Seas

Sleeping under a palm tree, strolling on endless beaches and eating ice cream while floating in a turquoise sea. What could be further from your everyday world? When you sail the Caribbean you'll discover how relaxing, entertaining and just plain fun a week really can be. Visit a variety of beautiful islands and escape to paradise on your next vacation.


Itinerary
Sunday, January 20, 2008 Miami, Florida 5:00 PM
Monday, January 21, 2008 Cruising
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Labadee, Haiti 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Ocho Rios, Jamaica 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Thursday, January 24, 2008 George Town, Grand Cayman 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Friday, January 25, 2008 Cozumel, Mexico 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday, January 26, 2008 Cruising
Sunday, January 27, 2008 Miami, Florida 7:00 AM



Ship Highlights
FlowRider®
H2O Zone
Cantilevered whirlpools
Rock-climbing wall
Ice-skating rink
Royal Promenade
Extensive WiFi capabilities and connectivity for cell phones
Full-size, flat-screen TVs in every stateroom
Themed bars and lounges
Adventure Ocean® youth facilities
ShipShape® Fitness Center and Day Spa
Full-size Everlast boxing ring
Casino RoyaleSM
Presidential Family Suite
Sports Pool
Full-size sports court
9-hole miniature golf course
Johnny Rockets® '50s-style restaurant
Portofino Italian Restaurant
Chops Grille
Ben & Jerry's® ice cream
Vintages wine bar
Boleros Latin-themed lounge
Sorrento's pizza
Ship Facts
Maiden Voyage: June 4, 2006
Passenger Capacity: 3,634 double occupancy
Godmother: Katherine Louise
CalderGross Tonnage: 160,000
Length: 1,112'
Max Beam: 184'
Draft: 28'
Cruising Speed: 21.6 knots

Although your "heart" may not be in San Francisco...we are!!! So come visit us soon!

I wanted to pay tribute to all our friends and family whom came to visit us in our new city. Having friends and family come visit had not only made us feel loved, but also had made the transition of moving here so much easier. (the other purpose of me posting this, is to get everyone who has come excited to come back and those who have not come extremely jealous of all the fun it is to visit the Novaks. Okay, I am kidding, but I hope it makes you anxious to to pencil in your next vacation to see us!)

Here are all the visitor's who have come so far (in order of when they came)

Peter's parents,

Dani, Peter's sister,

My sisters and my parents,

The Harrisons,

The Kirschbaums,

Karen Kemeny, my cousin

The Chapmans

So, I feel like I should "send a shout out" (is that blog lingo?) to my dear friend Jodee. (Jodee is who got me started on this whole blog thing.) Jodee and her family are moving in 2 WEEKS!!! It is a bittersweet subject. It is bitter because Max and I are losing such great friends, but sweet because Ronnie gets to work at a great place, Jodee does not have to manage apartments anymore and the kids will have a HUGE house with a yard to run free in!! (you guys deserve it!!!)

I don't even know where to start when telling you how great of a friend, mom, wife, person Jodee is. (Check out her blog and see for yourself. They are the Chapmans on my friends list) Jodee would do anything for anyone and has!! She is always thinking of other people and thinking of ways to serve them. She is a great listener and so easy to talk to. I could go on and on! She has been a great example to me and I am a better person for knowing her!

Not only have I become very fond of Jodee, Max has found his first true best friend. Max and Beckham are so cute to watch. They are always tackling each other giving each other "loves". They are always so excited to see each other.







Also, I can not write about the Chapmans and not mention Madison. She is the cutest girl and love hanging out with her. She is also a great help with the boys and a wonderful shopping partner!









These pictures are some of the great memories we have of the Chapmans. We will miss you guys so much and can't wait for your FREQUENT visits! :-)