Farewell 2009...

Dear 2009,

God chose you to be a profound year for me. You will be one that will most definitely stand out in my memories for the rest of my life! As your year ends, I prepare to celebrate my very last year of my twenties, which were quite a ride! Thanks to you, I fell in love in January, moved in with Alex in his condo by February....shortly after being reunited with my lil' (not so lil-21 year old) cousin Tori! She later got married this year. Congrats to my beautiful cousin....I have missed you and look forward to getting to know you! We experienced the hardships of this economy when Alex lost his job in March, but by the Blessing of God he got a great position with US Bank and started late May. And we were looking to buy a house by April!! Amazing! My best friend Matt got married and I was so thrilled to be there to witness that and watch him enter into the second biggest chapter of his life. I'm just waiting for them to have kids now.... he-he. We celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday by throwing her a surprise party which was a huge success and one that she will always cherish. We then celebrated Buster's first birthday, YAY Papa! I love that little guy so much! Then it was Alex's 29th birthday party, and Desirae and Andrew's wedding just days later. Wow, that is just half of the year! We went on mini vacations to San Diego, Fresno/Yosemite, and Vegas baby!

July was a month of decisions, we finally got our keys to our very first home! We picked out new flooring, paint colors, light fixtures and more! We moved in when it was all done and are still making changes. I love my home and thank you for being the year that I bought my first place!



We moved in the month of August and the day after we moved in, Buster got out while we ran errands to Home Depot and Target. When returning home to no Buster that night, I would have given up the house and more just to get him back. That was one of the most painful and heartbreaking weeks of my life. With the grace of God and many, MANY prayers, we got my little guy back (tear). That will forever be one of the happiest days of my life! I love you Buster. As we searched for him we saw so many dogs in need of a home and promised ourselves that if we got him back, we would rescue one. And so, just days later we welcomed Zoey into our lives! She fits in just perfectly! I love my dogs. So unpacking and puppy training set my path for the next few weeks. :) We went to the dog beach for the first time and they loved it!!



We welcomed my baby cousin Kaelyn and Mo & Ang's baby Eli this year.

Introducing the newest member of my family: Kaeylin Sagapolu


Our friends first baby Elijah Macias:


Alex and I had 3 Thanksgivings AND 3 Christmas' but we aren't complaining.... we are Blessed to have so much family who loves us!



We hosted the first annual "Friends Holiday Dinner" at the new house. My great-grandmother turned 103 years old in November!! We attended countless kids birthday parties and family bar-b-ques. Friends moved into houses, including my dad. Alex and I got stronger in our Faith and we are so grateful to God for Blessing us so much this year! There were times when it wasn't easy, but the great moments far out-weigh the not-so-fun moments. :) We lost many great people this year both icons and in our personal lives including Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and my beloved great Aunt Mary... RIP!

The Lakers won the NBA Championship and Kobe got his 4th ring. I attended my first ever "playoff" game for any sport at Dodger stadium vs the Phillies with Shannon. The Yankees went on to beat the Phillies acquiring their second World Series Championship this decade. Phew! And I wonder where the year went! ha ha

Last, but not least, I witnessed my father get married to a wonderful woman whom I am proud to call my step-mother yesterday. Though many of our generations parents get divorced, I never knew that I would be one of those children until I was 23 years old. It was different experiencing it as an adult. I truly believe it was the best decision for my parents. Most of us do not see our parents say "I do," and I was ecstatic to have that privilege. My parents did a great job with my brother and I, but now it is time for them to find their own happiness. They had us fairly young and have a lot of life to live still, so it is my wish that has come true to see my dad "happy."

Saying their vows:


Reception a few nights later:


It was one of the best of my life thus far....thank you 2009! Welcome 2010, you have a lot to live up to! :P

Happy New Year!!!

Cheers,
Manda

Greatness!!!

Every year Sports Illustrated picks an athlete as "Sportsman of the Year." This publication happens every December and many, many greats have been recognized for it including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Muhammed Ali. Never has a Yankee been chosen, and we know how many greats have gone through that clubhouse.....until this year! That's right, Derek Jeter has been named Sports Illustrated's 2009 Sportsman of the year!! WOO-HOO!! Go Jeter! In a year where he has received many awards, and even his FIFTH World Series Championship, Jeter is recognized for his class act both on and off the field. I will let the article speak for itself.

Sports Illustrated's 2009 Sportsman of the Year: Derek Jeter

Congratulations Jeter! You know I will be buying just a few copies tomorrow...... :P



I knew I saw greatness in you back in April of 1996. Now at age 35, you are still at the top of your game, making milestones, and filling your fingers with rings as one of the most valuable players on the Yankees roster. Hard work is making your 30's even better than your 20's! Congrats!!

A YEAR?! Really?!

So it was recently brought to my attention that it has been a YEAR since I blogged. How fast time flies when you're having fun! That is unacceptable....even if I do only have 1 follower. ha ha. It has been an eventful year to say the least full of many milestones and great memories! Oh and plenty of pictures too!! :P

It turns out that I never did move to Lake Forrest. About a week before my move, my current employer gave temporary pay cuts to all but three of us. I knew my luck would run out eventually since the economy wasn't getting any better, so I decided to move to a place with cheaper rent and a shorter lease. I found a cozy lil apartment in the hood of Corona off the 91 fwy. It worked for Buster and I. Before moving at the end of November, I went to the NKOTB concert with Mitch the night before Thanksgiving! Even though she is too young to understand my obsession for them, we had sooooo much fun! Sure, there was drama of course. Duh, I was there, lol. I bought floor tickets MONTHS prior to the concert and it was supposed to be held at the Staple's center. When we get there, we find out that it is going to be at the Nokia Theater because there was a Clipper game (stupid Clippers) that night. Did the place I got my tickets from ever tell me? No. Did I have to trade in my tickets for not as good of seats? Yes. Was I happy about it? NO!!! But I threw enough of a fit to get in a section that was somewhat secluded with it's own bar. That was pretty cool at least. Natasha Beddingford opened up for them and she was great! Then, the moment came for NKOTB to come out on stage. I literally felt like I was 7 years old again! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I screamed and screamed! How lucky are we to have a band make such a great comeback TWENTY years later? It was amazing!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!



OOOHHHH MMYYYYY!!





I wore this shirt to Thanksgiving....my brother was embarrassed for me, lol



I made Christmas cards with Buster and I wearing our Laker and Bruin gear and sent them out to family and friends.



I had a Christmas lunch with my boss in mid-December and she talked me into trying out eharmony.com. I told her that was my last resort and would do it when I turned 30, but working from home and most of my friends being married, I wasn't meeting many people. About a week later and her asking me each day if I had tried it yet, I finally did the free profile at first and then was intrigued and wanted to see people's pictures. So I paid for a few months subscription. I was very impressed with the way they make you fill out a detailed profile and even asked me questions I never asked myself. It was deep, and unlike other dating websites, they choose your matches for you. About a week after signing up, a new match came in. He was a cutie pie, LOVED the Lakers, I liked his profile, and he LOVED the Lakers. lol We went through all the steps of communication online for a few weeks and finally had our first date on Jan 22 at the Yard House in Rancho Cucamonga. Well, we have been inseparable since then! His name is Alex and he too was born and raised in Whittier.



He is everything I want in a man, and he is very handsome too! It feels like we have known each other forever, and when people ask how we met, we tend to forget that it was on eharmony. I met his friends on our 2nd date and I had a wonderful birthday weekend with him, and he began meeting my family and friends. Then came Valentine's Day....I have never been with anyone who makes a big deal of it so I have never made a big deal of the hallmark holiday. Instead of buying presents, we went to San Diego for the weekend and had sooooo much fun. Lots of food, great weather, and lots of drinks! :) Our first trip was a success.





We then took another trip just two weeks later.... with his family this time to visit his brother in Fresno. We went to Yosemite for the day and it turned out that we visited just days after they had a record breaking over 30 inches of snow in a 4 day period! We had a blast and I was beginning to think this could be the guy.....









Well, a couple weeks later he asked if I would like to move in to his condo in Rancho. Buster and I both loved being there....it was spacious, new and in a great neighborhood. Yes, we were moving fast, but who is to get in the way of love? :) Cohabitation was going smooth and by April we were looking into buying a house together!! That was a frustrating and huge learning process for me. We were putting offers in and not even hearing back...homes were selling in just days after being on the market. There was a lot of competition. Luckily my best friend Mattie got married in Vegas late April as I needed a break from the house stuff. And a beautiful Cesar's Palace Garden wedding was exactly what the doctor ordered, oh and Vic and Chau joined us. The sucky part was that Matt and Katie moved to Utah when they returned from their honeymoon, but we didn't let that stop the party, lol.









In July, we got the keys to a cozy home that we quickly made our own with lots of changes! :) I LOVE my house. We had new floors and a painter come in before we moved in. Finally, we were able to spend our first night in our first house! :) The next day we went to Home Depot for some necessities and I came home to no Buster. Our side gate didn't lock correctly, and Buster managed to get out to go look for his mommy and daddy since we left him alone at this new place. This was one of the worst weeks of my life. We looked hard for him and spread the word tirelessly for nearly a week. Until finally we got the phone call. He was with a great family about a mile from here and they took good care of him the whole time he was gone. I think they were going to keep him, but Buster made it clear to them that he wanted his mama! Being reunited with him was the best feeling in the world. It is amazing how much pain I was in while my lil guy was missing. Alex, having never had a dog growing up, was AMAZING during this time! He was supportive of me, and he NEVER stopped looking for Buster. It was during this week that I now knew for sure that Alex is the one. Thank you Babe!

During Buster's unplanned vacation, we made a promise to each other that we would rescue a dog that needed a home if we were Blessed to get Buster back. Well, at one of the shelter's, there was what looked like Buster's sister! She LOVED Alex immediately. It turns out that she loves everyone, lol. She is sweet, loving, and makes me smile. However, she is also Marley in many ways! She has some bad habits that I am still trying to break. But I can't imagine our lives without Zoey in it.









Summer time!! Our summer was busy with Alex getting a new job that he loves, house and escrow paperwork, planning my G-Ma's Surprise 80th birthday party, Buster turned 1, Alex's 29th birthday party, Alex gone for a week for training in Atlanta, Lakers becoming champs once again, seeing my Yankess in town, moving, organizing, dog training, and MANY family and friend functions, including another wedding this year! Oh....and THE LAKERS WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!

G-Ma was SO surprised, she had no idea!









The birthday boy and his boys....




The family men....


Halos may have won this game, but we won the World Series! WHHHAAAATT!!!?? LOL


In October, a very special aunt of mine passed away. Though she lived a long and full life, her loss hit all of us very hard. She was one of those people that you loved talking to, she was full of wisdom, and always saw the good in every situation. She always told me how beautiful she thought I was and gave the tightest hugs. She was one of those special people that we are lucky to come across even once in our life. You will be and are extremely missed Aunt Mary! I love you and thank you for being in my life. You helped make my father who he is today, we are eternally grateful. Rest in peace.

At the end of October, my Yankees won the World Series!!!!! I attended my first ever Dodger playoff game....or any playoff game for that matter. Yes, I love the Dodgers as my NL team, and the Yanks for my AL team! Get over it! My boys in pinstripes became champs for the second time this decade and in their first season at their new home. It has been a WONDERFUL year in sports for me! In a year where Derek Jeter broke the great Lou Gherig's hit title, and Kobe got his fourth ring, not to mention just recently accomplishing his 100th game getting 40+ points. A-MAZ-ING!!!





Well, there you have it....a year summarized as best I could. Thank you for taking the time to read about my life and those in it. Even if there is only one, maybe two of you who follow. LOL Now we are entering the Holiday's...Thanksgiving is my fave of them all. I am excited to have all my firsts with Alex during the year of 2009. ;)