Somebody turned 28!!!

Kevin turned 28 the day after Christmas...he is getting to be an old guy! Hahaha. Unfortunately, we were both kind of sick, so we took the opportunity to sleep in. Once we decided to face the day, we had a little 7-layer dip for a snack, and headed out for another adventure. We wanted to head up north to check out a mall there (Kevin was getting some birthday shoes) and also to see the beaches. We really liked the beaches there. Little did we know, but in the above picture, about 20 yards away, was puppy paradise. We were wondering what the orange cones were at the bottom of the bridge, but as we looked around, it seemed that all the dogs were having a little party. It was seriously hilarious watching them run around and play together. We had a good time watching them and making little commentary as they played.

Overall, Hollywood and North Beach were really nice. There is a boardwalk that runs along a big section of the beach with restaurants, bike rentals, etc. We enjoyed a yummy pizza dinner and then headed home for some birthday cheesecake (mom's recipe of course)!! Thanks to everyone that called Kevin to wish him a happy birthday :)

Our first trip to the beach

Last weekend we ventured out for out first trip to the beach. It definitely doesn't feel like December living here in Florida. It has been in the mid-70's to mid-80's the entire time we have been here. We thought it was pretty pathetic that we had been here two weeks almost and hadn't even seen the water...so we went to South Beach to see what it was all about. The beaches are pretty nice, but the waves were somewhat of a disappointment for Kevin. Since we had to leave boating behind in Texas, Kevin was sure that we were going to become Saturday morning surfers. Hahaha. I am not sure if the waves will allow for much surfing, but I am sure that will keep our mothers at ease knowing that we won't be consumed by a giant wave!!

It was super windy the afternoon we were at the beach, but we still enjoyed the walk, eating a little Johnny Rockets, and perusing the shops on Lincoln Road. We are attempting to scope out the area for when we have visitors come to visit us (hint, hint).

Merry Christmas

Our apartment walls still look a little sad, but we did manage to at least set-up the Christmas tree :) It was different being so far away from family this Christmas, but we still enjoyed the time we were able to just enjoy the season, spend time together and talk with family and friends! We hope you all had a great Christmas as well!!

Kevin's home away from home...

Kevin started work on the 14th and he officially has a lot of work cut out for him!! I wanted to post the pictures I took of the warehouse on our "walk-through" the Saturday before he started work...but he wasn't sure if Certifit would like that very much. Maybe I can post them later for a "before" and "after" effect. Basically, imagine the warehouse floors cluttered with trash, empty boxes, boxes containing parts that should be on shelves, etc. The office was another highlight. We spent a few hours that afternoon so Kevin could go through all the office drawers, etc. I just cleaned and organized what I could :)

The good news for Kevin is that he has some good employees who are willing to do what he is asking them to do...so things are looking up! Kevin has already made a lot of improvements in the two weeks he has been there, and he is able to come home a little earlier at night just in time for the holidays. We are grateful that he has a good job and that he has a good store that will be even better once he gets things whipped into shape.

"En-ba-nemo a Miami"

After three days of driving (and 25+ hours on the road), we finally made it to Miami. Highlights of the trip include an overnight stay in Baton Rouge, LA, and a last minute overnight stop in Brandon, FL for a tasty dinner provided by Kimberly and her friend Steve. We were definitely grateful for a home cooked (Asian-inspired) meal after several days on the road and way too much fast food :( Although the drive seemed to take forever, we were grateful that all the cars performed properly!! The line-up included Kevin in the U-Haul, Katie in the F-150, and Beverly (Kevin's mom) in the Honda. We were definitely grateful for the help on the road trip! Also, a special shout-out to the our friends Doug and Tracy for the nice box of road-trip snacks (specially delivered to us the night before we left) that came in handy!! You know you have good friends when they know all of your favorite snacks....or maybe we just eat too many snacks? Hahaha. Regardless, we made it here safely, found a place to stay (pictures to come), and are enjoying our little adventures around Miami when Kevin can get away from the new store!

Oh, about the title of the post. This was a text Kevin received. Most people, when hearing that we were moving to Miami, started singing that ever-famous Will Smith song, entitled "Bienvenido a Miami". Well, apparently the lyrics were not always so clear, as evidenced by the text from a good friend. (I guess "En-ba-nemo" = "Bien-ven-ido". Hahaha.)