C & M Elope..In Viva Las Vegas!!

Yes we did it, we eloped! Not a shotgun wedding or the traditional eloping because our friends an family knew about it but we packed our bags, our cheap wedding clothes and flew to Las Vegas to officially tie the knot a few months before our ten year anniversary.

We had 10 friends join us for the special occasion.  We honestly didn't expect anyone to show up, we just started telling people and all our friends started saying they would come and celebrate (any excuse to go to LV ;-) Charlie and I decided to go all out and rented a suite at the Palazzo.  I don't really have any pictures that I took of the suite but there are a lot circulating around that friends have taken which will be posted in the next blog.  We got in Vegas on a Thursday night, checked in, and just walked around.  We ordered room service and prepared ourselves for the next morning to go get our marriage license and do our consultation at the venue where we would be having the ceremony (conveniently located within walking distance).  Our nerves were pretty good until walking into the Marriage Bureau, then i think my stomach started to turn a little bit..After it took all but five minutes to get the documents we held our consultation.  We did it on an outdoor patio as you will see in the pictures.  By the time we were going back to the hotel room I was all messed up, not doubtful nerves just nerves in general!  We went to lunch and our friends started rolling in. The Czech in me had to have a few beers to calm myself and it did the trick! After that we went to the pool for a few hours and that was really nice. Then it was time to get ready.  Charlie and I got ready together...Very untraditional but we didn't care.

The ceremony was really nice and a little quirky.  Because it was being live streamed we had to stand a very particular way and the officiator was behind all of our friends who were seated.  We were worried that he was going to be a little dull or Elvis!  Luckily he was a really nice down to earth fellow.  Charlie and I decided not to write our own vows but when we did a "rose exchange" he opened it up for us to say something.  Well we were so nervous and weren't expecting it we just stared at each other.   Then I said "Miluji tě" which is Czech for I love you and he responded "Te Amo" which is Spanish for I love you too. Yup thats all we could think of..Ha! After about three times of Charlie saying "I do" it was official. We were wed! The first song we heard as a married couple was "Kitty's Rumba" which was composed by my Dad for my step mom Kitty. We wanted something lively that would make everyone get up and move. The whole things was very special and I was overwhelmed with how much love we felt from our friends, family, and each other.

There are a lot of pictures but these are the ones we received from the photographer. I will do another post with others later but wanted to get this one on the board!

I was trying really hard to keep it together and not cry.  For the most part I made it through!

I love this picture of Niki and I.  She was the one that handed me Charlie's ring and our witness. 

Dancing to Kitty's Rumba

Its official, were man and wife!!

MBA Graduate

Well I am just about there and finished with my MBA!  Soon I will officially have a Masters Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in business intelligence. Right now I am working on my final project which is an internship/research project.  However we had our official ceremony.  Here are some pictures.  Thank you to everyone who helped me succeed! Couldn't have done it without the immense support of my now husband, classmates, friends and family

Me with the President of CSUSM

My Mom & I

Weekend in Rosarito

A few weeks ago we went to Rosarito Beach to celebrate our friend's birthday.  We explored a little more then we have before going to Puerto Nuevo and Popotla. 

Popotla is a little fishing town.  There are tables and tables of fresh seafood. 

After having some oysters we came to this beachfront restaurant for some lobster and pina coladas.   Not a bad view :)

Again, not a bad view!

Later when we made it back to our hotel we hit the streets for more food and drinks.  Nicole and I did a little photo shoot in front of the Rosarito sign. 

I thought this was such a neat and colorful wall I wanted to get a picture in front of it!

Streets of Rosarito.

I guess Jubilee got frustrated with Charlie taking pictures..

Another great time for the books!

29th Birthday and Getting Engaged

Thats right, it happened!  On the morning of my 29th birthday Charlie popped the big question, "yo tengo una pregunta para tu?" is what my birthday card read.  Because it was early in the morning I was a little confused and it took me a second to translate the card.

But let me go back a little bit. My birthday fell on a Saturday this year and that happened to be a Saturday that Charlie was suppose to work.  I was under the impression he would be going to work, I wasn't too bummed because I had a case that I was working on for a class that was very time consuming and difficult.  I thought I would use the day to work on it then when he got home we would celebrate with Kitty and my Dad at the hockey game (little did i know).  Generally Charlie is up before 6 to go to work but Saturday's he get to sleep in till about 6:45, his alarm went off and he got up as he usually did and I thought he had left.  I couldn't really fall back asleep so at about 7:15 I walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water and was startled to hear him say "What are you doing awake go back in the room!"  I was really confused about why he was here and yelling at me on my birthday!  I went back in the room and he came and got me a few minutes later saying he didn't want me to see my presents etc.  I walked out to the Psillos tradition of money and treats hanging from streamers.

Then he handed me a homemade card that read in Spanish

"yo tengo una pregunta para tu?"

Still kind of dazed and surprised that he had taken the day off I was having brain farting in my translation and said I might need to get my phone to figure out what this says.  Finally a few seconds later it clicked and I said it out loud.   He then got on one knee and asked me to marry him.  

After getting over the initial excitement and shock we went and got champagne and bagels to celebrate.  He said that if I hadn't woken up (throwing off his plan) he was going to have all of the breakfast set up and ready when i got  up and possibly put the ring in the bagel bag.  I really surprised I'm with waking up early hahah.  But he said once I was up he just wanted to do it. He said the the had been nervous for a few days but I really couldn't even tell.

The whole day flew by and i really was reveling in it! The best birthday present I could have asked for.  Needless to say no school work got done but I was ok with that.  There were bigger things happening :)

In the evening we headed to watch the San Diego Gulls.  The team was recently re-established and man they are pretty good!  We had gone to another game a few months earlier for Charlie's birthday and mentioned to my Dad in passing that would be a great present.  As usual, Jiri went above and beyond getting us a box with a waiter service and food.  It was delicious and so much fun.

After the game we came back to the house for champagne and birthday cake.  

I loved my birthday cake.  Thank you Dad.

I feel so grateful to my family and soon to be husband for making me feel special.

I love you Charlie!