Christmas 2014

It was an unusual Christmas I would say. Greg's family was supposed to come to Texas and spend time with us, but the plan changed and suddenly we ended up - wait, I - ended up staying in Houston. 

Greg was supposed to work the whole week, but was able to get Thursday-Sunday off, so he decided that he wanted to go to TN and left. Well, after a long discussion, I ended up buying his ticket so he could go home. 

Fortunately my cousin has now moved to TX! so his mom, sister, nieces and nephew came over to Houston.  I was able to spend some quality time with them and ended up having a blast.

These little people are seriously the best! Steve, Katherine and Hannah you've all made my Christmas much better than I had expected it.

Oh, and I "decorated" a little bit

Technip Christmas party at my house!

Great memories with great friends! 

The company party!

A few pictures from a great night of fun with friends!

Last, but not least, the person that missed the party...

I'll trade a camera for my sanity back!

Last week, I came in to work after a long Thanksgiving weekend. I was rested and ready to start work when I decided to reach for my headphones inside my drawer.  To my surprise they weren't there, I checked and re-checked everywhere.  Could it have been possible they had been stolen for the second time? No way right?  

The answer is yes, they had been stolen again.  I panicked and went home right away, looking for them, nowhere to be found and I knew it.  I knew I had left them inside the drawer at work. I normally lock the drawer but this time I hadn't! 

While looking for them at home, I took one of the security cameras I purchased back when my car got hit, and brought it to work. Set it up, hid the camera inside a jimmy johns box, and the recording device inside some P&ID boxes under my desk.

Here you can see where the camera was placed:

I was actually confident I would catch whoever was stealing my headphones.  The first time around I accepted it, because it had been partially my fault for leaving them in the open on top of my desk. Second time around, they had the courage to go through my drawers and that was just plain dark. I took all of my pictures down my my cube, and decided to only socialize with close friends, no one else because I was scared the person who had violated my privacy was a person I worked with.  I became paranoid, I looked at everyone with confrontation eyes like if they had done it. 

I was mad, and I needed to get to the bottom of it, because I wasn't comfortable sitting at my cube anymore. I kept thinking that people were out to get me, and that someone was watching me.  How did they know I had re-bought the headphones? How did they know they were in my drawer? This person needed to be gone from my life.

The week went by and the camera showed nothing, but the cleaning lady doing her job and clueless about the camera.  The weekend came, and I knew I would catch someone, because it always happened on the long weekends. 

I'll be honest and say that I prayed with sincere words on Sunday at Church about this, and that I really wanted to find out who it was.

Monday, I came in to work (2 days ago) and to my surprise the trap I had set up wasn't how I had left it, the books were messy and my sand box box was where I hadn't left it. I quickly realized things weren't adding up. I looked over to look for the camera, and it was GONE! I started hyperventilating, and sat down trying to calm down but how could I? I reached down to the box where I had hid the recording device to see if they had taken that, and guess what? it was untouched, all I needed was a clear video from what had happened at my desk that weekend.

My computer had also been turned on and he had tried to delete memory? probably thinking the video was recording on the computer.  When I saw it, there was a blue screen mentioning something about re-formatting, or recovering.

I went through the recorded videos and found exactly what I was looking for. The evidence was there, someone had been at my desk! and they had fallen for the trap. It was prefect.  However that didn't stop my body from shaking and breathing hard. 

After spending all morning meeting with my bosses and HR department and the appropriate people, the trigger was pulled and the individual was fired and escorted out to his car. It was the moment I gained my sanity back even though he took two sets of headphones and my camera with him.

All in all I am thankful to know that this person was stopped, removed and is goneeeeeeee.

La navidad con Santa!

Hi!

To ease the Christmas shopping on relatives:

If you consider that Greg and I have been good all year and are interested on giving us something, here are your only options. jk, feel free to go outside el cuchumbo.

Stephanie would be happy receiving any of these:

Steph's Christmas List

Other options besides the Amazon wish list include:
-Toms Gift card
-Best Buy gift card (considering I'm gonna have to buy some new headphones AGAIN!)  I'm getting reimbursed for my losses :)

Greg would be happy receiving any of these:

Greg's Christmas List

My birthday!!

This is how I spent my birthday: 

I dressed as ME and went into work.

Friends from work brought me a delicious cake!

Greg Took me out to dinner: 

It was a great day, and not because of what I did exactly but because of the people I was surrounded by.

I guess I am 26 now, I don't really feel any older but I am however aging. I know I sound so dramatic haha, but really my body feels it.

Well a little update from me on my 25th year and how my last year was spent.  I can honestly say that I spent it well, I tried really hard not to take it for granted and tried to do my best.  I did what I wanted to do, I achieved what I wanted.  Along the way there were tons and tons of struggles though.  I lost some faith in humanity, more than I had ever before.  My bubble popped, or let's say, deflated a bit more.  I got hurt by people, by loved ones and by strangers.

I now choose to shake it off, and move on.  I mean really just like the song: haters are going to hate. There's really nothing I'll be able to do to change situations sometimes. Even though I dislike people talking on my back about me or my loved ones.  I didn't want to talk about this specifically as a point of my 25th year but I think it's important, because there were many long and tearful nights.  Greg was there at every point of if supporting me and I appreciate that very much, but it's always been a life long struggle to let go of people that I loved.

Greg and I bought a house! This should make me feel older I think, but no it doesn't. Specially when one day someone knocked on the door, Greg answered and the gentleman said: Are your parents home? hahaha, hilarious!  We both love the house, but it is a lot of responsibility and upkeep.  I have now mowed the lawn 12 times, weeded a few times, cleaned many times, and hung more pictures than ever before.

We traveled.  Some of the highlights: FL, Ireland and Dominican Republic.  The trips were amazing, memorable and unique. Seeing my siblings and hanging out with them in FL was sweet! Ireland was everything we expected, and in DR we were in for a treat by catching a Marlin.

I am still enjoying my job, of course some days more than others. I've made great friends, and more importantly true friends. Friends that make me dress up for my birthday, and let me play pranks on them but also friends whom I can trust my life situations during our short coffee breaks in the office.

Soccer. Lots and lots of it, I played in three different leagues, one COED and two women only.  I have truly enjoyed this, it really has become my passion and I have started dreaming about it.  The world cup was this year and I will agree to the fact that I actually cried after Argentina lost in the final against Germany.  I have played so much that I actually score goals now! ha, that didn't used to happen before by the way.

Swifting. Yes, I have become a very big fan of Taylor Swift, and it's now been a week since I've been obsessed with her new CD.

Church.  I've lacked on this, yes I have been going to church, but there was a period of time this year when we got so busy with traveling and house buying, that we skipped Church more than before.  At the beginning of the year, I was the closest I've ever been to God, I felt very connected and unfortunately I haven't felt that way lately. I pray to God this changes ASAP, I know I am lost and nowhere without him.

Overall I am very happy on how the year went, I am happy that I have a loving and caring husband. An amazing parents and siblings.  I could not have survived this year without Greg nor my ma, pa, Jou and Jose. I love them to death and I would give my life for them. They are truly my essence and the people behind my success.

Cousins, The world cup would have been a lot different without them.  Passion 2014 wouldn't have happened.

Friends, thank you all, because you made it amazing! Sorry if I vented too much, sorry if I got mad at you or if I pranked you over the top. You know I love you very much. Thank you for being there for me this year and for making it SO much better.

The year is gone and now onto a new one.  I want to thank God for all the blessings he let me received, I consider myself a very blessed person.  Sometimes I think I've been given too much and I get scared that something bad is coming my way.  God has been faithful, and He has provided every time. I probably sang Oceans (by Hillsong United) a million times this year because I really felt like I was in deep water at some point.  When oceans rise my soul will rest in your embrace, for I am yours, you are mine!  This song guided me out through the struggles and it really made me stronger.  You never fail and you won't start now.  There is really only one God to me, and the only one I believe on, my one and only Savior.

I do not know what my 26th year will bring, and no it will most likely not bring a baby! haha sorry if you were waiting for that to happen. I definitely hope to grow on the word of God and become closer to him again. I hope to be able to help others in any way I can, and I hope I can see life day by day. No wasted days, no days for granted just a grounded year in the Faith. I hope to become better friend, a better engineer and a better wife and maybe also a better soccer player. Not sure how much traveling will go on with Greg working a lot, but we will see. I wish to have a great year filled with love from family/friends, adventures and the love of God!

Blessings to you all!

One more thing, this is how I spent the night of my birthday: 

Digging in memory trying to name all the girls that I went to school with in Kinder Garden! HAHA, 

Also a good friend shared this pic of me on fb, oh the good old times! 

We're sick!

Ok, so Greg came down with a stomach bug so he didn't go into work on Friday, he was feeling a bit better on Saturday but still not fully ok.  As for me, I knew I had a strong immune system... up until Monday. Got up and immediately had to run to the bathroom, I decided I needed to go to work since I had so much to do. I shouldn't have gone in, but let's say that I'm thankful for that last green light before getting to work.

Greg had been working with people that had similar stomach issues at the hospital for the whole month! so yeah, this "husband works at the hospital" is an interesting role.

It was an eventful day! we're all feeling much better now.

Ma in town!

My ma came to Houston for a week. She arrived on a Thursday, I (as usual) was late at picking her up at the airport! Due to work commitments.  We hung out at the house that night and she made us pupusas. Friday I had the day off, so we slept in, and then went into town to run errands.  Picked up the race packet, did an oil change, went to the post office! It was a very productive day.  She attended my Friday night soccer game, which we lost! But that’s because the other team was dirty and yeah they had one-two professional girls on the team.  I scored though! It was really fun to have my mom cheering on the sideline.  That Friday night was a nightmare after the game though, my mom and I were up until 3-4am (in separate rooms) with a pain that we both could have gone to the ER on one trip.  She got a stomach pain and I got a tooth pain.  I’ve been in and out of the dentist in the last few weeks like if the dentist office was the bathroom!  It’s been awful, end of the story is I got a root canal and they had only done the first part of it, reason why it was hurting so so so bad.  Pain meds didn’t do anything, Saturday morning I was able to call the dentist place and they prescribed stronger stuff.  My mom and I went to the outlets where we shopped way too much. We were both exhausted when we got back but still needed to prepare for the race next morning!

The race was fun, it was a duathlon, and I did ok. 25 seconds slower than 2 years ago.  Greg and my mom came and cheered! Greg was post-night, so he went back home right after it.  I had an 11am soccer game to be played.  My mom thought I was crazy, after racing how would I run enough for a soccer game? Well I did it and I scored again, but I did miss 2 clear goals.  IKEA trip in the afternoon, followed by home, followed by Lowes (for plants).  A gardener came and fixed all the backyard, while my mom supervised, so he left it looking extremely nice.  Monday- Wednesday, we just hung out, watched a movie, talked, organized the house (well my mom did).  It was so sad when she had to leave again, one week was too short.  However I am extremely blessed and grateful that she was able to come and spend sometime with me.

Yeah, that happened... Part III

While in Punta Cana, we took a fishing trip. Never in a lifetime imagined we would be the lucky ones to bring in a Marlin! Yeah, A MARLIN!  we caught Mahi-Mahi, some big some small, but at the end of the trip we caught a Marlin!! YAY Greg, since he and Mitch (another guy, who was in his honeymooon) did all the work.  It was gonna be pretty much impossible for me to reel anything in.  Greg and Mitch ended up with blisters and very tired arms.  After more than 2 hours of fighting the fish finally gave up.

Trust me, it was quite the adventure.

PC - DR - Part II

A few more pictures from the trip

Punta Cana! -DR Part I

We took a trip to PC, for a few days since Greg got a week of vacation.  We truly enjoyed this trip, we didn't want to even think about coming back to real life. Stayed at the Secrets Royal (we recommend it to anyone!) the food was great, and the drinks were too.  We are now in withdrawal from the ocean, the drinks, the fishing, the food, the good life. 

A few pictures from the trip!