Some other recent shots...

And As I End the Refrain...

Thrust home!


If you haven't read Cyrano DE Bergerac, that was lost on you. So sorry.



I have been feeling a desire to share my true feelings for...blogger.

Oh the age of Technology, How I am blessed to have you!

On many occasions, These personal, heart-felt and often raw "status updates" we all call blogs are my inspiration and motivation.

It is so nice to be able to check in on those I miss dearly and to get to read of new adventures and rants of my near/not-so-near and dears. Even those that I see and "chill" with on a regular basis tend to share with a special openness when they are cloaked in the safety of the written word.

To all those local, in the far reaches of the blustery mid-west, unnaturally sunny southern Cali, the gorgeous wine-soaked northern Cali and the far east (well NY is far): I love you and am so blessed to have your wise words. Blog on PLEASE! It is my entertainment and often my link to sanity.

My family doesn't do things normally...

That being said, We waited til Jan 9th to do Christmas. Here are a few pictures of our adventures.

We took a trek up to Sutter Creek California. All 11 of us: (the dog is treated like a person, so he's included in the tally) 5 kids, 3 significant others- AKA newest "kids", and 2 parents.

Here's sutter:

Here's us:

The "kids" decided to go on a walk to the town.

Newlyweds are the Cuteness <3
We stopped for coffee. Not that great, but a nice place.
The ladies got Italian sodas

Faces of the men.

Thepete decided it was modeling time.

Jen joined in.

The self-titled "brotha's Steve"

My Lovely sis-in-law Amelia

my heart.

Thepete found a worm. Hasn't changed much in 20 years...

Married to a baker...

Steve currently does not have a food blog (although we are trying to get him started on one) but has invented an amazing recipe. it took 3 tries to get it perfect. The first two... tasty...
#1 he set out to make a cookie... turned into a "mat" of muffinny goodness
#2 tried a "cupcake" version... looked like upside-down top hats. Yummy, but ugly.
#3. Perfect. Good, very good. Here it is:

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins

DRY:

-2 cups AP flour

-2 tsp Baking Powder

-1 tsp Baking Soda

-1 heavy pinch salt

-1 tsp spices (1/2 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg)

WET:

-1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

-1 cup cooked oatmeal (I used rolled oats cooked with 1 part oats, 1 part 2% milk, 1 part water)

-3/4 cup brown sugar

-1 egg

-1 egg yolk

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-2 cups “extras” (I used raisins. Nuts, chocolate chips, or whatever would work. Becky thinks Pecans and sub a little maple syrup for some of the brown sugar would be lovely.)

-Oven: 350°

-Sift all the dry stuff together. Use a food processor if you want to keep the mess to a minimum.

-Melt the butter. Make sure it’s only a little warmer than body temp and whisk in the egg and egg yolk. Add the vanilla and the brown sugar and whisk ‘till smooth. Stir in the extras.

-Pour the dry stuff into a bowl. Dump the wet stuff on top. Stir JUST TILL COMBINED. Let it stay lumpy. Portion into a greased muffin tin.

-Bake for 18-20 minutes or ‘till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

-De-pan, cool, eat. Be happy. <3>

MAKES 12 MED MUFFINS

The finished product:

2009 a summary.

Thought I'd do a brief photo summary of good ol' '09:

January

The Beach in San Diego With Friends

-------------------------------

February

Ada's First Birthday





Update Picture for Family

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March

Snow!


Visit from Fam




Disneyland with Liz


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April

Epic trip to Black Mt



Easter Trip to Modesto



-------------------------------

May

Goodbye to Dachtlers :(




Helly S


-------------------------------

June

Farmer's Market in Redlands




Augies <3
Summer at Tahquitz

-------------------------------

July

More Augies.


Steve's Birthday


The Epic trip to Nebraska


By Way of Nevada


And Utah


And Colorado (hi Sue!)


Groomsmen


Bridesmaids


Stephen and Amelia got Married :)


Then, Back to Modesto for a reception.




-------------------------------

August

Liz Birthday...Disneyland Again!





Our 2nd Anniversary (the only pic I took!) Yummy dinner and a weekend getaway <3

Summer Staff Fun Trip to 6 Flags!

-------------------------------

September

San Diego Wild Animal Park



Learning to Cook Vegan



Purchased the "new" truck


Super Yummy Dinner With The Tates and meeting Baby Miles




Trip to Knott's Berry Farm With Jaime and Seth!




-------------------------------

October

Last days at Tahquitz: October Birthdays Party!


Last Looks Photo trip



Meeting Amy

No Pictures of the Move...


Concert in SF



-------------------------------

November

Thanksgiving with Family...










-------------------------------

December

Christmas With The Fam

Ask us about this sometime...



Steve's Dad and Granddad... See the resemblance?



Took Family Pictures for a group of 17. the day after Christmas...
Fun Times
.
-------------------------------
All in all, it's been a good year. <3

holiday. celebrate.

...Or welcoming 2010 with style. Did I mention I love Friends? <3

Getting Ready.

Time for Party.

Heart These Ladies.

The Killer Bunnies Game was grand. I think The Tates need to play this one.

Getting Ready for the count down.





Happy NewYear!

Sparklers.<3

This was a good year.

the show

a while ago...

The Me.

We went to The City (San Fransisco) For a concert... some pics...

Driving the Altamont.

Waiting for the Bart.

Angela

David

Kristen


Steve <3 onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hHqgMmiCGHI/Sy_mAtkRI0I/AAAAAAAAAx0/1lj9lN_80aU/s1600-h/stephen_1.jpg">
The Me and Thepete
Thepete



Gina
Josh

Josh and G on the bart

Sunset from the bart.

Walking to the show from the station
The next blog will be the show...

did a photo shoot...

took some senior pictures... what do ya think?














Took some artsy ones while I had a "willing model" lots of fun...

I feel the need to apologize to November...

What to say? It's nothing personal, Nov, I just didn't make time to record your happenings...
here's a taste...

Bare with me, these pics are from the camera phone:

Went to see Wicked in San Fransisco with Liz



Went to my cousin's concert at a famous venue in SF called Slims... Here's a shot of me on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

Been working at 5am so get to see a lot of sun rises. pretty, when I am awake enough to catch them...


Went to Vietnamese food for the first time with my mom (her and my dad's favorite). Very yummy. and good tea too.


I guess I haven't even uploaded pictures lately. That's all I got for now.

<3