Happy Anniversary.
Fava Bean and Mushroom Crostini with Caramelized Onions.
The Other Side of My Life.
10
Feb 11
Empty jars hold so much potential.
I just got back from the local grocery store where I purchased 3 cases of various sized canning jars. I can’t wait until my gardening extraordinaire of a husband gets our garden going and I have fresh fruits and veggies to fill these jars up with. This girls is already dreaming of delicious recipes.
18
Aug 10
A little bit of summer here and there.
I hate to complain about the Bay Area, because it is pretty much perfect. But, I have to admit, this has been the lamest summer, weather wise, thus far. I am talking fog every single day. And, not the nice morning fog that makes you relax in the morning and slowly wake up to the day. I am talking about fog all day every day. I feel like I might as well move back to Oregon in the winter (but have it be like that all year round). Grey is becoming my not so favorite color.
Luckily for Tom, Neko and me we were able to take a long vacation a couple of weeks ago. We had straight sun for 2 whole weeks! I actually got a little red on my cheeks. It felt nice to feel the warmth of the sun. For the first week of our trip we visited with my side of the family in Utah. There were nephews galore, food, drinks, hikes, cousins, brothers, sisters, dads, moms, lots of stuff!
Sam and Braden even found time to go on a date.
Neko likes to feel the wind of her face.
Olivia, Paige, Dylan, Braden
Tennyson is always ready to clean.
For the second week Tom and I visited with his parents at their new cabin in Southern Colorado. They have an awesome plot of land with a 360 degree view. I helped out around the house when I could (they just had a frame and a toilet when we arrived), but spent most of my time laying on the deck watching the clouds role in and out of my view.
The view from the deck of the cabin.
Needless to say, it was hard to adjust when we returned. Back to phones, computers, traffic, people, etc. But, it has been a few weeks and I think I am back into the swing.
21
Dec 09
December to Remember
Tom and I have been spoiled these last few months with how much we’ve been able to hang out with his parents. Just a few weeks after we left Alaska, Tom’s parents came down to San Francisco! We had such a wonderful time hitting the town with them. We saw a couple of movies, ate some delicious food and went on a small, but the best, wine tour ever.
So, I don’t have many photos to share of the fun that we had. It’s seems as though we were enjoying each others company so much so that we forgot to take out our cameras.
Here’s one of the Golden Gate as we crossed it to get to Sonoma.
We will have to plan a trip soon to see my in-laws. I don’t think I can wait until the summertime!
So, this past weekend, Tom and I went on a little adventure in the Oakland Hills. We discovered this amazing park with tons of hiking trails.
Mushroom hunting season started about two weeks ago, so there were some pretty large groups of them trickled along the trails. None that we could take home and cook though, which was a total bummer. But, nonetheless, we still had a good time.
Yesterday morning, Tom and I said farewell and good luck to our awesome and dear friend Mr. , oh wait, I mean Dr. Cameron Thrash. He will always carry a special place in my heart and I hope we get to visit him soon. Here’s my favorite photo of Cameron and Tom (: Good luck with your new adventures Cameron!!!
29
Nov 09
Another month has come and gone…
Well, I know that most of you are probably thinking the same thing, but man oh man is time flying right now!
November came and went. It was full of working, tutoring, purse making and much, much more!
For the past 10 days or so, Tom and I vacationed in Fairbanks, Alaska and hung out with his family. Emily, Tom’s sister, just had a beautiful baby girl, so we spent a great deal of time oogling over her (:
There was a “birth”day party for Sophia, with a delicious cake that even had the number zero on it!
Coco got a bit jealous each time attention was poured over Sophia, so I made sure she got a little time in the spotlight.
Thanksgiving was full of yummy dishes made by all. Buck took care of some of the traditional items, Sue made a cool looking jello-mold that was filled with yummy-ness.
Mike made salmon with pasta, Tom made samosas and green bean casserole. Emily made bananas fosters ice cream and I made pumpkin cheesecake, pecan pie and sweet potato pie.
We had enough food to survive for months! Eating leftovers the next day while still in my pajamas was the best part (:
Although it was 30 below when Tom and I arrived it warmed up to a bit above zero, so we took advantage and took a couple of walks in the snow.
I also had a wonderful photo session with Emily, Mike and Sophia. Below are two of my favorite photographs. Very photogenic family!
1
Nov 09
Happy Halloween!
Tom and I were planning on making our way through the Guinness Book of World Records largest corn maze in celebration of this year’s Halloween. Unfortunately, the corn maze was damaged by storms and high winds last week, so we were forced to change our plans.
Instead, for our Halloween day, we decided to spend some of our wedding gift cards at Crate and Barrel and Cost Plus! We stock piled our kitchen with new pots and pans and got a few new baking items. My kind of shopping day.
For our Halloween night, we decided to stay in, order take out Indian Food YUM! and watch scary movies. It was really nice to relax at home with my wonderful husband and our spoiled perfect dog!
Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween. Here’s to an awesome November!
Cheers!
13
Sep 09
Seahorses Live!
Tom and I have been so happy to have our weekends back together. We’ve been enjoying them a great deal these last few months.
One of our favorite spots (as most of you know) is Muir Beach. We took a day trip there last month and had a blast. One of my favorite things to do is pack a breakfast and lunch, make a ton of coffee in a thermos and take off in the car!
Here are some photos from our Muir Beach day trip!
Neko loves to dig!
and run too!
This past weekend Tom took me to see SEAHORSES! at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I never knew there were so many different types of them. We also saw a great white shark that was recently rescued, an octopus, penguins and a ton more animals.
Here are a few short videos Tom took while we were wandering around the aquarium.
17
Aug 09
GlobeTrotters U.S.A
Tom and I have been really lucky this summer in terms of getting to see our family.
Getting married was one excuse and we all know how fun that was. Since then, Tom and I have been to Wyoming, Catalina Island, and Michigan to see our family.
Cody, WY
We visited with the Ushers, Foxes and Calls. We all stayed in a huge cabin just outside of Yellowstone. Amazing views! One our first day we saw a Mama Moose with two of her youngsters. One the last day we saw the Papa Moose! What a sight that was. Grandma Usher had not met her two youngest great-grandchildren, so that was a treat for her. It was awesome to have all of us all together in one space. We drove down some excellent roads, ate some delicious meals and laughed a lot!
Catalina Island, CA
This was a quick trip, but worth it. Tom and I met up with Mom and Dad Usher, Taylor, Maggie, and Tennyson, Daniel, Sam and Braden and Betsy and Dylan to relax and hang out. That we did. We toured around the city of Avalon for about half a day, then got ice cream and walked around the harbor. Braden and Dylan got to play in the sand for a couple of hours. Constant entertainment for me.
Grand Rapids, MI
Both of Tom’s Grandparents (on his Mom’s side) turned 80 this year! There was a family reunion organized to get everyone together to celebrate. I met Tom’s Grandmother, Lorraine, for the first time. We discovered where Tom gets his sarcastic edge (: Got to see Grandpa Bill again–always a treat. Emily and Mike made the trip, so we got to see her preggerbelly which is always fun. Also met Aunt Barb, Cousins Justin and Karen, Uncles Pat and Jim and some other folks from around the way. We learned how to play a game called “CornHole” Addictive and fun!
The same weekend we went to Michigan we took a day trip to Denver to see Matt and Liz get hitched! We only got to stay a few hours, but I’m glad we did. Had some great conversations, got to see the two love birds say “I do!” and hang with Gabe and Katie for some fun times!
Along with traveling non-stop, Tom and I have also been enjoying the fruits of Tom’s labor. Our garden has been pretty darn successful considering the crazy weather we’ve had this summer. We’ve eaten fresh salads, used our herbs for chicken, and are awaiting our tomatoes that are just starting to turn red!
30
Jun 09
So, how’s married life?
A question that I have been asked lately. Married life is pretty darn amazing and awesome. Our wedding is something I will never forget. I’m actually making a huge effort to burn it into my long term memory. Memory is not one of my strong suits, so I have to work hard at it.
As far as Tom goes, today was his first official day at his new “office.” He is really very excited to start his new research. From what he has been telling me it sounds as though he will be working with a talented group of scientists.
As for me, I have a great many opportunities on the horizon and am attempting at the moment to make them all come to fruition. I, as well, will keep you posted.
