a memorable birthday week

It started with berry tarts and strawberry-rhubarb pie, a late night movie - Monday.

Moves to extreme workout Tuesday with spinning class and run around greenlake in the rain and occasional thunder and lightening!

Wednesday was normal with writing sub plans, a nap and a late-night swim. Oh, and love listening to the band - Owl City (kind of a cross of postal service and hellogoodbye). Check out the song Hello Seattle.

Thursday - day off! An early-morning run, errands (new license plate), salmon dinner with Jennie and Alicia, laughs at Alec's acting debut, celebrating until midnight at the stube - happy birthday!

Friday - SUGAR HIGH - my students shower me with love and sweets...I had to drink gallons of water to stay hydrated. Before I get out of the parking lot - cookies with orange zest and dark chocolate (yum!) and a latte. Morning start - donut. 1st period - lemon shortbread, strawberries and whipped cream, some fancy chocolate brownies. 2nd period - cupcakes in ice cream cones and reeses peanut butter bars - starting to feel woozy. 3rd period - overwhelming amounts of sugar that I was able to save for later - swedish fish, starburst, hot tamales, sour patch kids and watermelons. Then, if that wasn't enough the Spanish class came in to sing "Feliz Cumpleanos" and Mrs. Vargas gave me a "fiesta in a bag," authentic Mexican everything - chips, salsa, pastries, juice, yogurt, orange soda! (all went to packwood) And to top it all off I made an ice cream cake to share with the faculty...too much...time to detox. Is it ovbvious I like sugar? I go home...run (trying to burn off some of the calories), pack, drive to packwood with the girls!

Saturday - Packwood = Paradise (when the weather is 70+). Long bike ride with Meg, laying out by the creek, dad's lattes, flea market, pulled pork sandwiches, clue, sleeping in the tent, mom's angel food cake, ice cream cake (really? two?), campfire, qt with housemates.

Sunday - buttercreek breakfast, run with Malia, clue, swimming pool, bike ride, creek walk, goose nest, nap in the hammock, reading, burgers, leftover cake and of course s'mores...just what I need...more sugar!

Today - Memorial day...a day to remember...not only those who have sacrificed for our country, but those friends and family who make little sacrifices to love me! I feel so overwhelmed by their love...seen in so many ways - birthday cards, hugs, socks, earrings, e-cards, laughter, love, bike rides, runs, long car trips, facebook messages, massages, flowers, questions, cooking, baking, listening, talking, playing, singing, and just spending time with me!

I am so thankful for the friends and family God has put in my life...thank you, thank you, thank you!

home

yummy cinnamon roll recipe from Bon Appétit


Home...it's safe, comfortable, relaxing...a place where I have no committments other than to enjoy time with family. Who knows what that will look like. Maybe it's talking, watching a basketball game, drinking lattes, playing the Wii, going for a digestive walk. Whatever it is, it takes me out of my life in Seattle and transports me to a simpler setting where life slows down and rest ensues. This last weekend I went home and my roommates and I spent time at Malia's house and in the morning went to my house for breakfast. It was a short visit, but was so home. My dad made lattes, my mom made homemade cinnamon rolls and eggs (like joe's scramble from portage bay)...so mom. It was good to be taken care of...the love of parents is forever unconditional.

Callahan, Walker, Hoogestraat Christmas

We had a fun get-together this year for Christmas at Patty's house. We stepped it up a notch and had some ice breaker like games. The first was having to guess what was written on a piece of paper on your back by asking yes or no questions. Of course, all the questions were "farm related." I had the hardest time guessing "electric fence." I guess I'm a city-slicker. There was a coloring contest as well. Jennie won with a psychedelic coloring scheme...not sure what her farm was growing! I brought Calico Beans and made Cherry Chocolate Coconut Macaroons. I'll post both recipes in another post. Some highlights - playing Hoity Toity (and losing...again), making my cookies, seeing some old pictures of Grandma and Grandpa that Kara had used in a scrapbook, watching the dogs entertain us all with their wrestling, playing apples to apples, staying late to talk with Patty, Kara and Kelson. It's too bad we don't have more get-togethers...they sure are fun.

Christmas Slideshow

Merry Christmas!

A Walker/Hoogestraat Christmas get-together. We had fun sipping lattes and eating delicious desserts!

Bellinis

Luke and Kendra gave me the gift of Italian cooking this Christmas - A cookbook by Giada de Laurentiis, called Giada's Kitchen. Her style is described as "Italy meets California," which in my opinion, you can't go wrong there. Immediately upon opening the book, I came across a recipe for Pomegranate and Cranberry Bellinis, which sounds like the perfect addition to the holiday table. I was particularly drawn to the recipe because they contain Prosecco, a light Italian sparkling wine that I remebering enjoying with Emily at a quaint wine bar in Venice. Lucky for us Red Apple was open and so my dad and I were able to pick up almost all of the ingredients! Unfortunately, they didn't have any mint or pomegranate seeds to use as garnish. We made it work though and the drink was delicious (Kendra and I loved it at least!) and it looked beautiful on the holiday table!

3 Snow Days and a Trip to LA

LA Trip

Click on picture to view album


Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Seattle has been a Winter Wonderland the past week and I have reaped the benefits! School was cancelled Wednesday through Friday last week so I am now in the middle of a two and a half week break...although we will have to make-up the days sometime...it feels great right now to have a bit of extra time off before Christmas. Of course, I made pancakes one morning to share with my roommates and took walks in the snow. It also gave me time to finish making Christmas presents and pack for LA.

Luke, Kendra and I left Friday afternoon to spend the weekend in LA with my Mom and Dad. My Dad was helping out at a basketball tournament in Anaheim and so we flew down to meet them. I was a little sad to leave the snow, but didn't mind the sun and mid-60's temperature! We went to Universal Studios on Saturday and Disneyland on Sunday. I wasn't that excited to do the theme park thing until I got there! Disneyland really is a magical place, especially at Christmas when everything is decorated. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of the castle at night or the fireworks because the camera batteries died. sad. Space Mountain was scary...and made me a bit dizzy, but so worth it! Splash Mountain was wet. I was in the front and I got soaked down to the undies...we had to go back to the hotel and change...it was that bad! Universal was great too...the theme was Grinchmas...so we saw some Who's and the Simpson's ride was pretty much amazing. We also went to a Waterworld show...where they acted out part of the movie. It was incredible! A plane crashed, people jumped off tall buildings into the water, jet skis were all over the place and there was fire! Hollywood is pretty cool.

All was well, until our flight was cancelled Monday due to snow at SeaTac. We weren't able to get on any flights over the next two days so we decided to road trip it in the rented mini-van. Dad and Luke drove the entire way, Kendra called her mom for road updates and hotel information, Mom and I sang Christmas songs in the back and I ate absurd amounts of candy! We stopped at In-N-Out for dinner and stayed the night in the Relax Inn...an old 50's motel in Yreka! All in all it was quite an adventure and besides ice on the road in Salem it was pretty smooth sailing. Oh, except for the part when I got home first, followed by Mom and Kendra and we had to shovel out the driveway so we could get three cars in! The girls did most of the work before Luke and Dad showed up! (I think they planned that out purposefully!) I'm just so thankful to be home for Christmas. It was a crazy adventure, but one I would do again!

LA Slideshow

Thanksgiving

Drop Box

Click on the above picture to view the entire album

Looking back through the pictures of delicious food causes me to consider how fortunate I am. I have a wonderful family, a warm home, good food, a wii to play on with my grandma! and so much more. There is so much to be thankful for, even if the economy isn't what we hope for. My favorite thanksgiving memories are making a new bacon/apple stuffing, eating Wanda's amazing cranberry salad, spedning time in the kitchen with my mom, cow racing against my grandma on the Wii, making fresh air-popped popcorn to watch elf with Kara, Kelson and Patty, and drinking lattes with Dave and Pam. What a wonderful holiday to spend with family!