We got a record breaking 8 inches of snow for far today (A record here) so Mike and I drove around the neighborhood to get a few quick photos:

Hi All,
These months are now closed:
January
February
March
April
June

July will close soon.

If you need recommendations, please give me a shout.
Hugs to all!

It’s been years since I made Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving. Due to family obligations, I’ve made it after the fact on the following weekend. This year I got to make it the day of.
In the past, I always made what my Mom (otherwise known as super chef) made. Holy cow that lady can cook! My Dad too! They team up for this amazing meal. The food they cook is traditional to the family, so this year, I broke away from Mom and Dad’s tried and true recipes in an attempt to start a Mike and Cindy traditional dinner. Some of the recipes were fantastic….one was a great disappointment.
But then again, food is a really cool part of Thanksgiving, but not really the true meaning of the day.
What I’m thankful for:
Our close relationship with all our extended family. They are amazing, supportive, and fun to be around.
Our children. Each one of them is special and wonderful in their own unique way. We adore them.
Our grandchildren. Yes, we are amazingly goodlooking for having grandchildren…LOL. Our grandkids are so smart, so cool, and so loved.
My personal most thankful moment is my beautiful husband Mike. I could not ask for a better partner, lover, friend, or soulmate. He is my everything. Anyone who meets him will instantly know why. He is quick with his laugh, and slow on a temper. (Does he even have one?)

Now unto the food. Yumm!

Herb Roasted Turkey

Roasted Apple, Sausage, and Cranberry Stuffing

Apple Cider infused Gravy

The big hit of the day: Potato and Wild Mushroom Gratin

The disappointment…Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil and Goat’s Cheese Salad. It sounded good on paper

The spread

Ok, don’t give me too much drama for the lack of makeup. After all I spent two days cooking

Magic Mike carving up the feast

Our darling Bennie, fully stuffed with Turkey, chills out. He is crashed out on Turkey overload soon after.

Donell and Sageev kindly invited us to their Rehearsal Party, and naturally we had to take some photos! They had their rehearsal dinner at the world famous Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Can you say, “Yummmmmm!”
Then we all went a played for a short time on the Santa Monica Pier. Fun, fun, fun!

Mike and I try to get out to the State Fair at least once every year. We aren’t much for the games, shows, and exhibits, but we love the food, the hustle and bustle, and the people watching.

For those of you who haven’t heard, our Koi Pond, fence,gazebo, and lawn furniture were killed by a HUGE tree limb that fell during a storm.
Everything was quicky replaced except for the pond. The pond was a really beloved part of our back yard. We wanted to find an artist, and we interviewed several people before we found one.
Due to the heat, and unforseen damage, the job took a bit longer than we expected. But I have to say, Joey and Chris went over the top, and did MUCH more than we ever expected. The pricing was very fair, but what hooked us was the vision, and the absolute dedication to artistry that this company promised. I didn’t want a bunch of rocks stacked up. I wanted a very natural sanctuary for my beautiful fish.
And that is exactly what I recieved.
The job is now complete, and I will consider Joey a friend for life. The fish are happily jumping under the falls, and I want to almost camp out in my backyard because I never want to leave it. It’s gorgeous!
I highly recommend Aquatic Artistry to everyone. If you are patient, you will recieve a work of art that no one else in town can do. They take a ton of pride in their work.
Their Website is: www.AquaticArtistry.net

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