Kimball Legend

Giveaway

2012-01-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

Kinda don't want to tell anyone about this giveaway over at Say Yes to Hoboken, because it just may decrease my odds, but if you haven't already, you just may want to sign up for this one!

Santa Fe

2012-01-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

For new years we joined my parents in Santa Fe. They we were coming back from a road trip to Vegas and we were wanting to get away for the weekend, so Santa Fe made perfect sense. Neither Ryan or I had been to Santa Fe, but there was one thing that has been drawing us down there for a few years and that is Bobcat Bite. The hamburger joint we have anticipated for a few years made the Kimball approved list.

Other than the good burger, Santa Fe has streets and streets of boutique shops, galleries, and adobe structures. The smell there was so nice, I'm not sure exactly what type of wood it is, but there are a lot of wood burning fires filling the air with this wonderful sent of cedar/ Pinion?? I love the smell of pine and wood burning. We bought a couple of wood bundles to bring home with us to burn in our fire pit, I can't wait to burn them.

Mom and Dad and their long long trailer and his and hers crocs. It was so funny listening to Dad tell stories of their RVing experiences so far. Some of the camp grounds they visited in AZ were full of old fogies, he said mom had the best bod at the hot tube. They were also caught up in one too many conversation with people that have nothing better to do then talk your ear off, and everyone in the parks are willing to lend an extra hand. Dad said when they first pulled into one spot they had a handful of people jump on over to help them back it in, yelling from different direction, "keep it coming," "a little left," "a little right." Everyone has a tip of advice of ohhh you need this or that for their rig. Dad now refers to himself as an "ORFs" old retired farts. Mom and Dad are pretty excited for their adventures to come in the Cameo and mom already started a Cameo journal to document it all.

Lifelong friends

2012-01-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

An advantage to having a best friend's parents move 15 min from your house is that you get to see them more often!! Lindsay and Matt came up for the holidays, so we spent the day at their cabin, played around in the snow, and played games late into the night. I am thankful for lifelong friends and being able to stay in touch when we live so far apart. xoxo

Terrarium Love

2012-01-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

Werecently celebrated our 4th year wedding anniversary. Ryan and I switch off every other year as to whoplans the date. This year was my year. I had so much fun planning the activity, dinner, and gift. A little background on the theme for the night: Ryan and I alsofollow the "traditional" anniversary gift list. Fourth year is flower/ or fruit. What to get a guy that is flower or fruit related? I struggled. And thenthe ideas started coming and it all came together. We visited the DenverBotanical Gardens for the activity for two reasons, one it is flower related, and two ourreception was held at Red Butte Gardens. Although it is not the same garden, it still felt sentimental. For dinner we went to Beatrice and Woodsley.Wow, this place is magically romantic inside. The tables are nestled in trunks of aspens,keeping right in line with my flower/ nature theme. For the gift, I gave him aTerrarium. I found the case at Crate and Barrel, and bought the succulents andcacti at our local nursery. It was super easy to make and I just love thelook on Ryan's face when he got it, he loved it!

Mood Board

2012-01-08T00:14:00.000-08:00

I am bored with our office. I'm over it. I want "grown up" furniture. Most everything in there is from Ikea (because I have an Ikea budget) and it feels too Ikea-ish. After dinking around on my favorite furniture sites I came up with this mood board. Maybe someday when my husband lands that post-MBA job. :)

The break down:
Chair- Dwell Studio
Desk- Room and Board
Office Storage- Room and Board
Rug- West Elm
Chandelier- Urban Outfitters
Tubular Burst - Dwell Studio
Scratch Off Map- Urban Outfitters
Geometric Terrarium- Assembly New York
Clock- Design Within Reach

3 cities, 3 very different burgers

2012-01-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

It is no secret that we like our food over here. We are always trying to find the best of the best, burgers included. Over the holidays we tried three popular burger joints, one in California, New Mexico, and Colorado. To keep it simple I will narrow my criteria to three categories; bun, patty, and spread.

The Squeeze Inn, known for their cheese burger.
Bun- Way too dense, I took the bottom bun off and flipped it over to eat.
Patty- Good size, meat flavor was mediocre. Reminiscent of a freezer patty.
Spread- meh.
Stamp of approval- No, with multiple In-n-Outs in close proximity this burger doesn't even come close to as good.

Bobcat Bite, known for their green chili burger.
Bun- The bun was nice, lightly toasted, you have to eat this one fast because the bun got really soggy after soaking up all the meat juice.
Patty- Was HUGE. They grind their own beef here, and cooked it perfectly.
Spread- Being known for their green chili, I would say that was the worst part of this burger, they tasted straight out of the diced Hatch green chili can. Under impressed.
Stamp of approval- Yes, if you are in Santa Fe, this Burger is worth the wait. With only 6 tables or so you will definitely be waiting.

(I forgot to snap a photo of this one, via)

Drifter's, know for tasting like In-n-Out.
Bun- Toasted nicely, not to dense, just the right amount of bun here.
Patty- The meat quality was lacking, much like In-n-Out the patty was thin, which I don't mind. It just didn't taste very fresh.
Spread- The sauce here didn't quite make the mark, a little too sour.
Stamp of approval- It was OK, nothing special, probably wont be back. Typical of a copy cat, leaves you wishing for the real thing.

Bid you adieu 2011

2012-01-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Not knowing what was instore for the upcoming year we celebrated downtown while the fireworks popped off at the stroke of midnight, little did we know 2011 would be so good to us. Here is a look back at 2011:

First picture of 2011

Ryan hit the last stop before 30, and we celebrated his 29th birthday at Capital Grill.
We gained not one, but two new additions to our extended family.
We joined some good friends in Winter Park for a getaway ski trip.

We went on an incredible ten day trip to Spain 1,2,3, 4,5, 6, 7, 8,9,10
We spent Memorial Day weekend in California, and visited the beautiful Yosemite Park.

Many summer days were spent on the lake and summer nights around the fire pit.
We spent a couple nights in Vegas and continued on down to Lake Havasu/ River for family vacation.

Went white water rafting for the first time.
Visited my little sister to help her decorate her house.
Traveled to Utah for a family reunion.

Celebrated my birthday in LA and saw the exhibit of one of our favorite artist.
Ryan and I competed in the Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon. Ryan did his first ever 1/2 Iron Man, and I did my first Olympic length Tri.
Ryan was accepted to the Daniels School of Business at the University of Denver and has started on road to getting his MBA.

Completed several projects around the house, mainly finishing the back yard.

Enjoyed house guest from many different family members, here, here.
Celebrated Christmas with the Kimballs.

Rang in the new year in Santa Fe, New Mexico with the Meador's. We are so excited to see what is in store for 2012.

Eat Seafood

2012-01-03T09:51:00.001-08:00

Living in the land locked state that we do; it is a rareoccurrence to find good fresh sea food. Another one of our “must do’s” onthe list while in California; eat seafood. So we all boarded the ferryand took the 25 min ride across the bay to Sausalito, where we ate lunch atScoma’s. We had the perfect table right by the window; we could seethe whole city stretch across the bay. For lunch we started with popcorn shrimpto share that was so delicious and fresh. Ryan had a lobster sandwich andI had crab cakes. After lunch we window shopped while making our way to ride the boat back to San Francisco. A perfect day in the city with family.

Ferry Building Marketplace

2012-01-02T23:28:00.000-08:00

When we fly home there is always a long list of “must do’s.”Top of the list: the Ferry Building. The Ferry Building is filled with local artesian breads, cheeses, coffee, chocolate,meats, and anything imaginable that is guaranteed to taste delightful. We walked around and filled our bags with allkinds of goodies to snack on the remainder of the week.

I left my heart in San Francisco

2012-01-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

We are home from Christmas with the Kimball's in California and celebrating the new year with the Meador's in Santa Fe. The holidays were wonderful and went by too quickly as usual, back to reality tomorrow.

Snow!

2011-12-22T12:40:00.001-08:00

To say we got a little snow would be an understatement. We got DUMPED on with over a foot of snow. It took Ryan a good hour to shovel the drive.

Creme Brulee

2011-12-21T23:20:00.000-08:00

Last year we gave my mom crème brulee for Christmas. Webought her the kitchen torch from Williams-Sonoma and a delicious mix from afood boutique by our house (you can also find it here on Amazon.) Well, almost exactly a year later she finallyput that thing to use; I think the idea of a blue flame blowing out of a handheld torch is a little intimidating for her. The crème brulee turned outperfect! Thick and creamy with a crunchy sugar coating. Mmmmm

Colorado Ballet

2011-12-19T21:34:00.000-08:00

The Nutcracker

We joined some friends to see the The Nutcracker at the Denver Performing Arts Center. It was lovely. The costumes, and the performances were both enchanting. I was thinking back to the last time I saw The Nutcracker and I believe it was when my little cousin Katelin would perform in it. She is now in college, so it has been awhile. Ryan and I both loved it.

4 years and counting...

2011-12-17T08:55:00.001-08:00

Minnie Jackson's Fried Chicken

2011-12-13T20:12:00.000-08:00

When we left Texas we also left the best fried chicken. Have you read or seen the Help? The next best thing to our favorite spot in Texas is Minnie Jackson's fried chicken. Minnie fries up this chicken in the movie and so did we. It was well worth the calories!

Soak chicken in buttermilk.
In a double paper bag pour flour, salt, more salt, pepper, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne.
Put the chicken in the bag and shake it.
Fry in crisco in a cast iron skillet.

Gingerbread Lane

2011-12-09T23:46:00.001-08:00

Gingerbread houses are a favorite tradition. We do them every year, and year after yearthere is always a new technique, a new “material” used. This year was no different. The candy loot was exceptional to years past. My friend Laura brought the cutest pearlballs, ornate cookies, and chocolate galore. I am pretty impressed with ourhandy work.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T23:11:00.001-08:00

I completely skipped over Thanksgiving, and not because weare not thankful. We have so much tobe thankful for! For ONE, I am thankful wewere able to spend the holiday with family. We all live so far apart andgetting together doesn’t happen often enough. For TWO, I am thankful for thefeast we enjoyed, it was superb! Everything was made from scratch, right downto the cranberry sauce. Ok so the marshmallows weren’t, but that just may bethe only exception. For THREE, I am thankful for my wonderful husband, he is trulythe best.

Felt Wreath

2011-12-05T21:53:00.001-08:00

Over the Thanksgiving holiday my sisters and Ihad to get our hands on something- in the means of a craft. Whilethe boys filled their time with shooting guns and watching football, us ladiesshopped and worked away rolling felt into pretty little rosettes. The result: alovely wreath to hang on my front door. Now our door looks a little more inviting. The how to on making these lovelies.

422: Deck the Halls

2011-12-04T15:21:00.001-08:00

[so proud of myself, I made the pine wreath from our tree trimmings]

Parade of Lights

2011-12-03T23:34:00.001-08:00

It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas…. The tree isdecorated, the roof is twinkling with lights, and the festivities have begun.The streets downtown filled with spectators tonight. We all froze together to watch the parade oflights sweep through the streets. The parade was an impressive hour long showof piping bands and festive floats.

The Count Down Begins

2011-12-01T21:19:00.001-08:00

I love advent calendars! All types, from the paper chains tothe victorian mansion the Griswold’s so adoringly counted down the last daysuntil Christmas. In years past I've purchased the cheap candy ones sold atthe super market. They are fun but the chocolate never really did it forme. On a recent trip to Hobby Lobby Ifound this DIY advent calendar that you can fully stock with whatever treatsyou choose. It only seemed appropriate to pick up a box of hand-selected See’s Candies.

Kimball Kitchen: Perfect Scrambled Eggs

2011-11-19T17:33:00.001-08:00

I am by no means an egg lover; in fact they often gross meout with their slimy texture, odd smell, and sometimes questionable “funnies.”But after eating these eggs they only have me coming back for more! Ryan watchedthis video on how Gordon Ramsay cooks scrambled eggs and they are seriouslydelicious! You will never want to scramble eggs any other way.

Christmas Ornaments

2011-11-15T00:45:00.001-08:00

I can hardly wait to decorate the Christmas tree! I know, I know, Thanksgiving hasn't even got here, but I just got around to putting away Halloween decorations and since I don't have anything for Thanksgiving; that leaves CHRISTMAS. Ryan and I decided to do the old school blown glass ornaments for our Christmas tree. They are all so unique and fun. I can’t wait to see what we collect over the years. Our collection so far (in addition to some plain colored balls):

422: Kitchen Open Shelving

2011-11-11T23:51:00.001-08:00

We have a serious lack of top shelving in our kitchen due toa large window. The big window is nice and provides lots of light, but the compromisehas left us wishing for more accessible storage for everyday items. Our go to home solution source aka Ikea camethrough yet again for a perfect solution. I was able to find shelving that matches the stain of our cabinetsperfectly, along with some cool metal hardware. What once was an awkward gapfrom the cabinets to the window is now open shelving.

Design*Sponge: Book Signing

2011-11-11T01:32:00.001-08:00

I was so excited when I opened myinbox to see Grace Bonney would be visiting Denver on her book tour. She is thefounder of the popular blog Design*Sponge and just published her first book, Design*Sponge at Home. I knew I had to go and get my copy signed! If you do buy the book, I recommend getting it at Anthropologie. They are selling an exclusive edition with 16 extra pages!

Slave Labor

2011-11-10T23:06:00.001-08:00

My friend Laura and I volunteered our handsfor a night of crafting at Anthropologie. It was so fun to be behind the scenesof their fabulous holiday décor and mingle with inspiring local ladies. We chitchattedabout our love for crafts and all things anthro, a perfect girl’s night out.

Kimball Kitchen: Fried Pickles

2011-11-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

Fried pickles and homemade ranch for dipping are a perfect snack for some college football. I used the Paula Deen recipe as follows:

1 24-ounce Jar Kosher dill pickle spears or slices

1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce (I like Texas Pete)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 gal peanut oil
2 cups Uncle Bubba’s Fry Mix

Drain the juice from the pickle jar and refill the jarwith the garlic powder, hot sauce, and buttermilk. Marinate the pickles for atleast 30 minutes.

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil to350 degrees F. Drain the pickles. Put the fry mix in a large mixing bowl, andtoss the pickles to coat thoroughly. Shake off the excess mix by tossinglightly in a strainer and deep fry the pickles in batches for 3 to 5 minutes,depending on the size of the spears.

When golden brown, remove the pickles from the oil with aclean strainer or slotted metal spoon and place on paper towels to drain offany excess oil. Serve immediately.

422: Guest Room

2011-11-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

Remember over a year ago when I purchased that beautiful gray birdcage wallpaper? Well it made it on the walls, barely. I would definitely recommend calling inthe professionals when it comes to hanging wallpaper. We had several booboos towork around and camouflage, luckily the paper is so busy they aren’t too noticeable.So our guest room is complete, and I love it. Now accepting reservations!

So excited...

2011-11-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

... for Thanksgiving when we will all be together! I love my sisters.

Happy Halloween! Zombie Style

2011-10-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

Winter Wonderland

2011-10-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Snow, snow, and more snow. Our poor newly planted aspens are heavily weighed down with 6+ inches of snow, even our pine trees are looking pretty droopy. Ryan tried shaking a good portion of the snow off all the plants so hopefully there is no permanent damage. It is winter wonderland here in Colorado!

80 to 30

2011-10-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

Just the other day it was 80 degrees, we were outside roasting while we carved our pumpkins. Tonight it is freezing and we are getting dumped on with snow! I guess it is officially winter.

What is everyone going to be for Halloween?

Pumpkin Patch Pickin'

2011-10-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Changing Colors

2011-10-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

The official day of fall wasSeptember 23, but I think it is just now hitting its peak. We are enjoyingthese few short weeks until it is hello frigid air. This is when I liketo go into complete hibernation mode. To take it all in we took a drive up BoulderCanyon to see the changing colors. We drove a new route that looped usaround to Estes Park. It was magnificent. We discovered an aspengrove that glowed bright with yellow leaves. Ohh it is so beautiful this timeof year, please stay as long as you can!

That's what friends are for

2011-10-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

Ryan was gone all weekend long on a leadershipretreat for school, which would have left me home alone. My good friend Katiecame to my rescue. Katie and I went to college together; I will always cherishour friendship and it had been too long since we had seen each other! She’s never really been to Co, so I served as her tour guide.We toured multiple museums, ate at some local eateries, hiked theflatirons, shopped, and reminisced on the years past. Katie I love you andthank you for making the trip out!

Skiing and Rockies

2011-09-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had some family come in town. We went boating Saturday afternoon surprisingly for September. In the evening we went to the Rockies vs Giants game. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! We stayed up late every night roasting s'mors, playing rock band and enjoying each others company.

Kimball Kitchen: Lobster Roll & Pizza

2011-09-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

Whole Wheat dough from Sunflower Framers Market, San Marzano Tomatoes, Mozzarella Company mozzarella slices, Boars Head pepperoni, Basil

Lobster bits, mayo, chives, dill, salt, pepper, celery, sesame roll

Maci McKenna

2011-09-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

Maci I love your little freckles that dance across your face, I miss you!

as of late...

2011-09-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

One of our new year resolutions was to compete in an OLYMPIC (me) and HALF IRON MAN (Ryan) distance triathlons. We've done a few Sprint distance and were up for a new challenge. We had such a busy summer, it was hard to stay consistent with our training. Signing up at the beginning of the summer made it hard not to back out. At the end of August we competed in the Bear Lake Brawl, and can now check it off our list. Feels good to be done! I am so proud of Ryan he did awesome for the little training that we did. Swimming is definitely his strong suit, he was third out of the water!! Thank you Janelle, Kent, and Mason for cheering us on for 6 straight hours, and Dennis and Camille for letting us crash at their house!

In other news Ryan is now in GRAD school! He started his first day embarking on his MBA from the University of Denver. Like any good mother/ wife would do, his first day of school pic:

This weekend we hiked to the Royal Arch just above Boulder. I LOVE where we live!

Isaacson Family Room Re-do

2011-08-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

I went to Utah for the weeked, 2nd time this month and not the last! Janelle and I were busy painting, moving furniture, and decorating her family room.

Reunion at the Ranch

2011-08-11T20:00:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a Johnson family reunion in Utah. It was short but sweet. We are just glad we live close enough that we could make the trip. This is our first family picture with all seven of us.

Birthday in LA

2011-08-02T21:16:00.001-07:00

We escaped to LA for the weekend to celebrate the big 2-7. I feel much older and wiser already! We scored a nice corner suite at the W Hotel in Westwood. For my birthday dinner we went to Mario Batali’s restaurant Pizzeria Mozza. Ryan is saying “best pizza” he has had. It really was delicious, I just don't know if I can commit to best EVER. The highlight of the trip was seeing the works of one of our favorite artist, Banksy. Banksy is an elusive street artist who travels all over painting commentary pieces in opportune spots. Such as this one on the wall between Palestine and Israel.For the first time ever his art is displayed in an exhibit, and he payed for everyone who visits on a Monday! If you live in LA, or you want to make a special trip, you can see it right now at the MOCA.I love how all of his art is thought provoking and pushes the envelope on social injustice. His pieces are now selling for close to six figures! The most intriguing part is no one knows who or what he looks like. There are speculations of his real name and who he is but it may or may not be him?? You can watch this documentary on street art called Exit Through The Gift Shop. His work and himself are all so fascinating.

Whitewater Rafting

2011-07-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

After living in Colorado for a few years now I finally experienced real whitewater rafting. At the beginning of the season we drove up to Idaho Springs to go rafting down Clear Creek River. Our guide said the water levels were the highest they have been in years. They close the river down for rafting at 1,000 CFS, when we went the level was at 900 CFS! I was so nervous I was going to fall out; luckily only one girl fell out of the four boats that went down with us. Such a fun experience.

Old School

2011-07-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

I love this man, and have since 'o4 when this picture was taken.
I think our future children will get a kick out of their dad's crazy hair.

Havasu/ River

2011-07-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

A childhood tradition in my family was spending summer vacation s at the river. It is a favorite spot for all of us with so many fun memories made there. We’ve picked up the tradition again, and I love it! We rented a house on the water for a week’s stay. We did all the old time usuals- snow cones at the London Bridge, cliff jumped, swung from the rope swing, early morning ski runs to catch the glass, and endless hours of soaking up the sun.

Birthday Mama

2011-07-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful mother!

We Heart MJ

2011-06-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

We saw Michael Jackson! MJ impersonator that is. I loved having a night out with my sisters, that doesn’t happen enough (we missed you Jamie.)

We had the best seats in the whole venue. We sat behind these two little boys who knew all the dances to all the songs. We spent more time singing and dancing with them than watching the performers.

The venue was the Red Rock Amphitheater; it is by far the coolest venue I have been to. The stage and stadium seating are cut right in the side of the Mountain. When it is clear you can see downtown Denver. So pretty.

Thanks again Ryan for watching all the kidos, I love you!!

Slumber Party

2011-06-21T21:00:00.001-07:00

I love being an aunt. I would compare it to how some would describe the joys of being a grandparent might be. You get the benefits of little ones, but when the dirty diapers and temper tantrums are present you get a free pass. Brilliant. I do love kids, I am just not ready to sign up for round the clock- report to duty.

Breakfast at the bar.

We had a few of our newphew and neices stay with us and it was a blast. I loved having them here. We frequented the park, the pool, roasted more smores, and repeat. I think it is safe to say they LOVE their uncle Ryan. It is so sweet to watch them cling and love on him. After all he will play barbies with them, Ellie loves that.

I love this picture I took one morning after breakfast. The whole sofa was available but it was necessary to snuggle up.

Carnival

2011-06-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

Grandpa wanted to take Mason to the traveling carnival; the only problem is Mason is about three inches too shy from most ride's height requirements. Mason assured us "i not scared" of the big kid rides. He didn't quite understand that it wasn't his lack of fear that was holding him back, maybe next year Manson. There were a handful of rides he could go on, and he loved every minute of it!

Father's Day

2011-06-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to a very special Dad.

Weenie Roast

2011-06-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

I am so thrilled summer is finally here. Long warm days bring a smile to my face. We finished the majority of our backyard fully equipped with a firepit! A weenie roast was the perfect way to break in the firepit, and what fire isn't complete without smores. I am looking forward to many more nights around the fire.

Bonnie Kate

2011-06-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my sister and her family. Jamie gave birth to Bonnie Kate on June 10, 2011. 6lbs 13oz 20in. That brings the total to 7 nieces and 1 nephew.

Memorial Weekend

2011-06-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I finally got to meet our new niece Amaya Ann. She is a doll and the best baby I have ever seen. She was never fussy and such a joy to hold.

Ryan parents live not too far from Yosemite. Saturday morning we drove up to have brunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel. The park was packed but gorgeous as ever. The falls were at an all time high, showering the streams below with their crystal clear water. We hiked around and drove to the top of glacier point. The view was incredible.

Sunday afternoon croquet game.

The night before our flight we stayed at Grandma Kimball's house. I love listening to her tell stories of her past. It never fails; I think I always get chocked up, she has the sweetest spirit. She planned for us to have bananna splits. She had all the toppings prepared with what went on what scoop of ice cream flavor. It was a special treat I will never forget.

Day 8

2011-05-22T22:06:00.001-07:00

April 8, 2011
Leaving the country side, and saying good bye to this Hotel is not easy. We are sad to leave. We enjoyed one last amazing breakfast and view.

Today we are heading back to the city of Bilbao, with a small detour to a mountain town called Axpe, Spain. For lunch we are going to Etxebarri. The grill master. Finding this place was no easy task. This was the first and only time we got lost the whole trip. The restaurant is tucked back in a mountain town, so small it seems even the locals don’t know it exists.

Ryan absolutely LOVED this place! He ordered the tasting menu, and fortunately I didn’t have to they split some dishes so I could sample too. I watched him indulge in course after course of grilled deliciousness. We ate fresh, grilled sardines, bone in beef, octopus, homemade goat milk butter on grilled bread, whole prawns, cod, sea cucumber, house made chorizo on polenta. Every dish had a perfect combination of char, oil and salt with a subtle, spot on accompaniment.

The bone-in beef is the highlight here and was sweet and charred on the outside and decadent on the inside. It was almost like a desert. The actual desert was cheese ice cream with a fresh berry sauce, flawless. Ryan felt this was the most impressive meal we had. I had a huge filet that was grilled on an open flame and sampled many of Ryan’s dishes.

After our meal we continued on, to make it to the Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Disappointingly, a good majority of the exhibits were closed for new installs. The grounds and the building itself were worth every penny. Our hotel Gran Hotel Domine was a rock throw away from the museum. It made it really convenient for the short time we were there to take in as much of the museum as we could. Some of the installations were very impressive. The permanent exhibits complimented the architecture and abundance of modern designs.

When we checked into our hotel for the evening the bell man taking us to our room, asked if “we like football?” “Yeah, we like football” He let us in on a little secret that the Real Madrid soccer team was staying at our hotel and will be arriving shortly. The anticipation of the most famous soccer team arrival had everyone excited. The hotel closed down the lobby and had everything roped off. Police and security lined the streets and all the entrances to the hotel. Since we were staying at the hotel we and a few others were the only ones in the lobby. It was so fun to join in the fans cheering on the team when they arrived.

Day 7

2011-05-22T15:23:00.001-07:00

April 7, 2011
Morning, we had the complimentary breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast was an impressive spread of fruit, Iberian cold cuts, pastries, variety of cheeses, fresh squeezed orange juice to drink, and local bread. This wasn’t your Holiday Inn continental breakfast by any stretch of the imagination.

Long before our hotel existed it was one of the oldest wineries in Spain. The family winery still exist, underneath the hotel lies the catacombs of the original wine collections.

These are priceless 100 year old wines. Included in this collection, the very first vintage bottle ever produced. The winery tour, part of the Marques De Riscal experience, is not to be missed.

The next town over is the small town of Laguardia, Spain. Laguardia is a small sleepy fortress town that you can walk from one end to other in ten minutes. The town is completely surrounded by a big wall and built on top of a hill with moldy catacombs used for wine underneath.

When we got there everything was shut down for their afternoon siesta, “when in Rome.”

On the out skirts of town along the foothills, lies Bodegas Ysios designed by architect Santiago Calatrava. The project was completed in 2000 and was named after the Egyptian goddess of magic, who oversaw the conversion of grapes into wine. The building mimicked the landscape in the background.

For dinner that night we ate at Posada Mayor de Migueloa. It was so delicious; it tasted like what I imagined as a home cooked meal in a Spanish household. The flavors were so refreshing from all the heavy buttery dishes we have had.

I didn’t take any photos of our food, picture via this blog.

Day 6

2011-05-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

April 6, 2011
On the move again. It is our last day in San Sebastian and then we are on the road to the country side, but not before our lunch reservation at Restaurante Akelaŕe. We had a few hours to "waste" before lunch and took advantage of some sites.

We made our way up a windy road to the restaurant. The views were incredible. The restaurant sits high on a cliff side with expansive ocean views below.

We began yet another feast. I am still full from the previous day! There was no way I could sit through another 10+ courses. So I begged Ryan if we could order À la carte (usually for the courses the whole table has to order the tasting menu.) He agreed. First the chef sent out an Amuse-bouche. This was an interesting take on your daily regiment, let me explain.

Most everything on this plate is edible, everything down to the plastic bag. The sponge was a buttery cracker that you pump out tomato basil spread. The jar of cream is actually a cheese sauce that you eat with the bag of bread crumbs, and lastly the mouth wash, was juice. Interesting. We ordered an appetizer of Iberian ham with flat bread.

For my main course I ordered steak. I have favorites spread out all over this trip, favorite overall restaurant, favorite specific dish, and this was the BEST dish of the trip!

This buttery steak was wrapped in a crispy potato soaking in brown gravy with lentils purée. The yellow sponge is butter that quickly melted into the sauce. So incredibly delicious. Ryan ordered roasted baby pig with tomato “Bolao” and Iberian emulsion.

For dessert we ordered an apple tart and chocolate box with banana ice cream.

Artisan Chocolates

After our meal was complete the Chef, Pedro Sublijana, made his way through the restaurant and introduced himself to each table.

When we were finished with lunch we hit the road to the Rioja region. We arrived at our Hotel, Hotel Marques de Riscal, in the small town of Elciego.

The hotel is designed by one of our favorite architects, Frank Gehry. [remember the wiggle chair I got to sit in] Our room.

We explored the hotel for the remainder of the evening. This is easily the best hotel experience we have ever had. The architecture, service and room are impeccable. The weather has also remained perfect thus far so we had a very nice time enjoying the ambiance and luxury on the patio of the hotel. There is a great blend of new architecture with the contrasting cityscape of old gothic and stone of Elciego.

Day 4, 5

2011-04-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

April 4, 2011- Today we flew to the northern region of Spain. We boarded a local airline and took the 45 minute flight to Bilbao, Spain. It was just as I imagined; the lushest, greenest rolling hills I had ever seen. It was breath taking. For this leg of the trip we decided to rent a car. We wanted to be able to see as much of the country side as possible and stop off where we pleased, and we did just that. First stop was an old deserted gothic castle named Butrón. Unfortunately, we don’t know too much about it because it really is completely deserted and off the beaten path. We walked the grounds, grabbed a few photos, and were back in the car on to our next destination. San Sebastian.

San Sebastian is a beautiful coastal town with cutesy boutiques and home to many great restaurants that await us. We checked into the Hotel Maria Cristina. After settling in we went for a walk along the beach. We enjoyed a nice picnic of our own rendition of the locals’ sandwich. Bread, iberian ham, tomato heart, olive oil.

April 5, 2011- This day was long awaited, an exciting culinary day. For lunch we ate at A Fuegro Negro. It was a small restaurant tucked away in the pedestrian streets of downtown San Sebastian. The food was super creative. Highlights include: gazpacho tomato ball soup, olives stuffed with martini jelly, pork tongue that was really tender and actually pretty good, fried hake, pigeon with an edible POW! comic bubble, and beet ice cream with beet cake. This was one of Ryan’s favorite dining experiences. The restaurant was right up his alley.

Later that night we ate at three Michelin star rated restaurant, Arzak. Arzak was an exceptional experience from start to finish. It is widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in the world. Most of our restaurant reservations were made months in advance to us even coming to Spain, at that time Ryan had requested a tour of the kitchen and our wish was granted. I had no idea how many hands went into making our food. The staff in the kitchen outweighed the guest 10x. It was amazing to see the amount of people it takes in preparation of such a restaurant. After our kitchen tour we began our meal with an overwhelming amount of “amusements” or Amuse-bouche. Everything from glowing boxes to dry ice, craftily displayed the food. One of our favorite dishes here was the PERFECTLY executed monkfish in the “sand.” I loved the art on their menu so much I asked if I could have one and the chef graciously signed it for me. This was an unforgettable night.

Day 1,2,3

2011-04-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

April 1, 2011- Travel day, en route to Barcelona. April 2, 2011- We finally arrive, 9am local time. Check-in: Hotel Condes De Barcelona.

We wasted no time indulging in the regional food. This after all, was one of our main contributing factors for choosing Spain; world renowned restaurants. For lunch we had reservations at Lasarte, by chef Martín Berasategui. The food was delicately prepared, but the flavors were hit and miss throughout the whole meal. By the time our meal was finished we were so exhausted, Denver time it was about 8am with no sleep. So we called it a day.

April 3, 2011- To get us going our first stop was, Café Viena. A simple cheap sandwich shop. NY Times wrote an article about these tasty sandwiches locals call fluatas, of course we had to try them. On a tasty meter I will give them an 8. After brunch we toured the Salvador Dali museum: super impressive with so many different pieces of his work.

From there we walked several blocks to check out Sagrada Familia. By far my favorite site of the whole trip. The project was started in 1882 by architect Antoni Gaudí and to this day it is still not finished. I can go on and on about this cathedral because there is so much symbolism that was put into every detail of the building.

More sites of the city, I am obsessed with all the ornate buildings this city has to offer.

That night we ate at Paco Meralgo, a popular and delicious tapas restaurant.

Spain

2011-04-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

After 10days, 7flights, 5hotels, 7cities later, and 1,000+ pictures, we are back home! It feels so good to be home. We did have an amazing trip and crammed as much as we could in the time we were there. The days events to follow...

Guess where we're going...

2011-02-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

a hint

picture taken from here

Thank You!

2011-02-22T18:05:00.000-08:00

Thank you Matt and Lindsay for inviting us to Winter Park! We had the most wonderful time and enjoyed every minute of it. Your place was beautiful, the skiing amazing, and the company was perfect. We miss you already, and look forward to getting together soon! Believe it or not, I hardly took any pics. Pictured: hosts and the view.

A new addition

2011-02-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Joel and Rachel!

Rachel gave birth to Amaya Anne Lindsey, 8 lbs. 7 oz., 20 1/2 inches. I can't get over how pretty she is, I am a proud Aunt, again.

Williams-Sonoma Croissants

2011-02-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

We ordered these croissants from the Williams-Sonoma website and they are fantastic! They come frozen. Let them raise overnight, pop them in the oven the next morning, and you have a delicious breakfast. They come out so puffy and buttery. You must try these!

Kimball Kitchen: Pizza

2011-02-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

[Whole Foods fresh pizza dough, tomatoe, cheese, basil]

[homemade whole wheat dough, tomatoe, cheese, fried egg, roasted red peper, olive]

We have been experimenting with homemade pizza and I think we have almost perfected the art. We have tried many different doughs: Sunflower Farmers Market dough (a frozen ball of dough), Whole Foods fresh not frozen dough (white and multi grain), and our own whole wheat recipe (that clearly didn't rise). Whole Foods dough is the best and most convenient. It is premade and has already had time to rise. We use san marzano tomatoes for sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil, equals’ incredibly tasty pizza.

Happy Birthday

2011-02-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Ryan’s twenty ninth birthday last week, last stop before 30! Ryan’s new kick lately is dry aged steak. That was his one request for his birthday dinner. He called every steakhouse in Denver to see who had the oldest dry aged steak and if it was done on premise. Capital Grille won our business for the night. They dry age their beef for 28 days. Our dinner was delicious. Happy Birthday Ryan!

Cheers to 2011

2011-02-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

Bringing in the New Year with bellies full of juicy steak. Since then:
gym membership purchased… check
olympic triathlon… on the calendar
travel to a new country… pending

Heres to an exciting new year!

Santa Came to Visit

2011-01-31T20:21:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we had a visit from Santa Clause. He brought Mason a toy train. Mason was totally mesmerized by the whole experience. After Santa left Mason stood by the door looking out the window for the longest time. It was the highlight of my Christmas. Christmas is so magical with kids around.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Christmas is next week, this month has flown by. I feel like Thanksgiving was last weekend.

This will be me and Ryan's first Christmas "home." We are on the every other year plan Kimball/Meador. This year is Meador year, and I am glad it worked out this way because this means we get to have our first Christmas (of being homeowners) in our new house. Our first Christmas as a married couple happened to be on our honeymoon. It was a special Christmas, even though we were away we still got a little mini tree to put up in the place we were staying.

We didn't have any decorations so we cut out snowflakes from newspapers, this will be a continued tradition for our tree year after year.
On the 15th we celebrated our anniversary, Happy Anniversary Ryan!

Kimball Kitchen: Chicken Parmesan

2010-12-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

Tonight we made chicken parmesan with homemade marinara sauce courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.

It turned out really good! I love the homemade sauce and fresh herbs, they really make the difference. Our one complaint is the recipe didn't call for the chicken to be breaded. Ryan and I both agree the chicken needs to be breaded, after all the chrunchy texture is the best part. Next time.

Giving Thanks...

2010-12-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

For family, friends, and food!
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Tom and Annette flew in from California. The time went by way too fast. We managed to squeeze in a visit to the Boulder Contemporary Art Museum, a trip to the Denver Aquarium, lunch with extended family, movies, decorated the Christmas tree, black Friday shopping, and of course Thanksgiving dinner. I hope all of you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Setting The Table

2010-11-07T21:54:00.000-08:00

This year we are hosting Thanksgiving! This may be tricky without a dining room table; I will have to get creative to solve this one. But none the less the food will be fantastic. We just reserved our 14lb organic turkey @ Whole Foods. Ryan is in charge of the Turkey, this takes the pressure off me. No Griswold dinner here. I wish all of you lived closer, and we could enjoy each other’s company.

My table top inspiration

I wish I had a picture of the invitations I sent out. They turned out super cute. The invitations read:

You’re invited to join us in a Thanksgiving celebration
At the Kimball residence
November 25, Dinner will be served at 4pm

llll

Menu

Herb Roasted Turkey

Honey Baked Ham
Whipped Mashed Potatoes
Chestnut Stuffing
Butter Greens
Candied Yams
Monkey Bread

Please share with us your favorite pie

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Cleopatra and her Mummy

We hand made both our costumes, so crafty this year!

We had a great Halloween this year! Ryan and I have been working on this Halloween "project" practically all month and it finally made its big debut the weekend of Halloween. We got two pieces of black fabric drew two skeletons, cut them out, and backed it with white fabric. We hung them in the front two windows and put the strobe light on. It looked pretty cool! I couldn't get a good picture, one with lights one with out.

Goodbye Summer

2010-08-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

Horsetooth Reservoir
Mason never misses out

We toured a local brewery in Ft Collins.

We did a few hikes above Boulder. The view is always gorgeous!
I had a birthday. I was lucky enough to celebrate with Mom, Dad and Grandma and Grandpa. We went to Brasserie Ten Ten in Boulder. It was memorable, and the food was great.
Afterward we celebrated with Chocolate Better Batter ice cream cake from Maggie Moos. My absolute favorite. The only promblem is the closest one to us is about 45min away. This made for an interesting outcome when the cake finally made it home. Thank you Ryan it was worth it!!

Meador Faces

2010-08-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

Brush Brothers Painting

2010-07-13T20:32:00.001-07:00

Thank You to Brush Brothers Painting for painting the interior of our home. They did such a fantastic job! We did a reverse two tone through the whole house, and we love it. The bedroom is completly monochromatic. Everything from trim, doors, and ceiling are all gray. We did two accent walls in a dark gray running from the front of the house to the back. We are very pleased with their work and highly recommend them.

Brush Brothers information: (801)388-6266 brushbrothers@gmail.com

422: Living and Master

2010-07-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Fourth in Monterey

2010-07-11T00:45:00.000-07:00

Lucky for us we spent the Fourth in Monterey, California. The Kimball family has their reunion every other year, always in Monterey, always over the fourth of July (at least sense I've been around). To my disappointment there were NO fireworks this year. NO fireworks. Tom says because California is bankrupt. Tragic. I love fireworks, but to tell you the truth no one does fire works like Utah does fireworks.

This was my third time to attend the Kimball reunion, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the previous years. We did all of the touristy things, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Warf, 17 mile drive, walked around the shops in Carmel. I am a real sucker for tourist traps, they never seem to get old.
When we first arrived (after we stopped at in n out of course) we all met at Phil's Fish Market, famous for their chipino. It may look familiar because this is a frequent stop when we are in town. Ryan loves this soup! I however...well that is why we went to in n out first.
We went traipsing through the rocks at low tide. I could spend all day out there looking for creatures. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip. We found so many cool things.Don't worry I just fell right in the water, it was graceful I am sure. I landed right on my bum, and saved the camera. The worst part is I had a perfect abalone shell in my back pocket and completely crushed it.Uncle Allen is in the Seafood Business, and has great knowledge of marine life, it was like having our own personal tour guide. He knew right where to find all the little creatures and what they are. Monetery Bay Aquarium One of many walks on the beach. So gorgeous!Women of the Kimball Family
A few trips ago I made a sweet discovery. I'm not sure which I like better Maggie Moos Chocolate better batter, or Thrifty's Chocolate Malt Ball Crunch.We played a couple games of Tennis. (One of my most recent hobbies, I've been taking classes at the rec center and really enjoy the game.)Ryan and his challengerCarmel Corn is the BEST on Fisherman's Warf. Every piece is perfectly coated with crunchy delicious caramel. Thank you Tom and Annette for a wonderful trip!

Meals on Wheels

2010-07-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

StrEAT Chefs has brought a whole new meaning to meals on wheels. Jose, winner of Top Chef, can be found anywhere around town serving up tasty food street side. An iconic Airstream is totally converted to a gourmet kitchen. You can go to their website to see where they will be on any given night. Saturday it was 29th street mall in Boulder. Ryan enjoyed a Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich (delicious), and I had a BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with slaw. Both were equally as good, OK maybe Ryan's was a little better. We will be coming back for more, Monday night see you at Chautauqua park.

422: Kitchen and Bath

2010-07-10T14:24:00.001-07:00

Kitchen

Guest BathroomJack and Jill Bath

Master bath

422: Exterior

2010-07-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

Home sweet home curb side.

Wallpaper

2010-07-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

Wallpaper is my new found love. There are so many different kinds! It is coming back and I am welcoming it with open arms. My recent purchase is by Graham and Brown. You can check out their really neat stuff here. I have big plans for this birdcage paper in the guest room, so get excited future guest. A little preview pic:

Zig Zag Wall

2010-06-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

This was quite the undertaking!! I wanted to give up on this project multiple times, I stuck it out, and voila!

Ryan thinks it looks like a circus (which it pretty much does). The contrast is a little bolder than I had imagined. I spent so much time on this labor intensive wall, it will stay for now. At least until I get tired of it and paint it solid.

and the winner is

2010-06-29T16:06:00.001-07:00

This rug went on sale at Anthropologie, so it made my decision making a little easier. I am glad I purchased it when I did because it is already sold out. My only complaint is the "flowers" are navy instead of black, oh well, still a good buy. Stay tuned for the office complete. Room by room, someday the house will be finished.

Good times had by all!

2010-06-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day

2010-06-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day, Dad!This year I had Dad all to myself, ladies (Jennifer, Jamie, Janelle) better luck next year. For fathers day we went camping at lake McConaughy. Ryan and I can now cross Nebraska off our list. Nebraska is pretty, very green with tons of farm land. The lake is so different than lakes here in Colorado with white sandy beaches! It was so funny to see tractors on the launch ramps. There was one paved launch ramp and the rest were all sand. They would use the tractors to launch the boats, I guess that's how they do it in Nebraska. One of the few pictures from the trip, Mom and Dad's tent: complete with "nightstands," two fans, a queen blow up mattress, and fresh white sheets.

On Sunday RYAN made us homemade berry pie and ice cream. It was so delicious, he made everything from scratch, from the crust to the ice cream. I am so lucky to have such a talented husband, he calls me his sous chef.

Lets take a vote...

2010-05-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the house will come shortly, It just isn't the same taking pictures with no furniture or decor. So I need help picking out a rug for the office:

Option 1.Option 2.Option 3.Option 4.
Option 5.

Anyone out there?

2010-05-16T17:06:00.001-07:00

House Update

2010-01-01T20:26:00.001-08:00

Here is how we are coming along on the house.

Day 0.

Foundation poured, basement walls up (From the back of the house)
Subfloors going in. (from the back of the house)
Framing! Finally a house

Currently the dry wall is complete! Next step paint.

No closing date yet.... but we are hoping for 1st or 2nd week of February!

Rachel & Joel Married

2009-10-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we flew to California for Rachel's wedding. It was a perfect day for their backyard wedding. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Summer in no paticular order

2009-07-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

I have neglected this blog for quite sometime now; this is our summer in brief.
First, I have some old river pictures that I uploaded but never finished a post. [the date of this post is a reflection of that]
Remnants of our June river trip:

At the beginning of the summer Ryan and I did a Triathlon in Vail. It was absolutely gorgeous up there. We stayed at a really nice resort which made for a very relaxing weekend.

This is where we did the swim portion of the race. Ryan and I were 2 of about 5 people who were not wearing wetsuits. BIG mistake I could barely breath the whole time. It was freezing!

A small reward after the raceOur hotelRyan and I purchased a Tent!

We used it twice this summer and hope to use it many more times in the future.

My sister Jamie and her family came in town from North Carolina and spent a couple weeks with us. It was great to have them here. It was so fun to wake up to my little nieces in the morning.

We celebrated many summer/ post summer birthday!and saving the best news for last...

Ryan and I bought a house!!! Well right now we have some dirt, we decided to build a new home and it will be done in 6months. We are so excited and hope the time flies.

The day we signed the papers. This will be our lot, behind the green house. They should break ground this week! Yipee.

Hallett Regatta

2009-07-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Who: Anyone who owns a Hallett boat
What: Every other year Hallett host a party where all the boat owners get together and celebrate. There is always a poker run and a party at night with lots of prize giveaways. The best part of all is the In-out-truck.
When: Father's Day weekend (I am really late in getting these up)
Where: Lake Mead NV
The next day we went to The Coffee Cup. It was featured on diners drive-ins and dives!

Georgetown

2009-06-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today was Ryan's last day before he starts his new job. We wanted to do something fun before it is back to a 40hr work week. We heard about this old mining landmark by the name of Georgetown. In 1859 it was established, built on the discovery of gold and silver. It was so fun to run around to all of the historic buildings and capture them through photography. I love taking pictures of structures, so this was a gold mine! Along our mini road trip we stopped at Beaujos Pizza, and the one and only Buffalo Bill's Grave. The views where absolutely gorgeous, see for yourself...

The Incline

2009-05-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

What is the Incline? The Incline is an old cable car track that was used as a scenic route for Mt. Manitou. The cable car used to take people up the face of the rocky Mountains before shutting down in the 90s. Now people climb it for fun. Well technically it is not open to the public, but everyone still does it. From start to finish it is about a mile long. You start at an elevation of 6574 and end at 8585. The average grade of the hike is 41% and in some parts 68%! Ryan wanted to see how fast he could make it up, he finished in 35 minutes! It was definitely exhausting, and today I am feeling the effects.

At the very bottom looking upMid way through looking down, that makes me dizzy!

Our car is parked at that white circle on the middle right side of the pic.

We made it!

Part Two: Garden of the Gods

Weekender

2009-05-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

Last minute Ryan and I flew out to UT to visit my little sister and her family. I always enjoy spending time with them. Last I saw them was over the Easter holiday and since than Mason has grown so much. He's not a baby anymore he is a toddler! Tear. He has two front bottom teeth and he is huge!

We did so many fun things crammed into just a few days. We ate at a few of our favorites, Les Madeleines, The Pie, and Cafe Trio (which seriously deserves some national recognition!) We went to Red Butte Gardens and did a hike to a waterfall. Sorry don't know the name, but it was just east of Ogden and it was beautiful. The Mountains are so pretty, we really were deprived of doing activities like these in TX.

Thanks again Janelle and Kent for hosting a wonderful weekend! A few pics of the highlights..

Happy Easter

2009-04-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! I hope ya'll had a great Easter. We had a great time celebrating. Saturday we went and toured a candy factory. It was so much fun, I think everyone enjoyed it. Who doesn't have a sweet tooth? That night for dinner we went to this place called White Fence Farm. It is mainly a fried chicken place, but they have all sorts of various attractions: farm animals, antique store, play grounds, live music, and the list goes on. It was a bit overwhelming. But plenty of things to keep the kids entertained for many hours. Sunday we did all of the traditional Easter activities, Easter baskets, dyed Easter eggs, Easter egg hunt, church, and family dinner. Some favorites...

Dying the eggs

The final product Ohhh you know, out for a stroll downtown before Easter Sunday

Candy Shop
Love birds

Me and Mason

I heart Austin

2009-03-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Ryan and I joined his dad in Austin. I love that city. The food, the culture, the architecture. This time of year is blue bonnet season and it made the drive a scavenger hunt for me. I really wanted to find fields of them, but I think we were just a little too soon. However I did manage to capture a few. We took Tom to the best BBQ, Rudy's. He enjoyed it just as much as we do. Delicious.

Tom was in Austin for a big power conference. Part of the conference is for the actual Linemen, and they have a linemen rodeo. I had never heard of such a thing. It was fun to watch the people from his area compete, and they won 1st place in one of the events!

Austin also has this neighborhood that we have had our eyes on for about a year, so of course we had to do another drive-thru. We would love to build a home something similar to these ones......someday, someday.

Cowtown

2009-03-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Fat Tuesday!

2009-02-24T21:50:00.000-08:00

Dallas' very own MystiQal 2009 parade The Grambling Band

This band was so entertaining!
Best marching band.

Valentines Day

2009-02-14T21:44:00.000-08:00

Ryan loves Jill.

Another double feature

2009-02-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

We love movies. We also love watching the Academy Awards. A few years back we started a tradition: we watch all of the Oscar nominees, print off a ballot, place our votes, and watch the awards. The only section we previously have been forced to make a blind guess, year after year, is the short films. Those are really hard to come by. Except this year! We were lucky enough The Magnolia downtown was showing both the live action and animated short film nominees. So tonight we did another double feature. They were excellent, all of them. For a total of 10 animated (5 nominees + 5 bonus) and 5 live action. Our Vote-
For Live Action:
Manon Sur Le Bitume (Manon on the Asphalt) (France)
For Animated:
Le Maison en Petits Cubes (Pieces of Love, Vol. 1) (Japan)