My California Christmas 2009

I had a wonderful time in sunny California for a week long Christmas holiday. We spent a beautiful day in Santa Barbara with a stroll along the Santa Barbara beach and pier. We also spent some time wandering through the outdoor mall and of course stopping for a Starbucks gluten free soy latte!

With my new Celiac Disease diagnosis, Mom and I spent a lot of time in what came to be known as the gluten free test kitchen. It may has well have been the Betty Crocker test kitchen because we use all of her mixes and recipes. Bravo!! Two thumbs up for Betty and her team!! Here mom is showing off the only thing we cooked all week that contained gluten, peanut butter dog cookies!! All of the cousins, Kiska, Macie, Gabby and Bingo all loved them.

Mom, Dad, Meg and I celebrated Mom's birthday at our now annual ceramic painting extravaganza. Armed with paint brushes and cupcakes a good time was had by all!

Christmas...was lots of fun. All of the usual wonderful traditions, steak dinner, presents and a rowdy game of balderdash. Dad was extra creative and crossed the finishline first.

Mom was this years Fantasy Football champion and now has the jersey of her favorite quarterback to remember the season (and the romping she ensued on everyother team) by.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Thanksgiving, New Closet and a Snuggie!

It's been a busy month. Too busy for blogging, so this is a mish mash of blog catch up, in reverse order, chronologically.

Sara's first Christmas gift of the season from her friend Patty in Minnesota. Yes, it's true you are looking at Sara in a Snuggie. Turns out they really are EXTREMELY warm.


Next, the new walk in closet.

The mess before...

Gabby measuring and laying out. Sara doing the same...

Dry wall is up...

Final photo on next blog (didn't take photo yet!)...oops!

We celebrated Thanksgiving at Odie and Jessica's house this year. We had a fabulous day long celebration filled with learning to brew a batch of mead (like wine but honey in the place of grapes), we cooked, enjoyed friends and played a lot of rock band. My first gluten free Thanksgiving was wonderful time after all!

Sara was assigned to the buns, both gluten free and glutenous. I will have to say that the wheat filled buns looked delicious compared to the hard tack that I choked down, well the first bite anyway (the rest were abandoned). After that I chose to proceed both gluten free and bun free. We have some work to do there before next Thanksgiving.

Lot's of Rock Band. Totally embarrassing but we, Odie and I, wore the same shirt to dinner! :-)

The day before Thanksgiving we met Adam and Susie's new baby girl ,Kaia. She is a beautiful bundle of Joy.