New Years Prep Day!

Every year we spend the day before New Years at Grandpa and Grandma's house to help get things ready for New Years Day!  This year was no different, except we had lots of extra help from our kiddies!! :)  

Bailey peeling daikon for namasu

Uncle Frank slicing gobo for kimpira (My Favorite!)

Grandma cleaning out the grapefruit for kanten (another favorite!)

Gregory cooking the gobo

"What's next?!"

Breaking the agar agar for the kanten

Grandpa and Gregory

Granma slicing shitake for umani

Daddy and Bailey busy cleaning shrimp

Daddy's first try at oboro ~ looks pretty

Grandpa busy doing dishes

My baby with Grandma ~ He's spending the night tonight ~ his yearly thing ~

Uncle playing with the kids ~ trying to talk them into going swimming tomorrow!?!  Polar Plunge

Daddy's New Project

Well, Daddy found himself a new project.  Now he is rebuilding our fence!

He tore out a section yesterday

Garden Update - Broccoli and Swiss Chard are doing well

Thought the freeze took the lettuce, but it's still looking good

Cabbage ~ Still waiting for it to start balling up

Back to the fence

Things are moving along

First section is DONE!

Christmas Dinner ~

All the decorations have been put away and the Christmas music shelved, but we have lots of memories of a wonderful holiday passed!

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Merry Christmas Eve and a Visit From Santa!

We had a very Merry Christmas Eve last night and a nice visit from Santa this am! The kids were up at the crack of dawn, but we managed to keep them away from the living room until 7am. By then, they weren't interested in hanging out in our room anymore. Christmas started off with Santa gifts and a pancake breakfast. Now the kids are busy playing while Clark tries to unknot a huge skein of yarn. Ho, Ho, Ho!

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Crabby

Daddy has been very busy at work lately and now that he has a little time off he is trying to keep us moving!  Lots of family fun!  Today we took a drive to Half Moon Bay to pick up some fresh (meaning live) crabs before heading out to Grandpa and Grandma's house!  

It was a beautiful day!  Almost on the warm side

Gregory enjoying the boats

Look at the line!  And this is around 11am!

Look!  Daddy and Bailey picked up four crabs

We also picked up a pound of spotted prawns ~ and I must say, they were so yummy!  I'd make the drive just for another sack of those.  In fact, I'd say, get the whole box!

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Just some random photos I haven't posted...

San Ramon's Christmas tree.  

Just a cute shot

In front of our tree

Bailey made this poinsettia arrangement in brownie scouts for Grandpa

Kiddies with their little babies

Detour

 This morning we were on our way to the Farmers Market and Daddy said he left something on his desk at work.  I said let's go pick it up and go to Japan Town for lunch and we were off!

Daddy just moved his office so this was our first visit to his new space

Here's his desk ~ I think he had the messiest desk in the whole agency!

The office is made up of a bunch of long desks ~ no walls to hang anything up ~  

The Holiday Sing

 Today the little man had his Holiday Sing at school.  They were soooo cute!  Gregory tells me after school ~ I told Macie I hope our show isn't to cute cuz my mom might start crying!  I told him I almost cried twice!  He did a nice job on his little speaking part and I could hear him singing loudly during all the songs and his nice voice during all the poetry readings.  He has a tie under that scarf (if you're wondering)  Told me he wanted to look sharp today. :)

Now we are on a two week break!  Don't know what the kiddies will be up to, but I'm looking forward to sleeping in!! (Wonder if that'll actually happen)

The Holiday Show

This afternoon the 3rd Graders at Bailey's school performed "The Holiday Show"!  It was the cutest little musical and they all did such a great job!

Our little bunny

Everyone getting into position

More Ornaments

Yesterday we went to see the movie Frozen, ran errands and went out for dinner!  Today we took it easy, (Well, Bailey and I took it easy while Daddy and Gregory ran around town this morning ~ the pm we all took it easy! :)) lit a fire and made Christmas ornaments!

We made felt Santas!

My son wanted to help out, but wasn't in the mood for photos

Daddy only had time to help with one Santa before the 49er game started

Pretty cute, eh?

We also made Rudolf!  Six of him ~ I only bought red noses, but I guess I should've picked up some brown too!