Mom's B-Day Wine Tasting Tour

While we headed up to SF for a wedding, the timing was perfect for an early birthday celebration for my mom. She wanted to go wine tasting so we decided to take her to St. Helena to visit a some wineries we hadn't been to before. Since it's been years since we did wine tastings with my family, we were all looking forward to it. The 1.5 hour drive to Napa seemed long, but we were glad to sit down to a delightful picnic lunch, followed by visits to two other wineries. The wedding we went to was also at a winery so we unexpectedly ended up doing tastings two days in a row. It's been busy weekend with lots of activity - great to get some downtime now that we're home.

My brother and Michelle set up a birthday picnic lunch at V. Sattui Winery.

And now for a more civilized tasting, we visited Duckhorn, a winery that once hosted Obama.

A look at Duckhorn's vineyards.

Mom and I couldn't pass up a chance to eat grapes right from the vine. They were very sweet.

 

Castello Di Amorosa, a castle in St. Helena, was a unique wine tasting experience.

 

An extra treat - animals just outside the castle. This sheep was very hungry.

Happy and healthy chickens. We even saw some pigs.

A Birthday to Remember

 The way to a woman's heart is through her stomach, at least it's true for me. Eddie made me a wonderful meal thanks to some help from the Food Network. For dinner, skinny pesto pasta and a lite caprese salad. This was a homemade meal with fresh organic ingredients, nothing pre-made except for the pasta and the cheese. Eddie did a great job, and I got to enjoy a little down time outside in our backyard with a little wine. I received some nice cards and gifts from friends and family, which we read together. It was a sweet and peaceful evening, and I wouldn't have preferred it any other way. I'm sipping a cup of tea and still thinking about that delicious meal. Who knew my hubby had these skills?

The best pesto linguini ever made by my favorite person.

 

Another Year Another B-Day

Eddie proposed a dinner out and a walk for my birthday. Nothing formal was the mood of the day so we ordered appetizers and drinks while enjoying a lovely ocean view. It's hard to believe I'm another year older, that we've been married for a year, that it's been 6 years since we first met. What have we accomplished? Getting married, buying a house, 2 job promotions, 7-8 half marathons. Learning about how to support each other has been part of this journey. Sometimes we struggle to find common ground, but we do find it. I'm not sure how any couple effortlessly drops the "I" completely when you become a "We". It takes practice. I have a great partner in Eddie. Thank you for a very special birthday.

 

Lucky in love.

Las Vegas with Mariah

Eddie and I visited Las Vegas with nearly front row seats to see Mariah Carey. She sounded great, and it was amazing to sing the songs we know and love with the superstar herself. We dressed up for a dinner at Nobu that night. Eating healthy in Las Vegas is possible after all, and we walked 4 miles a day easily even if we stayed inside the hotel. With over 100 degree temps, it was tough to stay outside for any length of time, so 30 min at the pool was about all I could handle. Some high notes, Mariah Carey, Miso Cod at Nobu, and finally watching Wild (I read the book, and the movie did it justice).

Mariah in all her glory - nearly front row seats.

Eddie and I on a rare dress up night out.

Healthy breakfast to start the day.

Universal Studios and the Gentle Barn

We had a great time at Universal Studios followed by a visit to an animal sanctuary for farm animals. Check out our fun pics!

Mom and Eddie on the red carpet.

Eddie insisted we go to Moe's Bar.

The Gentle Barn Entrance

Mom brushes a cow saved from slaughter. You can see she was branded #28.

 Cows are so gentle.

We're about to enter the sanctuary.

Genetically modified pigs for slaughter grow to 1000 lbs like these. Normally, they are 200-300 lbs.

Buttercup got her close up. She serves as mama for orphaned calves that come to the sanctuary.

Track Day is a Great Day

Is a day a the races ever bad? Never. My wonderful hubby booked us a table with a seat close to all the action. A bloody mary, appetizers, friends, and perfect weather! Now that's how you enjoy the summer in San Diego. We broke even, but we really came out ahead because we had a great time.

 Track side table with friends and a few libations.

Cool shades! 

 

What a view!