The Big 4 0!

Can hardly believe it!

Today is Greg's 40th birthday -- seems like just yesterday he was 28 and we were getting to know each other.

Time sure flies when you're getting older!

We'll celebrate when I get home today -- too early to party at 4:45 a.m. He wants to go to his favorite chinese buffet restaurant tonight so we're there!

Happy Birthday Handsome!

Now you're officially a raisin.

I love you,
V

Fun Weekend

Friday:
Had a great time visiting with Erin at lunch. Thanks Erin for lunch, the great conversation, and reminiscing about old times! So happy you loved the photos.

Had a great BBQ with Mona/Peanut - always great laughs and yummy food.

Saturday:
Spent the day in Chico celebrating Mandy's 21st birthday. Had a good lunch at Sierra Nevada Brewery - the food wasn't that great but the atmosphere was very nice. They have a great gift store and they even give tours of the brewery.

Mandy gave us a tour of the spa she works at - very high end and beautiful. Went to Bidwell Park to capture a few snapshots of my girls. It was a great visit! Hard to believe Mandy is now 21!

Even had time at the end of the day to squeeze in the move "Fame". It was fair - not outstanding.

Sunday:
Spent the afternoon with Renee at Valerie's soccer game in San Ramon. So good to visit - the three of us had lunch and then we watched her play soccer. It was a warm day and a perfect setting for lounging. Great conversation and friendship fun!

Had a BBQ at Mona/Peanut's -- BBQ'd riblets, spring salad and fresh homemade french fries -- so yummy! I think I gained 3 lbs.

ENJOY THIS DAY!

21

So hard to believe my baby is 21 today!

HAPPY, HAPPY 21st sweet Mandy!

Of course it seems like only yesterday you were starting school, riding your bike, rollerblading, talking back, scarying mom, going to prom, getting grounded, and giggling non-stop!
A new chapter begins today (that of drinking of course). You are legal and will make it known to the world today!

I hope you have a fantastic day filled with friends, love, presents, and laughter. Can't wait to see you on Saturday!!!

Enjoy this special day!

I love you,

Mom

Happy Fall!

Hi all,

Yep, although it's going to be 102 degrees today, it's officially the first day of fall. I love this season and so look forward to:

- Color

- Homemade soups

- Crisp, fresh air

- Pumpkins

- Baking

- Sweaters

- Cool evenings

- The crunch of fall leaves

- Casseroles

Enjoy this day!

V

Kodak Moments

Hi there,

I had a great time doing a photoshoot on Sunday with my friend Erin and her family. Using our local resources, I took 250 snapshots. I am weeding through all the pics and selecting my favorites (which total out to be about 50).
Erin: I will soon hand them over - in the meantime, here is a quick peek. Let me mention these were not my top picks -- just saving the best for last!

V

PBR

Hi all,

Had a great time on Saturday at the PBR. Those cowboys are something else! I don't think I could ever get tossed off a bull like that - however, I think I would try. I've always had dreams about being the first female bull rider! And now, presenting, direct from Antioch, a little frenchie - Veronique!! I can hear it now!

Anyhow, had a great time with friends. The evening passed too quickly though. Thanks Renee for setting up the dinner reservations -- I always miss you and am so glad we were able to get together. You owe me our monthly dinner!

Enjoy your evening and happy trails all,

V

Family Portraits

So excited about doing a family photoshoot tomorrow. My dear friend Erin will be allowing me to photograph her family.
I'm hoping we'll capture some good, natural snap shots.
Be on the lookout for some photos of the session in a future blog.
Have a great Saturday.
V

Strides

I'm attempting to get my tail in gear. Hit the spin class today for the first time in 3 weeks - it was rough. I pedaled my way through the hour class with a little bit of sweat. I hope to do better on Wednesday. I will be biking 50 miles a week between 2 spin classes. Love the challenge and I know it's good for me.

An Annual

Every year my company attends the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge in San Francisco. This is a 3.5 mile run raising money for charities.

This year I did not run the event but was the cheerleader at the finish line. It was a great night for such a function consisting of 5, 500 runners.

After the race we went to Amici's for pizza and beer. Great time with friends and colleagues.

Until next year,

Cheers

Movie Night

Tonight we are headed to see "Love Happens" with Jennifer Aniston. I hope it's a good movie - it's probably a chick flick but handsome has decided to go with me along with Mona. I'm up for a good laugh so I'm hoping for some sweet humor.

I am more than thankful it's Friday. It's been a very tiring week trying to restablish a schedule. My body is sore; my mind is cluttered; and I'm still on Maui time!

I hope you all have a restful, fun, love-filled weekend.
V

Reality

Boy, it has hit me like a ton of bricks. Gettting back to reality isn't too much fun! I sure do miss Maui.

I have been powering the laundry, grocery shopping, yardwork, cleaning, working out, blogging, pictures, letters, and cooking. I will be happy to get back into my routine. My body is confused and my mind is overwhelmed.

My 4:45 a.m. wake-up calls have been strenuous - I know it's for my own good but my mind is telling me otherwise. Also, battling my cold hasn't helped.

Thanks for listening to me gripe! Next week will be better and I will have more pleasant posts.

In closing I would like to leave you with this (I love the version by IZ -a hawaiian singer; I also was fortunate enough to capture the above rainbow shot during our Maui trip).

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high,

There's a land that I heard of

Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue,

And the dreams that you dare to dream

Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far

Behind me.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly.

Birds fly over the rainbow.

Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly

Beyond the rainbow

Why, oh why can't I?

Caio,

V

Day 12, 13, 14 and 15 Maui

Day 12: Lounging at the Pool

Luxury was calling our names as we checked into the Grand Wailea. This place is unreal! It has beautiful pools, slides, an underwater elevator, beautiful views of the ocean, a chapel, a full spa, a racquetball court, fitness center, and great restaurants. This is where to come to relax! While relaxing we spotted Dennis Quaid.

This five-star resort was a great way to end our three last days in Maui.

Day 13: Chin Beach/Machawo

Another snorkeling excursion at Chin Beach. This location did not have good visibility but it did have HUGE turtles; this alone was worth the swim. After about an hour of snorkeling, we headed back to the Grand for more luxury and poolside fun.

We took a side drive over to Macawo - this is in upcountry and cowboy country. They had many quaint shops, eateries, and tack shops. It was a very small town and reminded us of Point Reyes Station.

We ate dinner at the hotels Bistro - another great meal.

Day 14: Kanapali/Lahaina

Couldn't leave Maui without another visit to Lahania and Kanapali. We headed right on over to Leilani's in Kanapali for some hula pie - and yes we each ate our own piece - probably containing 3,000 calories; it was worth every bite.

We passed through the town of Lahaina for some last minute shopping. We love this village by the water.

Our last meal for dinner was at Aroma's Italian Restaurant. Greg had his best fish dinner here.

Day 15: Aloha

Unfortunately it is time to say goodbye to this beautiful island. As we headed out for our last breakfast at the Cheeseburger Paradise, we spotted Magic Johnson (boy is that guy tall). It brought a little "magic" to our last day and to an unforgettable trip.

Special thanks to Monica/Peanut for some hugely, great, funny memories that we will always remember.

Days 10 and 11 Maui

Day 10: Shopping/Tommy Bahama Cafe

We spent the day shopping, browsing and relaxing. The Shops of Wailea is a great outdoor mall; more upscale.

The boys discovered the Tommy Bahama Cafe where they proceeded to have several (no ones counting) cocktails. They both determined they were serving the best cocktails on Maui - so you know what that means. We ended up eating there for dinner and having more cocktails. The pupus (appetizers) were very good - happy hour is the way to go; everything is 1/2 off. Greg and I were so pleased that they were serving Key Lime pie - it was super yummy! Can you tell that we've been eating a lot on this vacation. I'm sure I've gained at least 10 pounds.

Day 11: Departure/Hana

Unfortunately today was the day Monica/Peanut had to return home. We took them to the airport, bid them farewell, and headed once again for our second trip on the Road to Hana.

This time we were a bit more adventurous and hiked into many (almost all) of the falls on the journey. They are so many falls tucked in behind all the vegitation. We stopped at the "half way to Hana" shack and had a shaved ice (yes - I love those too). We saw the rainbow eucalyptus, the gigantic elephant ears, and even a seal.

We especially enjoyed the back side of the Road to Hana - it has some volcanic rock and a beautiful mountain gorge; so very different than the first part of the drive.

Day 8 - 9 Maui

Day 8: Marriott/Spagos

Today we moved from the North Shore to the South Shore checking into the Wailea Marriott. This is a beautiful property with an infinity pool - so very peaceful and relaxing. As I was laying out taking in the rays, I noticed some black dolphins in the ocean - I was so happy I had spotted them; a rare treat.

We dinner we dined at Spagos at the Four Seasons. This was a 5-star restaurant overlooking the water and the pools. The 3 course dinner was out of this world and we all loved the homemade breads that were offered - we actually ate way too much bread (it was that yummy).

I was able to capture some good sunset photos here.

Day 9: Hotel Luxury

It was a day of lounging at the Grand Wailea pool. While resting we spotted Marrisa Jaret from Dancing with the Stars - she has a new baby boy and the whole family was cute; she, however, is very obnoxious and loud.

Day 6 - 7 Maui

Day 6: Mama's Fish House

Started the day off snorkeling in North Maui - the visibility was very good and the waters were calm. We saw a lot of sea life and enjoyed this cove.

After we worked up an appetite, we went to Lahaina for lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise - and boy was it. We had a great view of the water from our table and the onion rings were to die for. The burgers were huge and yummy!

We ended this day with a dinner at Mama's Fish House - very well know fish restaurant. The setting was beautiful and the atmosphere was quaint. The meals were outstanding and well presented. Highly recommended; if you go, make reservations!

Day 7: Haleakula Crater/Winery/Luau

Today was a day of cold temps and height. We drove up the Haleakula Crater which reaches 10,000 feet. It was about 40 degrees at the top and very windy. I was happy I had my sweatshirt. It's amazing what nature has done with these craters. There is a 17-mile hike into the crater which we have chosen to save for the next trip to Maui.

There is only one winery in Maui which is Tedeschi. Of course the boys had to make their guest appearance and compare their flagship to that of our own Hannah Nicole Vineyards. There was no comparison. It was a small winery on a beautiful piece of property.

We wrapped up our day attending the Old Lahania Lula. It was highly recommended and we understood why. You were greeted with a real lei greeting; all you can drink drinks (the strong stuff; not watered down); a very beautiful setting right on the water at sunset; the food was delicious and very well displayed (even the pig); the entertainment was the "traditional" luau with authentic dancers and a true Hawaiian narrator. The evening was splendid and one of our favorite events on Maui. Again, if you plan to go, make reservations in advance.

Day 4 - 5 Maui

I'm a little behind in blogging so bear with me.

Day 4 - Maui (Road to Hana)

Today was a long day - one in which we truly loved. We drove the road to Hana with it's many curves and miles. It was a beautiful drive.

Along the way, we stopped at the bamboo forest (one in which I almost died - I accidentally fell into a deep waterfall but managed to rescue myself and get out -- it was a scary moment). We saw many beautiful sights such as the rainbow eucalyptus, the Garden of Eden, the Seven Sacred Pools, the Black Beach, and many breathtaking ocean scenery spots along the way. It was a day full of adventure and great photos.

Day 5 - Maui (Snorkeling/Lahaina)

Today we hit the snorkeling at Dumps. This was a great spot that was recommended by a park ranger. We saw many different kids of fish including a turtle and a shark! It was a great time. We finished our day at Makena Beach being wave slammed -- it was quite a sight! We laughed constantly although the waves did cause some minor scrapes and scratches as we were slammed into the sand. The highlight of the day was Mona's hair - it was quite a sight! We even ventured off to Little Makena (which is a nude beach).

After a full day of sun and water, we headed to Lahaina for some dinner. We dined at Kimo's - excellent venue and great food - Greg and I devoured our Hula pie.

Maui - Day 3

Today we spent the day in Kihei lounging at the beach, snorkeling, boogie boarding, and soaking in the sun. It was a down day - a day of rest and relaxation. We toured the Grand Wailea where we enjoyed some appetizers and cocktails.

Our dinner tonight was at Maletto's Pizzeria - an outdoor venue with delicious pizza and desserts.

Tomorrow we are off to the Road to Hana -can't wait for this adventure!

V