YOHZ- MIGHT

So, among all of the things I have to update is our trip to Yosemite we took about two weeks ago. We left only a few days after moving into our new house. It was hectic to get there, but once we were there, we had a very relaxing, no-hassle time- which was very much needed. The most beautiful times were late at night- we would walk around before going to bed and the stars were absolutely amazing. Haven't seen a sky like that since laying on the beaches of Australia. Here are just a few pictures. In the afternoons, the deer would come to graze in the parking lots. Dozens and dozens of deer were just wandering around in between the parked cars. Unbelievable!

I've lived in California for the majority of my life- and I hadn't discovered Yosemite until I was 28 years old!

It's one thing to see the majestic Ansel Adams photographs; its another thing altogether to be standing in the Valley, looking up and having your breath taken away by the natural beauty of it all. James and I camped out at the Upper Pines campground for 3 star-studded nights. We went on only a few hikes, because we had Sammie and dogs are only allowed on the lower trails. The first day we hiked around the valley and a huge bobcat ran across our path! It FrEaKeD me out! I was able to snap a quick picture after going back to look for it (against James protest).

Update Coming Soon!

I promise!

After two long years....

We have become first-time homeowners! We closed escrow on Friday for a beautiful house with a sparkling pool in Roseville. Needless to say, we are beyond excited about this. Here are a few "before" pictures of the house. We move in tomorrow and I'll post some "after" pics when I get everything settled!

Karate!

So for four weeks, Harrison has been taking Karate lessons twice a week. He is really enjoying it and picking it up quickly. He's been doing a great job and loves to wear his gi.

Unfortunately, there's a cute blond girl in his class- (Harrison has a huge weakness for cute blonds- must take after his dad!) which can get distracting sometimes!

The California State Fair is...

WAY bigger than the Del Mar Fair- but the kids' area is just not as good. We still ate the corndogs, pretzels, nachos, pickels, lemonade, and cinnamon rolls- and they were delicious. The kids went on a few rides- but nothing spectacular. The most incredible part was the farm nursey that the fair had. We saw a baby calf, that was literally 4 HOURS old. The kids actually walk up on it right after the birth and were a little curious about all the blood that was there- that was a long story! Grandma Birley handled it nicely though.

Unfortunately, Harrison didn't want to slow down to get pictures, so James and I are smiling and Harrison just wants to move on! But here are a few pics from last night- thanks to Grandma Birley!

Megan's Bridal Shower

Last weekend we made a trip down to Fresno, for James' sister's bridal shower. It was so good to spend some girl-time without the boys around and just chat and talk about wedding details. And it was especially nice to spend some time getting to know my newest neice- Emily! She's is such a toe-head- it runs in both our families, I guess. It's going to be a beautiful wedding- and is in less than 3 weeks. I'll post some pics of the rehersal dinner and party and then of the wedding! I can't wait for that weekend.

Great Summer Recipe

Yes- it is still summer, despite the Halloween AND the Christmas decorations for sale in Costco! (Seriously can it get any ealier in the year?!)
Anyway, here's a great summer dinner recipe I made last night- I really enjoy it, James enjoyed it too, and Harrison avoided it- still has the 7 year old palet- so he had left over spaghetti instead. And with only 187 calories per serving, you can keep your summer figure too!

CITRUS MAHI MAHI WITH FRUIT SKEWERS
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 pound mahi mahi steaks
1 navel orange, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
4 cherry tomatoes

Drain juice from the pineapple into a measuring cup and set the chunks aside. Add enough water to the pineapple juice to make 3/4 cup. Add the soy sauce, oil, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir to combine. Set aside 2 tablespoons of marinade. Pour the remaining mixture into a sip-lock bag . Add the mahi-mahi and seal the bag. Shake well to coat the fish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
While fish marinates, place the pineapple chunks, orange pieces and cherry tomatoes on skewers.
Coat a grill rack with cooking spray (or we use a special fish trail on the grill instead).
Place the fish on the grill and cok for 5 minutes each side.
The last 3 minutes, add the skewers, turning and brushing with the extra marinade.

I served this with brown basmati rice, to balance out the citrus flavors, which turned out nice.
Enjoy!