December vacation!

Here is a nice combo of all sorts of pictures I took over the December vacation in CA!!! I already miss it! After Robyn's graduation from UC Berkeley, I spent the night in Berkeley and hung out with friends on Monday as Robyn worked at the sailing club.

I went to lunch at Gather with Tricia and Karly Sherwood, friends from Berkeley. It was a totally Berkeley restaurant full of vegan options and organic vegetables. I had a wonderful sandiwch and a curry soup.

Tricia had a vegan pizza with cashew cheese. So delish!

All of the pizzas at Gather look like this with the bulbs of dough around the side. Wonderful

My lunch, coming at me!

Bad lighting but still cute

Tricia and I went sailing at the sailing club as Robyn worked. We had a lot of free time and there was someone who was going sailing. We put on all the gear and the sailor started teaching us all we needed to do. It became intense.

I barely knew what I was doing as I held that thing. 

Bringing the sailboat into the marina.

I'm a good looking sailor in all yellow, banana-ish.

I had to keep pushing the sunglasses back on my head because Tricia and I were wearing sunglasses from the lost and found that were pretty broken.

Tricia did know what she was doing!

I was more into the pictures than into the sailing, haha!

Looking hott Tricia!

I love the marina!

I look like a baby with the glasses streaming down my nose since they didn't fit my head at all.

 

Our sailor moving the main sail back up.

Off we go!

Robyn got into taking pictures!

After our big excursion. There hadn't been any wind which at first I liked so I wasn't scared about tipping over. Then we weren't going anywhere since you need wind to move on a sailboat. Then we had to paddle back. How ridiculous!

Me, Tricia and the sailor!

Quinoa and barley cakes

Served with a side of spinach and cauloflower curry pureed.

As we hung out in Napa, we went wine tasting on one of the days. It was Amir's first time with us wine tasting so he got a taste of Napa!

So much fun!! Cheers

Where's Amir? See his head on the right of the tree!

Lovely Christmas sister shot

Robyn and Trella enjoying the view from Silverado Vineyards

Nanwiches with goat cheddar cheese. Served with cream of brocoli soup.

Me and a Christmas buddy

He became my new best friend of the moment.

Robyn loved her food.

So did he!

Beautiful, Christmas table centerpiece.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas candy cane candle with my buddy.

Robyn and the candle in her Christmas shirt, worn annually.

Merry Christmas to you too Robyn.

Robyn, blowing out the candles on her graduation cake.

Cutting the cake.

UB with our buddy

AK with our buddy

Mom and Oma on Xmas morning

Matching floral headbands!

UB and AK on Christmas. Looking good family!

Me and my homemade gift from Robyn. Great gift wrapping!!

Our new neckwarmers for snowboarding or being fashionable.

Dad and me at Don Giovanni.

All these pictures are from the de Young museum in SF. Robyn took all of them.

Dad next to a Comfort-Tiffany lamp (possibly something connected to our family)?

Dad, fishing, for Uncle Tim.

Robyn and Dad enjoying their first Irish Coffee together at Buena Vista in SF.

The beautiful chandelier at the Stinking Rose, the restaurant all about garlic.

Hanging out in the booth

Beautifully red

Dad loved the garlic in the jacuzzi (roasted garlic roasting in EVOO).

This is the cute hallway to our table.

A Merry Forking Christmas: silly Christmas performance we attended in SF.

Robyn and I enjoyed the peppermint hot chocolate.

My pizza at the pizza-making contest on New Years with the cousins. We all used pizza dough from Papa Joes. I then made mashed potatoes from left over potatoes from our niokki. I then created a spicy Asian dressing and dressed a salad that I served on top of the baked pizza. The salad was phenomanal, the pizza was tasty and I really want to make it again soon!

Buddy got super serious making his pizza this year. He threw on his apron, cooked up lots and lots of garlic and even did a professional pizza crus finish!

Paige, working hard on her pizza. Her beautifully painted nails are on display in this shot.

As always, a fantastic family vacation in California. I wish I were still there but as expected, vacations must come to an end. Thank you all for the food, fun and merryment! :) XOXOXO

Robyn