Happy Monday

What have we been up to this past week? Not much ...



...the days have been getting longer so we have been able to enjoy some beautiful sunsets without having to leave the comfort of our neighborhood.



We are enjoying a short hiatus from Saturday sports. We are able to partake in a home cooked breakfast rather than eating on the run.



We are experiencing records high temps so we need subtle reminders that it is still winter.



And, as always, the kids are growing like weeds.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Let's go Cats!

We ended the birthday week with a big roar.



We headed over to the east coast for the kid's first NHL game.



The Florida Panthers were playing the Boston Bruins (last year's Stanley Cup winners).



Since Mackenzie opted not to have a party this year she was allowed to bring a friend along.



Mason wanted to be a crazy hockey fan so he painted his face.



During the three hour game we witnessed just about everything professional hockey has to offer. We saw broken sticks, penalties, fans injured by flying pucks, overtime and a sudden death shootout.



And everyone's favorite, a good fight.



Kudos to Darin for purchasing the best seats, the evening was "purr"fect!

Here's the scoop ...

Mackenzie turned 14.





Ice cream was the special treat for a girl who is really sweet.



Happy Birthday, Mackenzie!

the celebration begins

The 14th birthday celebration began last night with a birthday dinner at Mackenzie's favorite restaurant.



Mackenzie invited her friend, Delaney, to come along.



Delaney had never been to Daruma and she really enjoyed the hibachi style meal.







The celebration continues tonight with a special dessert. Mackenzie had school today and needs to study for mid-terms tonight so we will have to cut tonight's celebration short.

the life cycle of a coconut

As the kids and I were returning from a bike ride this evening something happened to catch my eye on our two new palm trees. They are bearing their first fruit! Who says you can't grow something in the dead of winter, ha.



Does anyone know how long it will take for the coconuts to mature? I searched the internet for at least 30 minutes and came up with answers anywhere from 3 months to 10 months.



I think it will be fun to track their progress. Does anyone have a coconut recipe that they would like to share with us?

Winter has arrived!

We received our first blast from the arctic. The temperature dropped into the 30's and we were finally able to use one of our two Christmas gifts.



That's right, I said one of two. Somehow, Darin and I ended up buying each other duplicate Christmas gifts this year. Of course, the pit that I purchased won as we kept the one on the right.



While Mackenzie was in Dallas we packed away all of the holiday decorations. I wasn't quite ready to part with the tree so Mason and I turned it into a birthday surprise for Mack.







You heard it, someone special turns 14 on Monday. More details to follow.

We are "with the band"

I have to start this post with a disclaimer. All the photos were taken with my iphone and I cringe with the poor quality of the images. Had Darin and I known we would be attending such a top notch party, we would have take the Nikon.

Darin and I were able to attain tickets to a New Year's Eve party at a private county club. Through ballroom dancing we have come friends with a performing duo called the Manhattan Connection. Since Manhattan Connection was performing at the event the county club allowed the duo to have a table for relatives and friends.



Darin and I were told to dress nicely and arrive at 7 pm for cocktail hour followed by dinner and dancing. We headed to the event blindly without any further details. Once we entered the parking lot we could tell we were in for a treat. Doormen ushered us and other guests wearing tuxedos and ball length gowns into the country club. The decorations were amazing, the centerpieces even changed colors.



The cocktail hour consisted of bowls of ice cold shrimp and warm baked brie.



During dinner we tasted caviar for the first time in our lives. I must admit that I didn't care for it



At midnight there was a champagne toast. The rest of the evening was spent chatting and dancing with our ballroom friends. Since everyone else attending the event were members of the country club they all knew each other. In the beginning, as members approached our table we would all respond "we are with the band." By the end of the evening our table was known as "the dancers". Of course, it helps that one of our friends is a ballroom dance instructor. He is so good that when he steps on the floor everyone stops and watches.





Here's wishing each and everyone of you a healthy and happy new year!