One Last Visit

My dear 96 year old Opa went from working out with his personal trainer (whilst drinking his Diet Coke) to falling ill and passing away in just 6 short weeks.  He lived up here in Utah (Sandy) and my Mom still lives in Tucson.  When the family relayed the news that he wasn't doing very well, I'm so glad my mother was able to hop on a plane and have one last visit with her father.  I too was able to spend some time with him saying thank you and goodbye.

One last Daddy Daughter Date.

Mom also got to spend some time with her sisters. And we all know that sister time is the best!

I love this drawing of my Oma, and this painting of my Opa's father, who died when Opa was 12 years old.  I'm sure after being apart for 84 years, it was a very sweet reunion in heaven.

*** This post is for Friday, January 20th, 2017***

Ham Fried Rice

Because I'm a lucky duck, I occasionally get to do food demonstrations on television. TV is just super fun. I usually forget something during the demo, and when I watch it later, I wish I had smiled more, but theres something fantastic about sharing something you're passionate about with others.  I teach cooking classes occasionally, and also cater every once in a while, but t.v. is where the excitement happens. Even when the show isn't live, we always tape the cooking segment as if it is. For those doing a chatting segment, it isn't hard to stop the tape and start over, but if I've mixed an ingredient and royally messed up, I can't un-mix it. I love the pressure, I guess... and the leftovers!

Mmmm. Who doesn't love a nice bowl of Ham Fried Rice?!

My camera girl (Annie) took a million pics.

Here we are, packing up and heading out for lunch... at home... ham fried rice...

But after we ate, the bowling alley called our names!

Who doesn't love a nice game of bowling (other than my husband and Father in law)?!

***This post is for Tuesday, January 17th, 2017***

Happy New Year! (On Valentines Day!)

We rang in 2017 in LA, waiting for the rest of the Holman clan to meet us for our epic Family Reunion New Years Cruise. It was the short Carnival cruise that hits Ensenada and Catalina Island, but it was still great.  Advantages to cruising for a reunion: everyone can eat what they want. No one has to play hostess.  Plenty of time for family bonding. Disadvantages: going with a toddler (too young to attend any of the cruise stuff for kids, old enough though for fear of strangers, even loving family members), hard to coordinate where to meet on the ship with everyone on different floors and no access to cell phones, the 5 weeks (for real!) that it took for me to finally get rid of my motion sickness (strange enough, I had no motion sickness during the entire cruise.) Overall though, it was a winning experience and a once in a life time event: 2 parents, 4 siblings and 4 spouses, 20 grandkids, 1 sister in law, and 3 foreign exchange students from China. Boom. Holman Cruise 2017: party of 34.

Shopping for Donuts, waiting for the boat.

Family pictures. Shirts gifted by Nana and Papa, designed by Ryan.

Golf Carts on Catalina Island!

Formal dinner on the boat: I'm wearing a dress that I wore as a bridesmaid for a wedding from 20 years ago.  Gotta love a dress that is classic enough for that.

My brother set up a wild game of tag on the ship. Boom.

This is the most romantic/ horrible picture I think I have ever seen. I love it.

I wish Ryan had purchased it for me... Maybe he did and i'll get it on my birthday?!

My crew on the golf carts.

Parasailing bc were cool!

Norman wore a baby bear backpack like a puppy, and for safety.

Playing on the beach.

Walking back to the boat after playing in Ensenada.

*** Too many pictures to choose from for this epic trip ***