this past week....

Last weekend we went to the Crab Feed with friends. We had a couple tables of friends surrounding us, so we all get to catch up on eachothers lives. It was humbling to hear some of the events that we missed.

Valentine's day was different this year. We've been suffering a cold this week, and pushing myself to go to work all week, was just about all I could handle, so this weekend I tried to rest up.

I spent some of the day with Danielle, she and her (single) friends, planned a 'formal' evening together. So, we made dessert and goodie bags for her to take. It was fun to do the things we used to do when she was little. This is Danielle with Bridgette, who is hosting this dinner :)

We made a little discovery this past week. We have a recording studio, and Danny has taught the kids how to use all the equipment. So, they go in & record themselves, but mostly it's Kyle that does his country spin or Rap (yuck), but this time it was Danielle and her friend. They recorded themselves singing, with Danielle playing guitar. Now coming from a talent, such as Danny, we're not surprised that she can sing, but she was awesome. She just never lets us hear her. She's not too comfortable with it. But, we hope, someday, she'll break out of that shell and share her God-given gift.

New Job

Yes, I started back to work...our bookkeeper asked me to 'pitch' in during Tax Season. So, I've been working for her this week. She is mobile during the rest of the year, but during tax season she is at her desk pretty much from 9am to sometimes midnight. It's a very busy office, with clients that are use to being spoiled and getting their money asap. So, it's been crazy. We work in a cute little house in the middle of town, and their are 2 other 'seasoned' tax preparers in the office, they have yet to see clients, but I was told it will get even crazier....
The biggest concern about going to work is how to get the household stuff down.... so far, so good. I have been able to get up on time, get in my workout, walk the dogs, and figure something out for dinner. I do manage to come at lunch, also, and get some laundry started. Danielle has been trying to help, but the boys....well they're not much help. spoiled :(

The boys are surviving at the shop without me, somehow :) but i do get my share of text messages and phonce calls through out the day. It's going well, though.

Last night I took Danielle to Alicia's, my niece, to get her hair lightened. She and Joseph have two little ones, so it was entertaining while she processed. They are such cute and happy kids. Danielle loves her hair. They have another baby due soon, so she's not going to be able to do hair for awhile. Too bad, she's not only good, but she's fast....

Last weekend was my birthday.... I must be getting older, very few cards this year. Danny and I went up to the 'Gateway' for an early dinner. We were tempted to spend the night, but I started my job the next morning..... not good timing. It was nice to get away and talk about something other than work and kids.....
take care to all....

Snowboarding F U N

I wanted to share Danielle's photos from her 3 trips to Sierra Summt.

She and her friends, Bridgette and Chandler, had 3 really great days.

Don't they look serious?

New Years Eve was special, they participated in the Torch Parade and Night Skiing.

This is them waiting on the top. Chandler found her uncle's old-school jacket.... the girls thought it was hilarous.

Hey, I remember those colors... anyone else?

take care....stay warm.......

Blogging and meta tags.....

I was thinking about this past year and all the many, many changes that I've been through, like many of us do. We have resolutions to do things better next year, and everyone gives themselves this one day to get on the starting block. Myself, I would like to NOT have anymore changes for 2009! I don't want to lose or gain any weight, I don't want to stop any bad habits ( I like my bad habits), already took care of my Starbucks-a-day habit, don't need to spend more time with family, seeing each other everyday at home and work is enough :)......
I start a new job this Jan., it's a temp job with my accountant. So I'm looking forward to that change. I think the only change would be to spend less time on the computer.
I've spent so much time on the computer that I now need reading glasses, I have a little carpal tunnel, and my ass is getting flat :) maybe that's just age.....
As I look back on 2008 I have so many new things that I'm still working on that I think I'm good for a few years: started a new business and here comes the shameless plugs: D S Advanced Engineering (http://www.dsadveng.com/) and Mohard Racing is its product line where we do Enduro parts for KTM, Kawasaki and Honda, primarily Radiator Guards,(http://www.mohardracing.com/) with my husband. These have kept us busy, stressed and tired.
The crazy thing with all this is the huge learning curve. You'd think you could throw out a few websites and the world comes a' shopping. But, the big companies have it so monopolized that we have to try these little tricks: Blogging, Craigslist, and Ebay..... just for starters. And we don't use these sites for selling but for their search engines. I think I know more about meta tags and key words that I ever cared to.
But, that's all the complaining for now. on to be better things.
It looks like we'll be working on a couple new lines; one is going to be bicycle parts and the other trailer accessories. Our friend, Chris, is interested in working with Danny to develop some cool interchangeable tire racks for the race trailers. So, keep watching back to the site, they'll be under www.Mohardracing.com. or www.Trailer-Tricks, (when I buy it)in the near future. Doesn't look like I'll be getting a break from the computer after all...... siigghhhh....

Holiday Catch up...

It seems that we've been so busy, but I wanted post a few photos.

Never did get to post Danielle in her car that we got her back in Sept. It's a Mitsubishi Montero SUV. She really loves it and it fits her personallity to a T.

Christmas was really low-key this year. With the state of the economy we felt it necessary to not only conserve for ourselves, but it's a great learning experience for our kids.They hear about the recession alot and we weren't about to ignore it, and 'pretend' its not real. And we were able to truly enjoy Christmas's true meaning. We had a great time with them playing games and then later visiting my mother and Danny's family.

They both got money from Gramma and Beppe. Danielle quickly knew what she wanted.....a snowboard, while Kyle will surely put it into his truck. Danielle and I searched on Craigslist and got lucky finding a great snowboard with boots and bindings that were used one time. She went up to Sierra Summit with 2 friends on Friday..... they had a blast! I'll have her post photos later. But, for now, here's her board.....

Take care and enjoy the rest of 2008.

Family Party

We had the Bakker(my side of the family) Christmas party this past Sat. What a group we've grown into. Some of us joke about needing name tags, because we lose track of the new ones. With 2 -3 births a year, it can become difficult to keep up. But, what a blessing it is to have a large family. We even had 3 of my sister's kids and their family not present, so that would add 12-14 people.

Mom did really well and enjoyed her evening. We didn't have a gift exchange this year, instead we donated to needy families and shared the experience.

This turned out to be a great photo of my mom and her family. So, I made her photo cards to send out to her family and friends. She got a great response from that, as her efforts in the past have been minimal.Here's another photo of me, my mom, my sister, and my nieces.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wow..... did we eat a lot?! And the more we ate, the more we ate.... why does this happen?

We had a great visit with Danny's family in their beautiful Sierra Home. They have some fabulous cooks in that family and the quantity of food never ceases to amaze me. Tom, a cousin, and his wife recently visited Italy and he shared a simple but tasty veggie recipe with us, that I want to share.

Sicilian Carrots


Nonstick olive oil spray
2 lbs
32oz Peeled baby carrots or regular carrots - thinly sliced
1/4 cup Extra-virgin olive oil - divided
1/4 cup Dried cranberries
3 tablespoons Pine nuts
9 tablespoons Basil leaves - cut julienne strips (medium)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Recipe Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Coat two large roasting pans with olive oil spray. Arrange carrots in a single layer on the pans, mixing with 2 tablespoons of oil. Bake the carrots for 30 to 40 minutes, occasionally stirring them so they don't burn. They should become soft and start to brown. Remove and let cool.
In a bowl, mix carrots with cranberries, pine nuts, basil and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; refrigerate overnight.
To serve, let return to room temperature. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

We caught up with allot of old acquaintances and met some new realities too. We mourned one that passed on since last year, and we fear that our brother-in-law may not be with us next year. We also celebrated a 6 week old with bright auburn hair:) Such are family gatherings.... circle of life.

The teenagers took a jeep ride up to Bald mountain last night to see the valley from a lookout spot. The night was abit foggy to see, but, it was fun for them.

We hope and pray you had a blessed time with friends and family.