Corndog Craziness

Corndogs in the kitchen with Ben & Wanda

As always, Harvey family and friends gathered at our house during March Madness for the happiest of holidays -- National Corndog Day!  Approximately 8 boxes of corndogs and 10 bags of tater tots were consumed, and countless beers and sodas met their match.  The kids had a blast on the sports-themed bouncy house while the grown-ups got to watch some good basketball matchups.

The Corndog Day "Cool Girls" kept us entertained all day long.

This year, we got to try an extra special treat, courtesy of our friends Ellie & Matt Guidi... the cherpumple!  A cherpumple is the dessert-variety of a turducken and is an impressive three layer cake with a pie baked into each layer of cake.  It seemed to fit in nicely with the gluttonous theme of National Corndog Day.  Thanks Ellie & Matt!

Matt displaying the cherpumple in all its glory.

The cherpumple and all its many layers of sugary goodness.

Aloha Aulani!

Not a bad view, right?

In March, our family decided to continue our travel streak and take a long weekend in Hawaii.  We had some Alaska Airlines voucher burning a hole in our pockets from a flight cancellation last summer, and when flight prices dropped to equal the value of the vouchers, it was time to take advantage of a free Hawaiian vacation!

Since Virginia is such a Disney fan and we were not going for a very long trip, we thought this was the perfect chance to experience the new Disney resort on O'ahu, Aulani.  The Aulani was very expensive, but we worked our travel magic to get a good deal during the low season.

The trip was truly magical in every way.  The resort was authentically Hawaiian, complemented with all the Disney magic and excellent service.  Virginia loved all the kids' activities and events and got the chance to hang with her favorite Disney characters.  She spent time at Aunty's Beach House (coolest kids' club ever) while mom and dad enjoyed some nice meals out and also ran herself ragged doing the waterslides at the Menehune Bridge water playground.  We also had the chance for a nice reunion with an old law school pal and his daughters one day.  The girls played wonderfully together and Virginia especially enjoyed getting to sit at a "big girls table" with them for our poolside lunch.  Ever since our return, Virginia is begging to go back again.

(For a full review of our Aulani experience, check out the review on my travel blog!)

Shave ice was a daily treat.  Virginia always made sure she got orange.

Menehune Bridge water play area is where Virginia rode water slides.  187 times to be exact.

Breakfast with Mickey!

First time on a paddle board with daddy.

Loving on Minnie Mouse.

Our little mad scientist doing experiments at Aunty's Beach House.

Happy family in Hawaii.

Virginia hams it up at comedy hour at Aunty's Beach House.

A highlight of the vacation was getting to see an old law school pal, Brett Tobin, and his girls.

Stitch and the girls (Virginia was still learning how to do the shaka!)

Going to Carolina...

February is a big birthday month for the Neeland family, so we decided that it was the perfect time for a getaway to meet the family and celebrate the February birthdays in North Carolina again this year.  We had also recently gotten some big news that Cousin Beth was expecting her first baby, so we had even more of a reason to celebrate this year.

Since Daddy had to work, Virginia and I made it a girls' trip.  Now that she's almost four, traveling with her is pretty much a breeze!

We found a cheap fare to Charlotte and off we went for a long weekend.  While there, we celebrated Nanny's 91st birthday as well as birthdays for Auntie Lynn and Aunt Liz.  We hit the children's museum near Liz and Dave's house and ate out at some great restaurants too.  Virginia also had a blast seeing the Mack cousins who live in the Charlotte area as well -- Beau & Jessica and Shannon & Brett.  It was quite a family reunion on both sides of our family. 

Milking a cow at the children's museum.

Practicing radiology with Papa.

Fixing a car with Papa at the museum.

With Shannon & Brett at dinner.

Cousin Beau & Jessica!

Loving on Aunt Liz and Uncle Dave

Cousin Adam -- more relatives to love! (We didn't get a photo of poor cousin Beth, who was suffering greatly with morning sickness the whole visit -- she was quite the trooper!!!!)

Auntie Lynn is so much fun!

The 91st birthday girl and her first great grandchild.

Virginia and her Mimi and Papa. 

Back home, carrying her own bag.  What a big girl!

January Snapshots

After a busy holiday season, we stayed closed to home for the month of January this year.  The winter days were filled with visits with friends and activities around Alameda.  Here are a few snapshots of some fun family and friends moments:

Making cupcakes with pal Tasha

Roll Tide!  Alabama wins again!

Menehune men and ice cream with PopPop at Trader Vic's

"Ice skating" at the Little Ice Rink

Christmas Highlights 2012

Since Thomas and I were in Europe most of the beginning of December, Christmas came very quickly this year!  We had just enough time for my usual baking projects for all of our secretaries and paralegals a work, a playgroup Christmas potluck, and a visit to Alameda's Santa Claus. 

The playgroup Christmas cuties.

Thomas reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to the playgroup kids.

Then it was off to Alabama for another Christmas on the road!  We had a blast hanging with the Neelands and Virginia had a chance to see several of her second cousins for the first time in more than a year.  Virginia spent much of the trip loving on Uncle Dave - a strategy she used, in part, to gain access to the chocolate game on his tablet.

Showing Dave how the Chocolate Game is played!

Bundled up for Zoo Lights at the Montgomery Zoo.

Christmas with cozy things.

Kids' table for Christmas dinner with cousin Brice.

Uncle Dave, Aunt Lizzie & Ginger the dog - her favorites!

Applying her new makeup on Christmas eve.

Love for Lizzie and Uncle Dave 

Final goodbyes to Mimi and Papa!

We had a bit of an adventure on the return, as we found ourselves stranded in Dallas overnight the day after a snowstorm had caused delays for days.  But after a few hours sleep in an airport Marriott, we made it home in one piece.  

We did a late Christmas celebration with all the Harveys in California a few days later.  Virginia was surprised to find that GayGay apparently told Santa that she had been extra good this year, as he had dropped off a blue Mini Cooper at our house while we were away.  Virginia was in love (and managed to almost immediately drive the thing into a tree).

Someone must have been extra good this year!

Mommy and Daddy Go to Europe

Right after Thanksgiving, our family made a bold move by having mom & dad head off on a 12 day European cruise!  Virginia was in good hands, staying the first week with GayGay and PopPop, then getting a visit from Mimi and PaPa at the end of the trip.  We missed her like mad, but really enjoyed the chance to have a child-free vacation.

We cashed in our United miles and flew business class from SFO to Rome, where our cruise started.  Then it was aboard the Seaborne Spirit for a cruise of the Western Mediterranean.  Seaborne is a ultra-luxury and all-inclusive line, but we were able to snag a good deal as we were on the last cruise of the season before the ship repositioned to the Caribbean for the winter.  This meant it was a bit cold, but we were more interested in touring the ports than sitting poolside, so it was the perfect fit.  The ship was very small, carrying only about 100 passengers, so this meant that the service and food were truly excellent the whole time.

We made lots of friends aboard our ship!

Our first stop was Livorno, Italy.  Many aboard the ship set off to Florence, but we decided on a trip up the coast to see Cinque Terre, as we'd both been to Florence many times.

A typical Cinque Terre town view - beautiful!

The next day was Monaco.  Thomas had never been, and the last time I'd been was when I was just 15 years old, so we did it all - the casino, the shopping, the church where Princess Grace was married, and the Oceanographic Museum.  I even managed to make a stop at the Haagen-Dazs on the square, where my cousins and I famously shared a single ice cream 20 years ago when our parents left us on the mean streets of Monaco while they gambled in the casinos.  My sister ran off with the ice cream and accidentally dropped it in a fountain.

Thomas bought a yacht while we were in Monaco!

After Monaco, we had our only sea day, and then the Spanish ports began.  First up was Barcelona, where Thomas and I took a bike tour of the city.  Then we visited Ibiza, but the island was pretty dead as the partygoers were long-gone for the season.  After Ibiza, it was back to the mainland for a stop in Cartagena.

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona - still under construction after a century.

The next city was truly a highlight - we docked in Motril, Spain where we were shuttled to Granada to see the Alhambra palace.  Our last stop in Spain was Cadiz.  We spent much of the day in nearby Seville, but were able to tour Cadiz as well.

At the Alhambra Palace.

Seville, Spain

Then it was off to Portugal.  We visited a tiny resort town call Portimao, where the beach was truly one of the most beautiful we'd seen.  It helped that we had befriended a Brazilian guest aboard our ship, and he translated for us throughout Portugal, so we were able to get a bit more of the local flavor there.

Finally, our last stop was Lisbon, which was one of our favorite cities despite some bad weather during our visit.

Portugal's very own Golden Gate Bridge - felt like home.

It was truly the trip of a lifetime!  And Virginia loved the souvenirs we brought back!

Future flamenco dancer.