Guests and Old Amigas

I love having guests.

French onion soup, sliders, greek panzanella - all from Ina Garten's "How Easy Is That?" cookbook

Growing up my parents were very private. Still are very private. I longed for the day when I could have my own home and fling it open and wide to welcome my friends.

At our elementary art walk

Tasting the brief snowfall

Also, I need guests, visitors, play dates, just so I actually have deadlines to get my home clean. I don't know if it's obvious, I despise expending energy to clean. I always wish I was a wizard when it comes to cleaning.

Wii karaoke

Face painting

I tend to live for deadlines.

Playing Zingo!

Recently, one of my friends, Chastity, from BYU came to visit. She's also married to another of my friends from BYU, the crazy brilliant Jon. She brought her precocious, adorable children with her, and I give her props for doing this all on her own. I get grumpy just sitting in the passenger seat on a forever long car trip... I can just imagine the anxiety and paranoia of doing it on my own.


We had a great time.


I love getting together, staying in touch with old amigas.

A couple weekends ago the girls and I spontaneously, skipped off to the Bay Area to let the girls spend some time with the grandparents. While there we were there we scored a brunch with my friends from middle school (I moved the middle of my sophomore year in HS from Campbell to Cupertino).

Mia with her adorable daughter, preggo with number two! (She calls everyone Sophia...heh) And... Grace's cute youngest (Grace has two older daughters - TWINS!).

Grace and her sweet baby, who is a fan of pancakes.

I hadn't seen them ... in years, Mia I hadn't seen since high school, and Grace I saw while I dated my hubby... it was a long overdue visit. Mia and I found out we lived quite near each other when I was first married - but there wasn't Facebook then... so I am grateful for Facebook to keep me connected to people I am so fond of.

At Stacks in Campbell. Campbell's downtown has grown up! It's so adorable now.

It's so satisfying to get together with friends and discover how wonderful their offspring is, and find them happy and well.

At Toys, Toys, Toys in Campbell. We hit up the gelato shoppe after... great day.