400 Bulbs to plant!

It is that time of year....Time to prep the garden for a beautiful early spring garden! Finally our beds will be overflowing and I cannot wait! For the front yard plantings we have 240 Daffodils, 60 Paperwhites, 60 Deep Purple Tulips. For the back we have a measly 30 red tulips. I will post some pictures soon! Here is a link to an idea of what it will look like. Click here to see the picture!

Julie and Julia!

I absolutely loved the movie! I loved every single second of it. I laughed a lot and even got teary eyed from laughing so hard! The movie is so inspiring to me. I love cooking, trying new and difficult recipes and I love all that goes into having people over! With our busy lives it has been a struggle figuring out when we can sit down to a nice dinner (that is not take out!) at a decent hour much less taking the time to try new recipes, shop for the sometimes hard to find unique ingredients (like Farro! I'll explain in another post) and then prep/cook!

The movie has made me smile in the middle of the day and I just can't get it off my mind! Hilarious one-liner (was originally quoted elsewhere, but funny to hear Mr. Child say it in the movie... "I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by." There were a couple other hilarious lines but maybe inappropriate to type on here! If you even remotely enjoy cooking-see the movie! It's great!!

What does Greg "do" for work?

We get this question all the time! It's a little funny to explain, so I'll let NBC news explain. Click the link for the article: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/around-town/archive/Fort-Knox-of-the-South-Bay.html

or read below.... (and no Greg's not the security guard in the picture.) Read below or in the link. He does the cooling portion...I think! : )

The Fort Knox of the South Bay

The "man trap" is one of the many sophisticated security features at Equinix IBX center in San Jose. If you'd like to see first-hand, why they call it this place the "Fort Knox of the South Bay," click here for a video tour.

When a company brings in the team of architects who designed the Federal Reserve Building, it's fair to assume that security is a pretty big deal.

Ernest Holloway is the Senior Manager of Facilities Operations at Equinix. His job helps to keep our lives online.

Throw in some armed guards, 800 surveillance cameras, a five-barrier entrance complete with a double-sided "man trap" and biometric hand readers at every gate and you can be sure that it's not messing around when it comes to security.

The company is Equinix IBX data center in the Silicon Valley. It offers direct access to more than 90-percent of the world's Internet networks and users, so it's no wonder the place is locked down like Fort Knox.

Online, Equinix makes it possible for us to send an email from a Yahoo! address to a Comcast subscriber, seamlessly.

On-site, Equinix has its hands full with complex operations to ensure that customer equipment is protected and functioning properly at all times.

The first order of business is power and cooling.

Now, before we start to yawn, let's all take a second and think about our day-to-day routines.

At work.

At home.

In our cars.

On our smart phones.

Internet. Internet. Internet. Internet.

Without the 15 gargantuan fans pumping 2-thousand tons of cooling at 60mph through air ducts big enough to drive a Hummer through. Some of our important emails, financial transactions or navigation searches might not be completed.

Imagine if that update didn't get to the boss on time or if the alert from a child's school wasn't received.

The power and cooling systems are so important. They make it possible for the machines at Equinix to run, so that we can go about our Internet-dependent lives.

The fans are our friends.

A man by the name of Ernest Holloway is our best friend.

He's on site every day taking readings and monitoring these systems to make sure that everything is running smoothly.

"There is no room for error. We don't take any chances or cut any corners here at Equinix," Holloway said.

More than 200 networks operate at this data center, including all of the big dogs ... Amazon, Google, Yahoo! and IBM.

Being in the same room with 2.5 megawatt generators that countries are in line to order. Supercomputers that are loaded with the kind of power that will bend your mind. Giant trays full of fiber snaking overhead in every direction as far as the eye can see, with 90 percent of the world's virtual energy pulsing through them. Well, it's enough to make anyone go weak-in-the-knees geeky.

Equinix is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Program. All of the data centers here in the Bay Area are certified green by Santa Clara County.

H Street Designs...

We need to come up with a name for my dad and sus's designs!

My Dad and Susie are the hardest workers I know and are not afraid to tackle the smallest or largest of projects. They create these amazing spaces for 1-2 people to sit over a glass of wine and candle lit atmosphere to enjoy the aroma of all the flowers they plant and the warm summer nights. One of my favorite moments was sitting with my dad behind our brick fireplace having a precious conversation right before I got married. I will never forget that moment in that space.

This summer they have taken on a much larger project that has expanded the back deck that we've traditionally used for morning coffee and family gatherings in the evening. Our family has become a big fan of bocce ball on the grass. My dad has never played on a professional court, but throughly enjoys beating the rest of us on the lawn. For a couple years they have dreamed of building bocce ball courts somewhere on the property. This summer they have chosen to take the project on! Not in the cool of spring or fall..but the end of June-beginning of August. For those of you who do not live near Biggs...There have not been many days under 100 degrees this July! July 14-27 were all well over 100 extending into 107. Mind you these temps were taken in the shade! They were working in FULL SUN WITH NO SHADE! They are crazy!

Here is a before picture:

Here is a during photo (As of this weekend, more of the pergola has been built and part of the horseshoe pits)

Bocce Ball Court Progress....

Look at all those brick still on the pallets that they laid all by hand-just the two of them! I'm still in awe at the passion they have for landscaping and the amount of sweat and hard work they are willing to make a beautiful place that we will enjoy forever!

Dad working on the bocce ball floor

View from the fruit grove looking at the house and old patio.

Brooklynn & Richard Clark's Wedding!

(Thanks Scotty for the pic of Em and I and wine barrels) (Thanks Morgan for the picture of us with Ed and Em)

I had the privilege of standing by Brooklynn's side as she married Rich! They are the most precious couple with awesome personalities that make every person they come into contact with feel loved and valued. I had SO much fun the day of their wedding. It was a gorgeous location in the middle of vineyards at Meridian in Paso Robles! We were able to stay with our great friends Chris and Ashley and their sweet little girl, Addie! We also got to spend time with Scott and Jamie Hansen and their soon to be baby Van! (maybe : ). I got to spend a lot of time with my wonderful friend Emily (she was in our wedding) and Nuge (he was also in our wedding)! We enjoyed every second of the wedding weekend! We spent Sunday in San Luis Obispo having breakfast with Emily and Ed at Breakfast Buzz (mmm breakfast buzz burritos!) and then shopped around downtown. Oh how we miss San Luis!! Greg's and my favorite memories together are in SLO where we first met and dated until we got engaged! We had a late lunch with Nuge at Firestone's. Yes we got our standards... Greg got a trip-tip sandwich and I got a small steak cobb salad, hold the onion, with ranch! Great shopping, great food, and the best of friends in the whole world!!

Romantic little getaway...

Side Yard Before and After!!!

The new BEAUTIFUL YARD! All my Dad and Sus' amazing idea and design (and three days of labor too! They are incredibly hard workers! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE THE LARGER IMAGE)

After! Three nursery trips, two trips to the rockery for top soil and compost, three days of digging in rock hard (literally massive quanitities of rocks), digging a curve in the hillside, building a wall, building a patio, planting nearly 100 plants, and a lot of hard work from Dad, Sus, Tommy, Greg, Bryanna and I we did it!!

During! Cutting down three ugly bush/trees! 

Before. We never went to this side of our house because it is very dark and there are just a lot of overgrown shrubs and trees. There is also a broken, falling down fence that blocked off the yard from the larger deck and barbeque area. Just a pretty ugly area in general....

My family and husband are simply amazing! They worked so hard at making such a beautiful place!

The yard is phenomenal! I love it!

Side Yard Renovation aka Yard Crashers!

My dad and Sus came down on today ready to crash our yard! They had ideas, a plan and were are ready to work! Can't wait to see what our ugly side yard will become!!

Hardwood Upstairs

Greg's mom and stepdad, Leslie and Butch were here this weekend and they helped install our BEAUTIFUL hardwood floors upstairs! The floor is just beautiful! That was our last huge project! (I think...the only other large interior project are the base, crown molding, door and window casings) Okay so that's still a big job, but not like all the rest! I love it! 

OUR KITCHEN : )

OUR KITCHEN IS SO CLOSE TO BEING FINISHED! WOOHOO!! We still need to put up all of the crown molding, find places for things, etc. We were so excited to get the oven in! It is a double oven and it's amazing : ) 

Kitchen with new cabinets! We're getting there!

The recessed lights are in, the large cabinet over the island is gone and replaced with sheet rock, it's been textured, no stove or microwave or paint yet.. but it will come! 

Kitchen

Reminder of kitchen before

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! We've had a few different guests stay the weekend or come for dinner since we've moved in and have loved every minute of hosting in our new home! (I especially love it! And Greg, well, he's learning to love it : ) I've had the urge to have friends over although our house is not at all complete!  I have also been really enjoying spending time with my college aged friends that are now coming to our Young Life College Fellowship, are new leaders in our area, etc. so at last week's college fellowship I invited them all over for Saint Patrick's Day dinner and game night! So fun! I loved picking the menu..all green of course!  Since most college students dislike Cabbage and I do not know how to make Corn Beef...we had Green Mexican food instead haha! 

Shopping List: My mission was to find ALL green food products!

HORS DEVOURS:

Guacamole Chips

Guacamole

Basil and White Bean Hummus

Green French Bread- Thank you Safeway for getting creative! 

BEVERAGES: 

Farolitos (Green mexican lime drink) (Safeway, Mexican Food aisle)

Green mini Gatorades

Emerald Isle Punch (see recipe below)

    Ingredients:

 -1 Can Frozen Limeade Concentrate

 -1 Qt. Lime Sherbert ( I could not find this anywhere, so I got orange and made it into the "Pot of Gold" instead : )

-2 Litres Lemon Lime Carbonated Soda (7-Up)

-4 Cups Crushed Ice

    Mix together Frozen Limead and Sherbert. When ready to serve to guests pour 7-Up and ice       into limeade/sherbert mixture and it will start to fizz and make a fun drink!

Limeade

San Pelligrino's (Trader Joe's)

Source Perrier (Trader Joe's)

MAIN COURSE:

Chili Verde Enchiladas

Chili Verde Sauce on top (Trader Joe's)

Mexican Rice

Beans (Made in my new bean pot from the Okun's!) I believe it's called an oye!

Happy Valentine's Day...Young Life's Ski Utah!

     
  

Greg and I were excited to take 48 YL Kids and Leaders from our area to Park City, UT!  In years past (in San Jose and San Luis) we have gone to Young Life's Mountain Lodge in Tahoe.  Young Life is selling the Mt. Lodge and therefore we needed to check out some alternate locations.  We were told of this beautiful lodge owned by a previous Area Director and his family- The Zwahlen's! The lodge was beautiful!! We flew out of San Jose early Saturday morning and arrived in Utah that afternoon.  The kids did night skiing the first day we arrived. It was SOOO cold!  We rode at Park City Mountain Resort (where the Olympics were held).  It was a great mountain and the snow was amazing! Our friend and Area Director in Arizona, Sean McGever, came out for the second year in a row to be our camp speaker. Kids love him and he shared Good News with our kids!  Todd and Aaron did our program and were absolutely hilarious! I'm so glad they were on the trip. Also, Sharon, our committee chair, came! Woohoo! And leaders, Rod, Katie, Ricky and Jory! Was such an awesome weekend!! Can't wait for next year!

Kitchen is still under construction!

Kitchen Update:

We have removed the large cabinets that hung over the breakfast bar.  (If I were sitting on the stools at the breakfast bar, I have to duck under the cabinet to see whomever is in the kitchen!) This left a large hole in the ceiling.  

Tommy and others placed sheet rock to cover the hole and have been floating it out so we cannot see the new ceiling. 

Kim and I made a trip to San Francisco for an amazing project table Pottery Barn desk as well as the pendant lights you see over the breakfast bar. Tim installed the pendant lights in place of the cabinet. And if you can see the 4 lights through the plastic, you can see that the box light is gone and recessed lighting is in its place!! THANK YOU TIM!! He has spent so much time in the attic, through the walls, and making there be light where there was NO light before!! Can't wait to see it finished!

Cabinets have been sanded, primed, and have received their many coats of cream color enamel paint! We also picked up all of the cabinet hardware at the Expo! Thanks Eric and Greg for installing it all!!

Ladders!

We have some very tall ceilings in our new house and the engineering husband that I have, happens to be a perfectionist : ) He of course wanted to paint the ceilings and cut in perfectly in the very high corners. So, he and the men in his family built a clever platform for the ladder to go on over the stairs! So creative! 

Paint, Paint, and MORE Paint!

Which equals more trips to Home Depot, more color decisions and LOTS of friends and family helping!! We are deciding on the paint for the family room, the living room/dining room, and the downstairs bedroom, and the office. I can officially say that I hate picking colors! Thanks to Kim for helping me and also teaching me about the squinting of the eye trick : ) Thanks Bryanna and Colleen for letting me bounce ideas off of you! And thanks to Rod, Tommy, Eric and Genie, Kim, Tim, Elizabeth, Mom, Matt, Larry, Katie for helping us paint!! You guys are all incredible! Thank you Thank you Thank you!

Kitchen Construction!

Mom's here! The interior work begins! We are painting EVERYTHING! Demo-ing the downstairs bath and we are re-finishing the cabinets. Well, Steve Donato (our cabinet hero!) is doing an incredible job with the cabinets! His attention to detail is awesome and he is such a hard worker! They are coming along nicely! Eric and Genie helped remove all the cabinets and hinges to get the project started! Thanks guys!!