Happy Nie Nie Day

Thanks Jordan for making it easy for me to get a post up on my blog about this with about 2 minutes to spare at work today. Everyone else please copy and paste this post onto your own blog to help spread the word!

Last week Christian and Stephanie Nielson were in a very serious plane crash. They are a young couple with four children under the age of six. They are in critical condition. Stephanie has third degree burns covering 80% of her body and Christian has third degree burns over 30% of his body. The recovery will be very long and very expensive.



If you are able, please consider contributing to this fund that will go directly to the family: Nie Recovery.

Today, several websites are auctioning off items for their benefit. Go here to see the comprehensive list: Design Mom.

Updates about Stephanie and Christian here on her sister's blog.

One hundred pushups!

Betsy and her Internet friends told me about this great website called One Hundred Push ups, where you can train to do 100 push ups. I started today.
I am on my way to doing 100 push ups in just 6 short weeks. I hope I make it. I need larger guns.

Hey, is that a stork?

Betsy called to tell me our new baby has arrived! I was so excited I raced over to the hospital (her work) to pick it up. It was kind of ugly and I wanted to give it back. Reluctantly, I took it home and put it on the desk.
Wait a minute... there's an outer layer.... OH CRAP! It's beautiful!!! How I love you. I am so sorry I called you ugly. Hurry home Betsy so we can play with it!
Also. I think we need a bigger desk!

This guy...

...bugs the living crap out of me. I get it, you're the fastest man ever in the history of the world but you also seem to have a bad attitude. If I have to see this cocky finger pointing business ever again, it'll be too soon.

I love a good Olympian as much as the next gal but Usain Bolt bugs.

The newest member of the Santos family

We just hit the purchase button on a 24" iMac and we're so excited we can hardly contain ourselves. Steve and i both have ibooks circa 2003 that have been great but have seen better days. The hard drive on my ibook is smaller than most ipods. It was time to graduate.

Welcome home little one.

Congratulations!

After two years of seemingly endless research, writing, revisions, late nights, blood, sweat and tears, Steve turned in his final thesis paper on Friday and has officially graduated as a Master of Science! This is what a fancy scientist looks like these day. Me = so proud.

a trip to Paris

Well South Park anyway... We decided to get up and go to brunch. This weekend is a celebration of me since I finished my thesis. As you can see I am still in shock.
We decided to check out the french restaurant in our neighborhood. We have always driven or walked by but never stopped in. They even have dog parking.
As you can see the decor is very warm and inviting. We sat down and ordered some hot chocolate.
everything is in French!
We had to sneak these photos because apparently the chef is a loose cannon.
Betsy got an eggs Benedict and I got french toast! It was soooo good! Look at all that hollandasie sauce. Betsy really liked it because it was lemony. I liked it because it was yummy!
They even bring a truffle with the check made with dark chocolate. I love this new place and want to go back for lunch sometime to try their sandwiches.

God bless America

I'm a total fanatic when it comes to the Olympics. And I'm a total groupie of every athlete in every sport. It's awe-inspiring.Did you see the men's 4x100 meter freestyle relay? That 3 and a half-ish minutes was what the Olympics was all about. I still have the chills.

Sunday Drive

Last Sunday we went for a drive in the McMillan's new Mazda 3. It's the cutest/coolest car ever. Someday when Steve and I live somewhere with a garage/driveway/parking spot, maybe we'll buy one of them. We decided to drive down the coast a bit to the tidepools in Montara. I think that's the city we were in.There was a group of seals on the beach just hanging out.
Liz, Jeremy and Steve sharing a quiet moment with the seals from afar. I actually think Steve and Jeremy were crying when I took this picture because it was so beautiful.

pet hotel

Steve and I had a very special house guest this past week. Wednesday the cat! Nate and Courtney were heading to Tahoe for a week for the Grover family reunion so we volunteered to watch our favorite feline (don't worry Aisley, you're our favorite too). Wednesday is the kind of cat that makes you want to have a cat. If you were a fan of my old blog that I penned with my old roommate Rebecca, you know that I have a cat named Lucy that lives in Utah with my parents. I want a kitty cat!

Nate & Courtney picked up Wednesday last night and we miss her already.

Utah Part II: Pizzeria 712

Another special Utah treat was visiting my brother-in-law's restaurant Pizzeria 712. This is maybe the third or fourth time We've eaten there since it opened last fall and every time we go I'm not only proud of what they're accomplishing with their vision and their menu but also how great they are at facing the demands and pressure of opening their own business . The service was amazing, everyone there...diners and staff alike were happy and enjoying themselves. They really have accomplished something special. If you're in Orem, UT, stop by and say hi to my brother-in-law Joseph or his business partner Colton!

Here's my sister Jennifer with Emma, Sophie and Jake. This place is like their second home!
So excited about the upcoming meal...The best part was Allie making friends with that guy behind her.Ryan (sans wakeboard) and Suzy.Totally not as tough as they seem.
The Pizzeria had new paintings by a very famous artist and I can't remember his name. I'm so embarassed. Anyone? Joseph? Can you tell us?
Something I can tell you about is the food. This is my new favorite appetizer. Corn roasted in their brick oven.
As delicious as it's always been...the tomato basil pizza. Joseph was so proud of that bubble on the crust. To me it looked yuck but apparently to trained, professional breadmakers, it's something to take pride in.
This was a summer special...corn, bacon, house made ricotta...once I had a piece of this I didn't want to share any.
By the time dessert arrived I was so very full but not too full to have one bite of every one they sent out.
This is Joseph, the one you say hi to when you go visit.
This picture does a good job showing the warmth of the space. Very neighborhood. We closed the place down.
Since we were the last people there we got the extra house made ciabatta! We made french toast for breakfast with it the next morning and even smuggled a loaf back to SF with us.
So now we're back in SF...dreaming of Pizzeria 712...but making do with our homemade Trader Joe's Pizza. Not bad at all...but not quite the same.

Utah Part One

Steve and I were able to head to Utah for my mom's birthday/Pioneer Day! Pioneer Day is serious business in Utah. It's an official holiday! The celebrations are pretty much like the Fourth of July except not really. We arrived late on Piorneer Day Eve and woke up early the next morning for the big day!

Behold! The Pioneer Day Parade in Ogden, UT!
To be honest, most of the parade was this kind of stuff...tractors, horses, square dancers, high school marching bands.
Then out of nowhere...BAM! The Ogden Democrat Coalition complete with freaky Obama float! There were about 10 democrats walking with the float. Pretty sure they're looking for more members.The majority of my family who had gathered at my parents for the long weekend couldn't drag themselves out of bed for the early-morning parade festivities but my dad, Steve, my mom, Emma and I were hardcore.

Later that afternoon we celebrated my mom's birthday with a delicious BBQ and presents! During presents my mom was modeling Emma's Hannah Montana style hat. All the rage in the 8-year old girl circuit.

Here's Jake modeling the Hannah Montana style hat. Not quite as popular in the 10 year old boy circuit.
And Steve modeling the Hannah Montana style hat. Very popular in the 36 year old husband circuit.
I also had a fun afternoon with Allie, Sophie & Emma doing Pioneer style braids.

A couple of days later we were lucky enough to go wakeboarding with my sister Suzy's friend Ryan who's a sponsored wakeboarder. What a fantastic day on the lake!

Ryan had borrowed a board from his friend who has a young son so Jake was able to try too!
Steve did pretty well...another time I'll have to post the video blooper reel.
I don't have any pictures of Suzy or I doing our thing...we were all about video footage so I'll have to figure out how to upload our awesomeness (we really were pretty good although we've both been before...Steve and Jake were first-timers). Until then...we can enjoy Ryan's awesomeness.
He also showed us this crazing wake-surfing business...he starts out holding onto that rope...we all get in one corner of the boat so the wake on that side is really big and then he surfs it...literally throws the rope into the boat and surfs. Not strapped into the board or anything.

Thanks family for such a great time and thanks Ryan and Ryan's parents for taking us wakeboarding!

Next post....Pizzeria 712 (complete with pictures of Suzy, Jen, Joe and everyone!)