Apple Cup '08

Somehow... after being the suckiest team ALL year... we manage to pull one out over the Dawgs... I guess we have to take our wins where we can get 'em. :)

Twilight Premiere Party...

Well, I must say that I had an amazing time last night. At 8:30pm I picked up four girls and headed to Sunnyside for the Twilight Movie Premiere Party at Bon Vino Bistro. We arrived to find a beautifully decorated restaurant, TONS of Twilight fans, and a life-sized Edward and Bella to play with. We participated in trivia (yay for Mrs. Bowman getting up on stage and holding her own!), entered in a costume contest (which I won based soley on the unbelievable screams and applause from the Zillah kids), and ate mountain lion (okay, steak but we can pretend, right?). The girls and I had our fortunes told, tried to win a Twilight test (we flunked), and tried to answer questions to get entered in the lottery drawing. The party went by so fast that before we knew it, it was 11:30pm and time to head to the theatre. The movie started late (almost 30 minutes late!) but it was worth the wait. I can't say it was as good as the books, and I didn't expect it to be, but it was a movie I'll remember and watch again. All in all, it was fantastic and I hope we can all do it again when New Moon comes out!! I may be running on 2 hours of sleep, but it was worth it!

Dinner at Tony's

Heidi, Tonya, Michael, Darren, Paula, Ken, Me, Michael, and Derek (and the ghost of a waiter behind us!) at Tony's Restaurant in Yakima...

Last night, Derek and I went out to celebrate Ken's 63rd birthday at the newest restaurant in town, Tony's. We have heard rave reviews about the food and we have recently gotten to know the head chef, Darren, and his wife Amy. Paula and Ken were kind enough to invite us to dinner with Michael and Heidi and Tonya and Michael. We met up with Tonya and Michael at the bar and had a few drinks with them. When everyone else arrived we were seated at the Chef's Table, located right next to the huge kitchen. Sitting at the Chef's Table was different than anything I have ever experienced in a restaurant - Darren came out and asked what our preferences were for dinner, and even make a point to create a separate menu for me because I don't eat seafood or red meat (I know, I know, I'm a pain! :). We got a private tour of the kitchen and the refrigerator (which is bigger than our bedroom!!). We had the most amazing six course dinner last night that I can't even begin to put it into words! Each dish was more delicious and more beautiful than the last - even things that I couldn't eat looked appealing! :) I started off with the most amazing fruit and cheese tray - the grapes were the best I have EVER had. Next was a sweet potato salad with blue cheese dressing and bacon crumbles. I never would have put those flavors together in my own kitchen but they were perfect. After that, I had a yummy green salad with a dressing I can't begin to name. Next was the perfect chicken served with garlic mashed potatoes and green bean (hello, that just screams Stefani!!) and then it all ended with a mouthwatering dessert - chocolate torte... Derek and the rest of our party had a slightly different menu - they started off with a seared Tasmanian tuna and seaweed salad, which I heard was fantastic. Second they had deep fried portabello mushrooms with a thinly sliced steak that looked unbelievable. Next up were apple wood smoked prawns with a hot mustard sauce. Fourth, they had a marinated portabello mushroom with dried cherries, risotto, and Kobe pork jowl, hands down the MOST DELICIOUS THING I HAVE EVER EATEN! It was amazing!!! Fifth, they had Tasmanian salmon served on candied sweet potatoes. Their last course was a tenderloin with a Gorgonzola and balsamic cream sauce - also pretty darn good (coming from someone who doesn't eat steak!)... I can't even describe how good all this food was... when you come to Yakima, you need to eat there. I will admit that it is pricey - but Derek and I both agreed that it was well worth every last penny for food that amazing. Now I look at my pantry and fridge and realize it's back to real life for us :(

A Fresh Coat of Paint...

Okay... after three days of painting and a couple hundered bucks at Home Depot our house has a whole new look. I got inspired when my parents were here and on Halloween I dove into my project. I painted the family room, kitchen, dining room, and hallway. I thought I'd post some pics to show off my handy-work... let me know what you think!! :)

ohhhh!!! dark paint :)

family room...

more family room...

my kitchen...

dining room...

dining room again...

hallway... with new lights!

guest bathroom... haunted by my fingers :)

our bedroom....

Show Season 2008

On Sunday I went to the awards banquet for the Central Washington Dressage Society and walked away with a few awards of my own. :) I took 3rd in my dressage level (training), 2nd in my age group (18 - 39), and Rookie of the Year. I only competed twice this year and now I'm motivated to do more next year. I didn't get a blue ribbon this year - that's my goal for 2009.