Mom and Linda's Shopping Spree in San Francisco

Mom and her friend Linda decided to fly to San Francisco for a little retail therapy in San Francisco. With Kevin turning 40 on December 2nd and Mom not seeing the baby bump in several months, we simply had to crash their party to celebrate!

We met for a drink on the 36th floor lounge of their hotel to soak up the beautiful views of the city before heading over to Plouf for a phenomenal dinner. If you have never visited Belden Place, it's a must do in San Francisco, especially on a warm summer evening. The alley is strewn with white lights and little cafes that make you yearn for a trip back to Europe. Clearly it wasn't a warm night given the temperatures were lingering in the low 40's but still loads of fun!

After our hearty meal, we decided to walk off our desserts by visiting areas of Union Square decorated beautifully in holiday decor. It certainly put us in the holiday spirit.

Mom gave us an adorable baby gift, which you'll have to read about on our Baby Blog.

Black Friday

Three years ago we began a tradition with our friends, the Kopeck's, where we meet them in San Francisco for a night out in the city.

This year my camera never surfaced from the depths of my handbag but we can tell you it was fun, as usual. We started the evening at Chez Papa Resto for drinks and dinner. Our friend Mark joined us as well. I think the hit in the cocktail category was the blood orange margaritas. The food, ambiance, and of course, company were perfect! A definite must go back dining experience.

After dinner we headed to the Lava Lounge to meet up with another friend, Rob, for more cocktails. We've been there a couple of times now and the scene is always inviting. Great music, great crowd, and although we haven't tried them yet, the light bites look delicious.

Already looking forward to next year...

Thanksgiving 2009

We've been on the go ever since the holidays hit. Here's a recap so far... Thanksgiving We went to Lodi for Thanksgiving to celebrate all we are thankful for (many, many things) with Brian's family. It was wonderful to see everyone and catch up. There was a smaller turnout than usual at Sandy and Nick's home this year - about 25, nonetheless, great fun!

Marsh Maddness

The YMCA held it's annual Marsh Maddness 5K/10K late last month (yes, I've been lagging on my blog posting...). This event is really special to us because we are both involved in our local YMCA. Brian is on the Board and I am on a couple of committees. This particular event supports the YMCA's Healthy Kids programs. Here are a few shots of the day.

Barbara at the finish line

Our good friend Sean grilling up some post-run burgers compliments of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in Mtn. View.

Steve and Tasia after their run

Brian, Beth, and Dave finishing up!

Harvest Festival and Cambria

Each October during harvest, Paso Robles hosts a Harvest Festival. Wineries offer special events throughout the weekend ranging from special tastings, food pairings, dinners, and all-day parties. We enjoy the all-day party hosted by Linne Calodo. Not only are we members of LC, but huge fans of their annual Harvest party. Live music, incredible food, barrel samples, a new tasting room...oh, we can go on and on. Each year we plan on staying for a couple of hours and then continuing on to another winery or two. And, every year we end up staying at the party all day. In fact, this year, we closed the party down. Yes, it's that fun!

Although I couldn't partake in their delicious wines, I indulged in the foods. Artisan cheeses, delicacies from The Black Cat Bistro in Cambria, and wood-fired pizzas baked on the spot.
We've already warned our friends at Linne that next year we're coming with kid in tow.
Here are some photos of the day - notice the purple stained teeth and lips!


And onto Cambria. We stayed in Cambria and had the most amazing time walking the beach enjoying the crashing waves and soaking up the sunshine. Here are a few pictures of the glorious Moonstone Beach.

Update from the McCormick's

I started a new job about a month ago and have been busier than ever! I'm the College Advisor for students attending our program and also attend under-resourced high schools. Here is a video of our Director of Development being interviewed on the local news.

In addition to working a lot of hours, we're trying to adapt to pregnancy and becoming parents. Check out our blog dedicated to the baby. While you're visiting the baby's blog, be sure to take our poll. Will it be a boy or a girl? Your guess is as good as ours because we're not planning on finding out the gender.

Our dear friend Kim sent us a book of names. We've been battling over baby names now for a couple of years and still can't agree on anything! This poor kid is going to be called Baby M for a long time...

Weekends in the McCormick home have been filled with Stanford football games. Neither of us attended college there but since it's so close to our home, we have season tickets to their football games. One of one of my former students, Alix, is on the cheer team so I get to cheer her on while Brian watches the game.
Here is a picture of our group (Front row: Brian, Dave, Beth, Back row: Dino, Grace, and Lisa) at the game against Washington and another picture of the Stanford cheer team in the distance - Go Alix, Go!!!

Baby Shower fun

Today was my friend Liz' baby shower. I met Liz at the gym where she teaches a boot camp class that I love. Our friendship blossomed and we began spending more time outside the gym getting to know each other. She is an incredibly strong (mentally and physically) woman with a positive attitude and a heart of gold. She's a true friend and I'm so lucky to have her in my life!

Here are some pictures (primarily of the food - you know my affection for all things edible!) of the lovely day.

I made my standard fare - lasagna, Cristina made a delicious Orzo pasta salad and brie and fig appetizers, Laura made a hearty salad chock full of veggies, and Suzanne made the cupcakes which were red velvet with cream cheese frosting - yum! In summary - delicious!

Liz and I are already planning on getting BOB strollers so we can run the Stanford Dish with kids in tow.

Can't wait to meet baby Drew and go running with our babies!