Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!! I love a fresh start, and January 1st is a great day to get one! (more on that tomorrow) We had a wonderful Christmas, busy, but wonderful! Scott's sister, Laurie came out from Dallas. (and I would love to show you Christmas pictures if I ever find my memory card!) We always have fun when she comes. Brad and Beckie and the blue-eyed boys were here with us this year too. It was a special treat to have the boys around since they didn't leave to go to St. Louis until after Christmas this year. With almost a week left of school vacation we decided to go to San Fransisco (a 3 hour drive) for a few days. We had girls with Christmas money burning holes in their pockets! Scott's parents joined us after they dropped Laurie off at the airport in Sacramento. We had dinner at the restaurant which is the setting for the novel, "The Maltese Falcon". It is a quiet little quaint place to eat...and the food was delicious!

The night before Scott's parents came we decided to take the girls to "Benihana". I have always wanted to eat there, so I knew this would be a fun, exciting, memorable treat for my girls! You know, the funny Japanese chef chopping away with unbelievable knife skills and so funny that you are crying with laughter....???!!! We squished into a cab and off we went!

Here is our chef, "Angel", uh,yeah, he was Mexican! Okay, so he did catch the shrimp tails in his hat, and he made a few funny faces. I think he knew that Lindsay is "special" because he kept trying to make eye contact with her and he would give her left overs from what he was preparing for the other couple at our table. He banged the knife and metal spatula a couple times on the grill too.

And here is the happy family, posing for the picture like we are having the time of our lives and like Shae and Anna aren't arguing! I always want the perfect experience..so Scott kept telling me to "land my helicopter." (which kinda ticked me off, adding to my "experience let down"). Shae ate about 3 bites. She said that seeing the raw meat before he cooked it just "grossed her out." .whatever. So basically the picture in my mind of the experience didn't match the reality. (happens a lot for me). Look at Lindsay giving Scott a kiss for the fun time at Benihana. This was before he got the bill and pooped a brick!

Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf are such fun, and the weather was divine. There are cute shops and great snacks all over!

Lindsay loves a Merry-go-round! This was probably her favorite thing we did! Anna is in the background on the spinny thing.

The Cable Cars are a must in San Fransisco. It is fun to hear the bell and ride up and down the steep streets crammed in a car full of people. We always end up finding sweet Texans or other "sweet southerners on the cable cars (you can tell not only by the accents, but by the classy way they dress, CA is so casual! :( ) . It was so clear and beautiful, you can see Alcatraz in the background.

Lindsay got us a great hook up! The driver saw her getting off with her cane. and he insisted that she come ring the bell (Anna got to do it too) and then said for us to take a picture on the front, which was neat because usually it is hurry up and get off and out of the way!

We had a great time in the beautiful city, and came home with less money and more "stuff"!!

Happy New Year to my" Blog Friends"!