Thursday, February 25, 2010

Christmas Decorating

One of my most favorite things in the world to do is decorate for Christmas! Sigh... I love the smell of Christmas trees, I love vintage and new ornaments, I love buying decorations, and I love making new decorations! Sigh...

Sam already fulfilling his role of daddy by putting a star on our tree. This is a new tradition for me as our family Christmas tree never had a tree topper! We used to buy trees so tall that we would end up cutting off the top (which I got to use for my play house Christmas tree) so that we could hang the tree from the ceiling.

Love going shopping with my mom to buy new decorations! All of these are courtesy of her!! Thank you mom! I am absolutely in love with our new nativity! She knows our style well! Gorgeous!

Us with our tree during our family progressive "lights on" dinner. We go to each others' houses to have a treat and see their cute decorations! A new favorite tradition!

....and yes I know Christmas passed awhile ago, but I am trying to catch up! And hey only 10 more months right??

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Traditional Cable Car Ride

One of my favorite things to do around Christmas time is to go up to San Francisco and carol on the cable cars with my family. We didn't get to go last year, so it was definitely fun to ride the cable cars together with Sam!

Anniversary in Half Moon Bay

Sam and I got to celebrate our anniversary (Thanksgiving weekend) up at Half Moon Bay! We stayed at this incredible hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. It was the first hotel I have been to that seriously deserved its incredible ratings. On arrival they had amazing banana bread and apple cider for us. The SOFTEST robes and towels I have ever felt, etc etc! Plus it was my first time ordering room service. It was so great to spend the day there in Half Moon Bay, it is such a gorgeous place!

SOO beautiful! That's our hotel in the background!


Mmm Sees and Jewelry...yes my husband knows me well! haha

Thought it was so funny to see a Book of Mormon in a non-Utah hotel!

We danced in this gazebo to our song...sigh. I love my husband.

The cake place we used for our wedding (Sweet Passions Bakery) gave us a free cake top for our one year anniversary, so we didn't have to freeze it! Delicious banana cake!

What an incredible first year of marriage. Here is to a great second year!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Christmas Tree Hunting


The traditional family christmas tree race!


My Mom with Brian and Kate


Our beautiful Christmas tree!

Yes, he is just that strong!

Turkey Bowl

The traditional Walton Family Turkey Bowl was held again this year. It was Sam's first time participating, since it was 2 days before our wedding last year!

Bradford and Catherine's Wedding

Sam and I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Bradford and Catherine's wedding. Sam was a groomsmen in the wedding party. Man I love weddings! I love being able to dance with my husband! Brad and Catherine are such a beautiful couple! Congrats!!



France Day 6

On our last full day in France, we actually slept in pretty late. Sam was feeling really sick with a cold, and I was starting to get one. After the delay we headed to Paris anyway all bundled up in warm clothes! We went and saw the Musee Rodin. We walked around the grounds looking at all of his incredible statues.



The Thinker

We tried going to see Napoleon's tomb, but it was closed. Sam was pretty bummed, but we still took pictures! hehe.


Sam's newly beloved "Ponce" pose

We went to a few souvenir shops and Sam bought me a DARLING red and black purse and some other trinkets.

After, we went to the Eiffel tower again at night to enjoy the sparkling of the tower. We sat underneath and ate some delicious French pastries! As we were basking in our love, these guys kept coming up to us with mini eiffel towers (we already bought like 6 from the souvenir shop). It was hilarious, they were like drug dealers! They kept coming up all slyly asking if we wanted any. As we were walking away... Sam kind of kicked a pigeon that got a little too close. hehe. I think it was on accident...? ("Not a chance." - Sam)

And that sums up our last night in Europe. Sad day for the Lentz family! And yes, I am finally done blogging our trip!

France Day 5

We went to the Arc de Triomphe, which was really cool to see. We walked up these circular steps all the way to the top... yea, I was gasping for breath by the time we got up to the top and had to use my inhaler... haha. I'm pathetic, I know. As we were going to walk down again, we saw this elevator. So we just hopped in. The attendant told us that we couldn't go in because it was only for handicapped people, so I whipped out my inhaler and tried to tell him in French that I needed to and he actually let us! I was so stinking excited!

(And yes it kept going and going and going!!)

Next we went to Notre Dame. We had a wonderful time there. It was extra special for me thinking that that was one of my Grandpa Walton's favorite places to go!

The next stop was going to be the Musee D'orsay, which has a lot of impressionist work (Monet, Renoir, Manet, Van Gogh, etc), but we got off on the wrong Metro stop. We were already closer to the Louvre, and it was pouring rain. So rather than walking to the Musee D'Orsay, we just stayed at the Louvre. There was so much to see there, it actually worked out fine. It was so cool to see so many paintings and statues I have learned about my whole life.









France Day 4

Our main thing on Tuesday was going to the Chateau De Versailles. Sam had been there before, but it was my first time and I loved it. First of all, they have SO much damask in the Chateau! I was in love with it! We waited outside in the rain for awhile to get tickets and these guys started to drive Sam nuts with their smoking and umbrellas.

This one guy kept poking Sam with his umbrella (which is why I am not allowed to carry an umbrella around him... I have almost poked him in the eye too many times.... haha) ...so anyways he was already a little annoyed going into the line to get our headsets. Then this man behind us kept trying to sidle up in front of us. Then as we were waiting for a desk to open, he jumped the gun and took our spot, pushing us in the process! We then had to wait a while, because there was family that wasn't really getting headset concept. As we were leaving the line, Sam "accidentally" gave him a little bump and he turned around and started SCREAMING at Sam in broken English. Everyone in the whole palace entryway started staring at him. Sam chuckled and calmly insisted that the man should take the spot in line because it was obviously very important to him. "It is a gift from me to you." Then as we walked away he kept screaming "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

We finally got past the annoyance of the crazy European man, and started to enjoy the incredibly lavish palace. I can't even describe how beautiful it was so I'll just post pictures.

Sam posing with his ancestor Charlemagne


The palace grounds...


Marie Antoinette's Petite Trianon...


More of the grounds...
After visiting the Chateau, we went to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in our hotel: Gordon Ramsay Au Trianon. We got in and both decided to each order an appetizer--the least expensive things on the menu, still starting around 40 Euros--but we got WAY more than we bargained for. First of all the waiter kept coming by with different types of bread for us to try. And for the butter they had this cool butter and pepper tower! While we were eating our bread, they came and put these weird silver spikey things. We tried to figure out what to do with them for about 15 minutes until they came and turned them over and put some buttery cod mousse with mini breadsticks. Then they brought out a platter of beef tartar (think raw meat popsicles with wasabi, not tartar sauce). I ate one that Sam wouldn't try (that should have told me something), and he, in turn, tried one that I wouldn't try.

Then they brought out our meals--braised pork and lobster ravioli--which were both delicious! Later they brought out this INCREDIBLE sorbet that was mint with pineapple and green apple chunks... sounds weird but sooo good. Then they brought us these things that look like Ferrero Rocher candies but they actually ice cream. They brought them out in this container with dry ice that filled our whole table with a mini cloud of fog! THEN they brought by a candy cart! We could pick out any of these delectable homemade goodies to eat. Then the waiter came with our check and gave us this gift bag filled with a really good loaf of lemon bread. So, to sum up, we got 7 courses even though we only ordered appetizers!! How cool is that? Good work Gordie!