Mark's 30th Birthday Party Weekend

Mark turned 30 on March 24th and had a great birthday party weekend with friends and family. I was the Mojito maker and they were very popular drinks. There was beer tasting, a poker tournament, eye-opening conversations around the firepit and great food. I'm very proud to see that Mark is so loved by his friends, family and co-workers. Here's some of the pictures from the weekend:

St. Patrick's Day at the Races

Cheryl and I spent the day at Santa Anita Race Track on St. Patrick's Day. This was the first time we've been here all this race season. It was a gorgeous day, the big fountain had green water, we got free t-shirts and bet on every Irish sounding horst in all 10 races. We didn't really win any money but we sure had a great day!

I forgot my camera so I don't have any pictures from the races. These pictures are from last weekend at Mark and Amanda's. They have been working for weeks re-doing their outside yards. They have torn out fences, installed new stamped concrete, planted about 500 (I am not kidding!) new plants, installed a cool firepit where the fire comes up through the sand, built big planter boxes, installed all sorts of cool lighting, lots of new sod and a special ramp for Amanda's dad that will make it easier for him to get onto the patio. All this should be complete for the big 30th birthday bash next weekend. Saturday is a huge party for Mark's friends and Sunday is for the family. I'll post pictures after the party.

Trip to Hawaii

I just returned from my first trip to Hawaii. My friend Sandra flew from South Dakota and we had a great time. We went to the flea market and got lots of trinkets, toured the North Shore and the Dole Plantation, shopped, took hula lessons, ate tons of pineapple, learned to make leis, shopped some more, took walks on the beach, danced at Duke's, drank Mai Tai's, people watched, met lots of great people and just had fun. I loved the music, the balmy nights, the beautiful beaches, great shopping and the Hawaiian people. There was lots of activity going on at all hours in Waikiki. Can't wait to go back!

Trip to Waikiki - Pictures