finally

You know those things you buy that you really like...you're sure you can find a place for it. But, when you get home it requires tools and special screws and anchors to use it. So it gets put in a drawer and gathers dust...until finally, you have time for it and it finds a home. Well, mine finally found their homes, at least for awhile.

'S' (for stevens for those of you asking why) towel holder
bought: 4 yrs ago in Charleston, SC

fun porcelain drawer knob
bought: 4 years ago; Ixtapa, Mexico (still have 5 more of the knobs looking for a home)

'bagno' sign (you italians should know what this means)
bought: 3 months ago; Santa Barbara, Ca


frames
bought: 6 months ago; online

candlesticks
bought: 1 year ago; potterybarn

candles
bought: 6 months ago; the NEST, San Luis Obispo, ca

wheat
bought: 5 years ago; Charleston, SC

olive leaf wreath
bought: 2 years ago; the RED BARN, Sonoma, Ca


holder of all electronic trinkets
gift from my sis- LOVE IT. Never wonder where my cell phone is anymore, and no more wires hanging out of every outlet. It is all nicely tucked in this box.

there you have it.
-molly

st valentine

life is different this year. different, but better. i notice the change most on days like valentines because it is not just rex and i. we can't just pick up and celebrate at a restaurant. so we celebrate in a new way. as a family. i hope kellen grows up feeling how much we love him, and more important, how much we love each other (AND how much i LOVE flowers).

thanks rex, i love you always.
my valentines bouquet. just beautiful!

i experimented with feeding kellen a little vege mixture to see what he would do. here is the result.

-molly

to grandma riri and grandpa lar

WE LOVE AVILA BEACH!



listening to the news this weekend made us appreciate where we live. as the midwest and northeast get pummeled by snow and ice, we hit 78 degrees and clear blue skies. a nice stroll down the bob jones trail followed by a picnic at the beach....couldn't ask for a better Sunday.
kellen enjoyed swinging in the way-to-big swing. huge laughs and smiles. all the kids had fun playing in the sand (even though Luke would not put his left foot down).
check out the blue sky?

-molly

blowing out the candles

kellen attended his first birthday party this weekend for his 'best' friends, luke and emerson. fun party and a huge congratulations to their parents, michelle and jeremy. 1 whole year, you did it.
Luke loved his first b-day cake. Emmy liked to chew on the blower.
kellen just wanted the tissue paper.

-molly

too much testosterone

a heavy dose of testosterone invaded the central coast with the sports challange 08'. such a great combination of activities for the weekend warriors that included the likes of our accountant, Glenn Norris, attorney, Paul Parker, financial advisor, Rob Garcia and their partners. Rex partnered with his long time great friend, Gordon "seichii' Torigoe to challange the others in basketball, tennis, golf and football.


great form by the doubles team.
point, set, MATCH!
their #1 fan.

modeling the uniforms provided by Firestone.


and where was i?.......

getting a facial thank you.:)

-molly

prayers to the warrens

thoughts and prayers to our peers and good friends Denny and Mandy Warren and their family. His family lives and practices in Arkansas where the devastating tornados recently struck. We'll be hoping for a speedy recovery for all those who were affected.

pictures of the devastation

-molly

anatomy of a remodel

organizing, unwinding cords, garbage runs, cleaning, lots of sweat and a little break to watch the superbowl. this was our weekend.

i keep telling myself everything will slow down once we finish this remodel. it feels so good to get rid of old 'stuff' and replace it with new 'stuff' doesn't it? we originally decided to rearrange our office because of an inconveniently placed wall in the front office. once the wall was gone we realized we needed to change our front desk to make it more patient and staff friendly. now we have found ourselves designing furniture, picking out counter tops, matching paint colors and updating our computer systems. what have we gotten ourselves into? oh, but it feels so good.

here is a preview of our new desk built by the incredibly talented craftsman, Terry Granvold.



you can see his arm working away with that nail gun in hand.
look what you could have if you came in for a visit.


-molly

"chili'ing" in the rain

good things for a rainy day. a warm bowl of homemade black & white chili with cornbread. add some toppings like avocado, cilantro, lime, jack cheese and sour cream. take your time, engage in some good conversation and enjoy. * recipe to follow



the front office is under remodel. more of a project than we had originally intended. i guess that is how all remodels end up, right? thank god for GREAT staff. they have kept us sane as the pieces get put back together. today, we got new carpet and spent some time reorganizing. back tomorrow for a new front desk and other furniture.

thank you grandpa lar for keeping kellen company:)



-molly



chili recipe:
ingredients
2 cans black beans (drain and wash off juices)
2 cans white beans (drain and wash off juices)
1 package ground turkey
1 tbls olive oil
1 medium onion (peeled and finely cut)
3 medium garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 medium red bell pepper
3 tsp chili powder
1.5 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp dried oregano
1 can vegetable or chicken broth
2 tbls tomato paste
28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
3/4 tsp salt
1.5 tbls lime juice
1 bunch cilantro
* toppings of choice- avocado, jack cheese, sour cream etc...
1. in large pot, heat olive oil over med heat. Add onion and saute 5 min. Add turkey and cook through. Add garlic and bell peppers, saute 3 min. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and a couple tbls broth, simmer 5 min.

2. Add the beans to the pan with remaining broth, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Add half the bunch of cilantro leaves, lime juice, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, 30-45 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes.

3. top with all the good stuff you want. I like avocado, cilantro leaves, sour cream and cheese with a little squeeze of lime.