Crazy hair!

Inaugural munching...

First summer bbq of 2009!

To further the festivities of Ale's first birthday, we enjoyed the inaugural summer bbq of 2009 on January 17th in solarific Burgess Park with ~20 friends. Even Cousin Leslie made it up from Monterey. We grilled up some chicken and sausages, together with other yummians. Jeanette made Ale a fancy sunflower swirl cake...which Ale was thoroughly disinterested in...

the birthday party crew

The chef bbq pauses a minute to enjoy the fruits of his labor with Matt and Jesse...
princesses Anya and Mckayla, together with Beth, Brooke, and Leslie, show Ale how to get down and dirty in the sand...
the cakerific good-stuff...

Ale turns 1!!!!

Ale turned one on January 13th. Nick and Desha came over to celebrate and recall events one year ago when they were over for dinner when Jeanette's water broke and the adventure began (click here to see) ...



Jeanette made Ale a chocolate-vanilla swirl bundt cake.....which Ale was thoroughly disinterested in...

a fun afternoon at Johnson park...

Since we moved to Menlo Park in September, we have enjoyed the two parks within 5-10 min. walking distance of our apartment: Burgess Park with its playground, duck pond, and library and Johnson Park over the bike bridge in Palo Alto with its flower garden and big-slide playground. These photos are from a fun afternoon at Johnson Park:

dance, dance

Ale shows off her evolving boogying skills...

Ale has a close encounter with a pomelo...

Ale's not quite sure what to make of the meteoric pomelo that crashed onto her plate from the great Grandma Asteroid Belt in the kitchen, smooshing her peas and corn...

San Diego strolls, sunsets, and Sigalas

Ale hung out with Grandma and Grandpa Sigala and her tia Leslie in San Diego over Christmas, thawing out after the chilly climes of Minnesota...


We sauntered down to La Jolla Shores to introduce Ale to our erstwhile sea side strolling spot and watch the sultry sunset. Ale wanted to bare her little bunsies on Black's Beach, but we told her it might be a bit chilly for that.

Ale's days away from her 1st birthday...hard to imagine a year ago on New Year's Day we were strolling with Leslie and sunset gazing at Soberanes Point, wondering what 2008 had in store for us... click here for photos from last year at this time...

self-portraiting with tia Leslie...

sandy seaside strolling with Big Mama..