The Big 2-8

This past weekend, I celebrated my actual birthday on Friday, January 21st. My parents flew in on Thursday evening and we had dinner at our house in Playa. I made one of my specialties - Asian style tacos and we played Wii for a while.

My parents were staying in the Marina, so on Friday, they did some exploring and walking around enjoying the warm weather - it has been in the 70s. On Friday night we went out to dinner for my birthday at a restaurant that is quickly becoming one of my favorites, called Asia de Cuba. We shared a delicious meal and finished it off with carrot cake and doughnut holes with a toffee/caramel dipping sauce (YUM!!).

Paul and I have never been to the Getty Villa, sister to the Getty Center in Beverly Hills. The Getty Villa is exactly what it sound like, a villa nestled in the hills of Malibu. The art in the museum is Greek and Roman antiquities and there is a beautiful garden surrounding the property. We joined an architecture tour to learn more about how the site was built.

On Saturday morning, my parents came over and we went on a long walk to show them the neighborhood and give Riley some exercise. It has been a gorgeous month so far, and the weather was in the 70s again on Saturday before we began our day.

On my parents last day in LA we watched loads of football at our house and ended the day at a restaurant in the Marina. Topping off a fantastic birthday trip!

Me, Paul, my Mom and Dad at the Ritz-Carlton

Me, Paul, my Mom and Dad at the Ritz-Carlton

Paul, Mom and Dad after a yummy dinner

Pre-28th Birthday Celebration!

Since my parents are out visiting this weekend, for my actual birthday - Paul decided that the weekend of the 13th would be our weekend to celebrate my birthday. One of the things we did together last weekend, which was so much fun - was a Dim Sum cooking class. I am a huge, HUGE Asian food lover, and dim sum is one of my favorite things in the whole world to eat.

The class was pretty small - there were about 10 of us and we got to make all different kinds of dumplings. Steamed dumplings, boiled dumplings, fried dumplings AND Paul and I made our favorite dim sum (pictured below) pork buns.

Pork buns are basically balls of dough (hence bun) that are filled with basically barbeque pork, with scallions, cilantro and onions... they are amazing!

New York Christmases!

Every Christmas season, we break up the time we have off from work and spend part of it in Syracuse/Rochester and the other part in New York City with my family. This year was exceptionally busy, for me in particular because I went out to New York City to work from my company's NY offices for a week prior to Christmas - and even managed to squeeze in a Toronto business trip while there.

Paul joined me in Syracuse just before Christmas in Syracuse/Rochester.

For me - Christmas has always meant me, my Mom, my Dad and my sister - we decorate the tree Christmas Eve, listen to Christmas music, my Mom makes us all wear santa hats :) and then on Christmas morning my Mom makes muffins, tea and fruit and we open presents and lay around in blankets most of the day watching Christmas related movies.
This year was my first Holz/Kinsella Christmas - which was so much fun - who knew you could have 4 Christmases! :)

We started off in Rochester, at Omi and Opa's where we had Christmas dinner, Christmas Eve mass and a Holz family Christmas extravaganza!

About 1,000 cookies and Home Alone quotes later - we waddled (after all of the eating) to Grandma and Grandpa Kinsella's for a quiet Christmas at their house. Somehow, overnight at Omi and Opa's Paul had gotten sick. He woke up at about 5 am in the middle of the night with the most awful flu - but he powered through, sipping Theraflu all day and taking catnaps.

The next stop was Aunt Jill and Uncle Jim's - for more present opening and more dip eating. I am starting to love this 4 Christmas idea.

Christmas also wouldn't be complete without Lights on the Lake, back in Syracuse/Liverpool. It was wonderful as usual.

A day before we were scheduled to go back to New York City via Jet Blue, we received an email (at 11:30pm) from Jet Blue saying that our flight was cancelled. After much scrambling and bad hold music, we decided to scrap the idea of flying and pack all of our stuff into a rental car and drive down to New York City. 6 and a half hours later with traffic, we ended up in New York and at the Hotel East Houston on the Lower East Side - only a 5 min bus ride, or 15 min walk from my parent's house.

Shortly after being back we commenced what I call - "Foodventures." As some of you may know, I consider myself to be a bit of a foodie - and LOVE to eat. I always like to try new restaurants, new food, new chefs, etc. This year was no different and the day we arrived in New York we made our way to our first sushi restaurant of the trip (I can't go more than 4 days without sushi!).

We then had our 4th and final Christmas at my parents house, with my sister, our muffins, blankets, and tea. We also went to see Cirque du Soleil's winter show Wintuk - which was tons of fun. We had a blast in New York and also went to the Museum of Natural History - which is huge! I hadn't been since I was really little. And it was Paul's first time.


Finally on January 2nd, we made our way back to Los Angeles - where it was raining and 50 degrees - and we were confused. Fortunately, the world has returned to normal and it is back to 72 and sunny - and we are enjoying a wonderful start to the New Year!

Ang