Goodbye to 2009!

It has been a fabulous year. I've said it before, I'll say it again, I am so thankful that this year kept my family healthy and safe, and my friends too. I could not ask for anything more than that for 2010. Cheers!

OC Nesties decided to have one last hurrah for the year! Thank you so much Claire for hosting us at your beautiful home!

Miss Domesticity:

The ladies!

Our idea of a "light brunch":

Claire's phenom casserole.

Guess who scored the BEST white elephant gift - MEEEEE! How fitting for the only one with no cable to get FIVE HOURS of RHOC on dvd - fetch.

Even Sophie and Caleb scored a present - thank you Joy for the homebaked treats!

G-fab, G-FAB!

Again, cheers and Happy New Year from my home to yours. These are my traditions since childhood. 13 round(ish) fruits for long life. 12 for each month of the coming year, and 1 extra to signify lasting longer than 12 months (just go along with it). Also, money all over the house to signify prosperity for the coming year.

Christmas Eve

I wish Mr10yt and I could be with my mom, dad, and brother tonight! Instead we're enjoying the holiday on our own, first time as a married couple, and I can't say that's a bad thing at all.

God has been good to me and my family this year. We're healthy and happy, which is the best gift I could ever ask for. I have parents and a brother who are my best friends, which is totes weird, and a husband that I grow to love more with each passing day, even weirder. Haha. I have friends that are like family to me, truly, who make me laugh and smile to no end.

I FEEL TRULY BLESSED.

I'm hoping all of my family and friends have a wonderful holiday. Merry Christmas (Eve)!

Las Vegas - let's Rock and Roll!

Literally. I went to Vegas to rock and roll in the Las Vegas Rock and Roll half marathon! Har har.

I was feeling puffy, but still excited.




My mom was SO excited to meet Elvis.


Carb loading the night before the race. More like fat-loading, courtesy of the Monte Carlo buffet.


I'd be wearing all of this the day of.


Day of - let's do this.


I'm so grateful that I met Angie and her husband before the race. Can you believe we found each other among the other 27,500+ other runners there? Thank you so much for being a fantastic running motivator Ang. You rock so hard.




Fireworks at the start.


Mile 6ish


Can you see me?!




Me and Ang both PR'd! Aka - set personal records! Wah-hooooo!


Finish time: 2:06


Brief race report: 32 degrees at the start. Absolutely miserably cold, and it never let up. The road was a little wet and bumpy, but overall a flat course with a lot to see. Definitely more crowded than I expected, and I was starting to get hostile about having to weave to get ahead. What can you do? First 6 miles we averaged about a 10 minute per mile pace. Ugh, slow for us. After mile 6, we picked it up, averaging about 8:30 to 9:30 minute miles. My calf started to cry around mile 10 from the cold, and I was bummed but finished strong.

Overall - a great experience at the Inaugural Las Vegas Rock and Roll half marathon.

Dinner with my Fam Bam at Roots in San Francisco

Thanks to a friend of mine for the recommendation to Roots restaurant in San Francisco. It's in the financial district, immediately next door to the entrance to Chinatown's little shopping alley.

Tip - don't attempt to drive there. My mom hurt her back the week of Thanksgiving, so taking Bart and walking wasn't an option. My dad drove. Tip - if you do drive there, don't let your impatient father take the wheel. Thankfully, we made it there safely. This was one of my parents' first times to experience a more formal restaurant, so I'm glad that the setting was warm and inviting. The staff was wonderful. Service was a bit slow but the food was well worth it.

I was surprised at how inexpensive it was!


Crab macaroni and cheese to start. Awesome. My favorite thing.


Caesar salad. It tasted better than it looks.


Garlic fries. Reminded me of the ones they serve at Giants games!


Mr10yt had the cornish game hen with pureed parsnips. Fantastic.


Me, my mom, my dad, and my brother had the steak. Birds of a feather, you know. This was mine:


My dad asked the server to just "shine a flashlight" on his. In other words, rare. Nass-toe-shah. But he loved it.


Creme brulee for dessert was perfect.


The soup chef came out to serve us the gelato that he made from scratch! Weird that he makes the hot and cold stuff. It was much better than ice cream.


From the website: "Our chef creates daily menus based on seasonal, locally grown produce, naturally raised meats and sustainable seafood. Everything we serve is at the peak of freshness and flavor." Since I am trying to be on a cleaner and more wholesome diet, and since my parents should be doing the same, I really appreciated their philosophy.

I love my Team 10yt!

Mom and Dad


My bro is shy


Me and my mom. What a trooper. She was in a lot of back pain, but made the sacrifice so she could go out with us.


Mr10yt insisted on taking a photo in front of the graffiti wall. Hmm.


Good times in San Francisco!

Giving Thanks

I have so much to be thankful for this year: the good health of my husband, mom, dad, and brother, as well as my own. I'm also grateful for wonderful friends who continue to bless me with their love and companionship, two doggies that make me smile every day, and a fulfilling career. Sometimes it's difficult to remember what I do have when I'm so busy focusing on what I don't have. Shame on me.

The rest of my extended family is doing as well as can be expected, although some of them are facing some physical challenges. The Mister and I decided to make the trek up to San Francisco for Thanksgiving to be with family.

The spread. Low carb and fat free - can't you tell?







I also got to visit my grandma, grandpa, uncle, and cousin where they were laid to rest.

It's a great time of year for giving thanks and reflection.