A Small Adventure

We took advantage of the long week-end to take Jack (and ourselves) on a field trip to some new El Dorado County wineries today.

We tried Miraflores which we both agree is now one of our favorites in the area. Very good Syrahs and good Barbera and Petite Syrah too.

Here are Steph and Jack enjoying the day.



We then went to a couple of wineries further south that were fair but neither the wines nor our experiences were great. Mark Winery by The Creek down as a low priority as well as Charles B. Mitchell/Conti Estates.

Jack's favorite part about winery trips, as you might recall, are the tractor sightings.



On the way home we ran across a somewhat rare car for these parts. A real Mini.

The Dog Days

The latter half of August has been a fun one in CA. Dad came out to visit flapJack and it was a fun visit. Here are the three of us taking a dip in the pool.

We also had a "California" dinner of wine and cheese.



Jack got some good Grandpa time in and enjoyed the extra attention. Like he doesn't get enough as it is.



We found a day to build a workbench for the garage.



And of course celebrate Dad's 68th!



The cake was a new one: a Deluxe Duncan Hines Carrot which included a package of raisins an carrots to include in the mix. The verdict? Pay the extra buck to get the deluxe if it is available. It was a good cake.

GT Football 1 Day Away!!!

While likely to be a bit of a long year with a new coach and a new offense this may be the most exciting point of the season for a Tech fan!

The Fitzgerald Theater

I wandered past Minnesota Public Radio's famed Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul tonight. There were signs for various upcoming performances including, of course, "A Prairie Home Companion". The thing I couldn't figure out is why they had so many pictures of dad posted all over the place. If you don't know what that last comment refers to, CLICK THIS LINK.

Jack as a 1 year Old!

A couple of milestones occur when you turn one.

First, you get to learn how to make French Toast - at least in a Tangeman household. Jack did well in his first lesson. Kodak even participated.



You also get to turn the car seat around and see that a whole new world exists in the car beyond the back of the backseat. He's sporting his new Raider hat.



Finally - one of Jack's favorite gifts from his birthday was the stuffed weasel (or ferret) he received from Bill and Erin.



We pulled out his scale today and managed to weigh him before we gave him a bath. Official weight is now 20.6 pounds.

The Party's Here! Jack's First Birthday

Jack celebrated his first birthday with a party today. He had a great day!

Mom and Jack were both excited before the party.


A friend made his cakes - he even had his own cake that he got to play in. He was a bit confused at first but eventually got the hang of it. As you can see these were no ordinary cakes and they tasted as good as they looked!






Jack waited with great anticipation for his cake.

For some reason, the girls who attended the party were infatuated with Jack while he was eating his cake. There could be worse problems to have I guess.

Beating the Odds

About a week and a half ago Steph noticed that her eternity band was missing a diamond. Yesterday, while preparing for a workout in the company gym, she noticed a shiny spec in the floor. Sure enough - it was the missing diamond!



Occasionally, even a blind squirrel finds a nut!

You've Come a Long Way Baby!

Jack turns one year old tomorrow. A year ago we were nestled in the hospital somewhat oblivous to what would happen or how much our lives would change. We were soon blessed with Jack - a pretty incredible baby and we still haven't recovered :)

His favorite toys these days are remote controls, pots and pans and water bottles.



He received his birthday present from us a day early - a water table - it was something he tested a few days earlier at a friends and loved.

Lakeside Vista

Here's the view from the living room windows in the new house Erin and I just bought. The neighbor lady says she has recently sighted a gaggle of Canadian geese splashing about on the water. I haven't noticed them yet, but if I do, I'll try to snap a picture.