METALLICA

I can honestly say that I have waited at least 16 years to see this band....and let's just say.... IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT.

We had a fantastic time and Metallica freakin' ROCKS!!!! Our constant companions (the Borgeses) joined us for yet another great adventure. We paid a grip of money for the tickets...but ONE alone was worth every penny.
David's first rock concert is going to be very hard to beat I am sure. It is by far top of my list of favorites. I don't know when I have enjoyed a concert more. Maybe it was the music, probably it was David's presence, it could have been watching him lovin' it, or the company we kept. Who knows....but it was AWESOME.

Rice-A-Roni.......(Sing the song)

Yep, thats right. A trip to San Francisco. We had a great time in San Francisco the weekend of December 5th with the Borgeses once again (I think we'll take them on our honeymoon...lol).

David has never been to San Francisco. It was an awesome time getting to show him the "big city." He was awed by all the movement and people and noise. But then again, so was I.

We took the train from Hanford to San Francisco. It was really foggy when we left and cleared as we made our way north. The train was a fun little adventure. We would recommend it as a low stress way to travel.

It was a beautiful day in the city...despite being pretty chilly (hence the Eskimo get-up).

Of course no trip would have been complete without a tour of Alcatraz. So, we did the sunset tour. It was very interesting, but moreso...really beautiful when we walked out the door to a view of the city at night....all lit up and crisp. Very beautiful. Very romantic.

But of course, this is the Borges clan afterall.....POOR DAVID!!! Stupid bully statue.

Deck the Halls

Tis the season...... to buy a tree (Big 85 lives up to his reputation) and decorate for Christmas. We are having such a wonderful, fun holiday season. Busy as usual with both Sarah and Anthony in Basketball along with birthdays, events, and work, work, work.....but you know we love it.

So, we bought a GIANT tree....and the we all helped to trim it. Christmas music and home made hot chocolate were the order of the day. Sarah proved she truly doesn't understand the English language at all ("now make sure you put all of the ornaments as close together as you can...especially if they are the same"...yeah....that's what we said...lol) and Anthony is a budding little photographer. But that is what our chaos is all about. :) You gotta love it.

Everyone remain C.A.L.M.

Finally, a family get together with Mother Theresa!. Mom treated the 4 of us to a fabulous, holiday-spirit filled time in my hometown of Bakersfield. We travelled down for an evening full of lights, family, and fun.
The California Animal Living Museum (CALM) is a sanctuary just outside of Bakerfield that rehabilitates and houses wild animals that have been injured or cannot live in the wild anymore.

During Chrismas, the place is absolutely COVERED in Christmas lights and a beautiful place to go to get the holiday spirit going. It is unbelievable.

There was a Merry-Go-Round (we took 2 rides) and vendors along with a train ride and the walk through the park. We had a wonderful time and the kids totally loved mom. Clearly, she had a great time too.

Thanksgiving

David and I did Thanksgiving at our house this year. We both agreed that it was the best Thanksgiving ever for both of us. We almost had the entire clan present, but we sure missed Colby…he definitely adds his own brand of excitement. David and I served a complete feast of “traditional” Thanksgiving food (Turkey, Ham, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Rolls, and Mashed Potatoes and Gravy), but there was the added blessing of Portuguese beans, Mom’s apple pie, Brownies, and Papesh…mmmmm….now that is a meal. Everyone had a really great time. More Borges family GOOD TIMES!

Runners-Up

This is the story of the little team that could. A David and Goliath story (as Koop called it) if ever there was one. Sierra High School, with its poplation of 650 students, had cut Water Polo as a school sport this year. In light of this economy, it is just too expensive to run, generates no income, and the only competition comes from schools 3 times our size.

Despite thse obsticles, the athletes, parents, and community raised money so that this sport could exist. The athletes worked hard, played hard, and dedicated a lot of time to making it all worthwhile.

On November 15th, after an extraordinary winning season, the Varsity Girls' Water Polo team competed in the Division 2 Valley Finals. To get there and to secure a high seed and a home match, they had to beat our rivals Yosemite on their turf first. In a stunning comeback defeat, through cold and fog, these girls pulled it off. The first round of playoffs found us at home against the superpower, Garces (a private school out of Bakersfield)

A satisfying win put us at home again against Tulare Western. In a hard-fought, last-ten-seconds, one-point win...the girls earned their way to the Valley Finals.

Ultimately, the girls brought home a 2nd place trophy and this little team that should not have even existed this year showed everyone what you can do when you BELIEVE!

It's a Penny Newman Christmas....in November

This year the Penny Newman Christmas party was the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino. We had an absolute BLAST. Michelle and Manuel kept us entertained (personally I think they are perfect for one another) both at the table and on the dance floor and the Borgeses joined us to add to our bliss!

We danced and danced....and thanks to Manuel, ew finally have some pics of that! David had to do a little DJ-ing to pick out the right music, but even the Borgeses spent quite a bit of time on the dancefloor.

After the party was over, we headed into the casino, to spend our gift money and burn the midnight oil. With the Borgeses, we had a fantastic time. We sure didn't win anything, but we made some great memories!

Family Fun

One of the pure joys of being part of the Borges clan is the FAMILY!!! The Portuguese communtiy has such a strong sense of family and culture. There are always things to do, places to go, people to see. On November 1st, we all attending the wedding of Carina and Alex Fagundes. Our little family, along with parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins had a wonderful time. There was a wonderful church ceremony (in Portuguese....I love it) and then on to the hall for food, fun, and lots of dancing.

Anthony and Sarah looked wonderful in their new digs. They are really just the greatest kids. They have these wonderful little personalities. They are outgoing and social and just have fun wherever they are. It is such a joy to be with them.
Some of my personal favorite memories included dancing with David (of course), getting crazy with Sarah, and watching Anthony come alive on the dance floor (FINALLY!!!).