Cleansing

Last week we tried this cleanse where you can't have any sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten or animal products (including eggs, cheese and milk). This week we made up for lost time, eating Ben & Jerry's ice cream for Amber's 26th birthday on Wednesday, and as I type this I'm nibbling on a chocolate truffle.

Following our hiatus, we returned to Starbucks yesterday before driving up to Pinecrest Lake. We took Maggie to the lake for her first big outing. Some people, including Amber and Ediza, attempted sledding despite the lack of snow. Lately, it has been feeling more like June than January around here.

We plan to take advantage of the weather tomorrow and return to the old railroad grade where I started my training a year ago for the Great Wall Marathon. Come to think of it, I haven't ran since the marathon eight months ago:)

Happy New Year!

To wrap up our adventurous 2008 we decided to do something that epitomizes adventure: A 20 mile (roundtrip) snowshoe hike up steep switchbacks to a remote cabin in Yosemite National Park.

The trek was quite challenging, especially with Ediza on my back. After hiking all afternoon (not to mention hours in the dark) we finally made it to Snow Creek Cabin. Once we made our way inside, we entered a tiny, dimly-lit room that was filled with people sitting around a wood-burning stove. We were then handed a plate of spicy veggie stir-fry and a drink made with lemonade, vodka and, of course, snow.

In Amber's backpack, wrapped up in a sleeping bag, was a bottle of pineau -- a mixture of Cognac and grape juice -- that we were given as a gift while staying in southwest France. At midnight, a bottle of champagne was passed around. We later cuddled underneath a table in the main room and fell asleep. This was definitely one of the more memorable New Year's Eve parties I've been to.


The next morning some of us made our way back down the mountain, while others stayed at the cabin for more snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It was incredible to experience some of the rich history of Snow Creek Cabin, which was built in 1929 and restored in 2006.


In unrelated New Year's news, we were lucky enough to be included in the 2009 calendar of the New Zealand Llama Association. Below is the calendar's amazing cover.


The month of February was dedicated to Ediza, who is pictured trying to halter the llama that was named after her at Rangemore Llama Farm in Kerikeri.


A family photo of us at Llama Lookout in Governors Bay was featured for the month of May.


Aside from our photos, what I like about this calendar is that you learn new holidays -- like Feb. 6 is Waitangi Day and June 1 is the Queen's birthday.

We hope everyone has a blessed 2009!

Peace on Earth

Mike, Amber, Ediza, Maggie, Golden and Sherpa wish you a beautiful holiday season!

Today we took Maggie for a walk in the freshly-fallen snow, ate warm chocolate chip cookies and wrapped Christmas presents. We hadn't been in the snow since we were in the Swiss Alps back in June. The fluffy flakes that fell today have left us dreaming of a white Christmas.

'Tis the season

We walked two llamas -- Mac and Golden -- in the 25th annual Historic Downtown Sonora Christmas Parade. The parade is held each year the night after Thanksgiving. Last year the llamas wore packs with presents in them, while this year we put lights and bells around their necks.

Thousands of people lined Washington Street to watch the parade and get into the holiday spirit. We continued with the momentum of the parade by attending a Christmas craft fair today and tomorrow we'll cut down our Christmas tree. Not bad for it still being November.

Second fall

During our around-the-world adventure from February until July we stayed in a variety of accommodations: guest bedrooms, fancy hotels, cheap motels, historic homes, modern lofts, a chateau, a motor home, and so on. Now we can add another to our list: tent cabin.


This weekend we stayed in a canvas tent cabin in Curry Village, a longtime establishment in Yosemite Valley. Our heated tent was just a short distance from an area roped off (and now permanently off limits) due to a large rock slide last month.

Despite Curry Village being the site of a convention for recovering alcoholics this weekend, we managed to drink a bottle of champagne (and eat way too many chocolate-covered espresso beans) in celebration of my 27th birthday!



Earlier this year, during California's spring, we were in New Zealand during their autumn. So, really, we are experiencing fall for the second time this year. The crisp air, the foliage, it's amazingly similar whether you're in California or thousands of miles away.

Happy Halloween!

This Halloween Amber and Ediza were a pair of witches while I was some sort of disco-hippie pirate.

We started the day with Ediza's usual Friday morning singalong and ended it with singing around a bonfire at an elaborate Halloween festival put on by the Sierra Waldorf School.

Before we left, Ediza posed with the massive 26-pound pumpkin she picked out a few weeks ago at a nearby apple farm.

Meet Maggie (a.k.a. Draw)

Last year for Ediza's birthday we got her a Lavender Lab, a stuffed puppy filled with lavender. This year we got her the real thing!

Meet Maggie, an Old English Sheepdog who joined our family this weekend. Maggie was born seven weeks ago at Rainbow's End, another group home for the developmentally disabled. Her parents are Babs and Buster and she has six brothers -- that's right, she was the only girl in the litter.

While Maggie's name is technically short for Magnolia, Ediza still seems to like the name Draw. As you can see from the photo, Maggie has a white face, blue eyes and she's very tiny -- at least for now.

I guess potty training a toddler wasn't challenging enough so now we've added housebreaking a puppy. Finally, they both fell asleep this afternoon at the same time!