A very belated thanks

**The formatting on blogger is so frustrating these days I just might switch to a new blog publishing offering.  Sorry for the wacky look of this post...

I am going to write this post a little differently than usual.  This blog post is being written to my wonderful husband:

Scott, I am thankful for you.  We last left off in anticipation of my birthday where I was to turn into the oldest 27-year-old known to man.  The good news is that you love me for being prematurely old.  You didn't even flinch when I said I just wanted to stay in on my birthday and make dinner together in our comfies.  

On my birthday you showed up at Engine Company 1 ready for a birthday date.  I love going to Houston's (or Hillstone) with you any day but today was extra special since there was no work to be had after.  We enjoyed our spinach & artichoke dip, fish sandwich and wine and best of all we enjoyed being there together.  Crafting a grocery list on the table for our big night ahead.  Somehow you snuck out of the double grocery store duty (the day before Thanksgiving) but I'll forgive you because the day before I walked into the cleanest house possible.   You folded laundry, put out new hand towels (still in Thanksgiving themed colors) and even made the house smell less like pomeranian.  

The Strand Fam joined us for happy hour and we were all able to enjoy chatting while the kids milled about and enjoyed Go Diego Go.  After the house cleared we abandoned our initial plans of kneading dough and singing along to iTunes and plopped some toppings on a Boboli.  The timer went off just in time to snuggle in for a movie followed by a birthday dance party in our living room.

And, the presents.  I am such a lucky lucky girl to have such a thoughtful and generous husband.  There was, of course, the robe that I knew was coming (based on the email with the link and exact size I wanted) but you took it one step further and got me what I was hoping for as a Christmas present.  My very own Kindle!  This is even more selfless than I can imagine because you know books suck me in and I can't put them down.  A digital device with book after book at my fingertips?!  And, yes, I already finished the first book I purchased.  And, finally, there was the surprise trip (but let's leave these blog readers in the dark a bit long on that one).  

Me and my presents!

Thanksgiving.  I am so thankful to have married into a family as loud, fun, and spirited as my own.  Spending such a wonderful holiday with you is something I look forward to for a lifetime to come.  Next year it is on my birthday, just saying...

Appetizers.  Don't worry there was plenty of french onion dip and ruffles too!

Someone was making us have a laugh!

Michelle, Grandmere, and Kristina

Guess what country each wine is from!

Region Selections

Retchlesses

The day after Thanksgiving you gave me the best birthday surprise ever...a trip to NAPA!!  Even though I found out ahead of time that I was being whisked away and ruined your "pack you bags" plan it was fun to guess the destination and know that you had something up your sleeve.

We started by stopping at a few of our wine clubs:

Gloria!

Cakebread. I feel like this could be our recycle bin...maybe it is bad to admit that?

A car picnic at Oakville Grocery

You then drove us to our hotel, the Vintage Inn, where we spent a night in early 2010 (I like this tradition of bookending our year with Napa trips)!  After getting all dolled up you took me to one of Yountville's wonderful eateries, Redd.

Hooray, a picture of us together! (in the lobby of the Vintage Inn)

Dinner-Night #1

Pork bun-it was one of the best things I have ever eaten.

We ate too quickly to capture the rest of the meal but we will definitely be making a return trip.  

The next day we headed off for more wine tasting and, of course, eating!

View from our balcony...it was pouring but still gorgeous.

At Mustard's for lunch (where ironically we just had water)!

Saturday night was above and beyond.  We got all gussied up and went back to our favorite, Bottega.  We decided to do what we did last time and let the waiter lead us through the menu and pair wines with each course.  It was once again the most incredible meal!  I don't know how we could ever stay in Yountville and not go there, even with so many tremendous restaurants to choose from.  

Beets and other root veggies.

Pasta to die for.

It was like a faux thanksgiving dinner with duck leg!

Lovey, it was an incredible birthday and I am so thankful for all of the time, effort, and thought you put into making it perfect.  You always go above and beyond and I truly am lucky to have you as my husband (as I type you are cleaning the house)! I can't wait to spend the rest of 2010 with you and every day of the rest of our many years together.