On Saturday I said farewell to my golden year and welcomed my 29th year, also known as the last birthday in my 20’s. It was a weekend filled with reasons to celebrate. Not only was it my birthday, but it also marked 6 months of marriage, 1 year since we got engaged, and my parent’s 33rd wedding anniversary. And yes, of course, Prince William and Kate’s 1 year wedding anniversary as well! How could you forget that wedding or her gorgeous gown?!
To kick off the celebratory weekend, Luke and I met in Healdsburg Friday after work for dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen. We got there a few minutes before our reservation so we walked around the square and hopped into Williamson Wines tasting room for a quick wine and cheese tasting. Next time you are in Healdsburg, go there! Seriously. They pair every tasting with a small bite of cheese = amazing. Plus, they make you feel so special. Not only did they pull some strings and get our dinner reservation pushed back so we could finish our tasting, but they also surprised us with two glasses of champagne when we got to Dry Creek Kitchen. Side note: Luke and I actually met Sam Williamson (son of owners) on our wedding night at a bar in downtown Healdsburg. I’m not so sure he remembered meeting us, but he enjoyed the story and was glad we came and visited their tasting room.
Dry Creek Kitchen dinner. Chef’s Tasting Menu. Six courses. Two glasses of champagne. One bottle of wine. Three hour meal.
 |
| Cheers! |
 |
| This bad boy was rated #1 wine of 2011 by Wine Spectator. What a special treat to have with our dinner! |
 |
| The menu |
 |
| First course |
 |
| Another course |
 |
Another course
|
 |
| Luke's dessert |
 |
| Katrina's dessert |
Sunday we joined the JAMERS hiking group for a beautiful hike out in Point Reyes National Seashore. My parents and sister joined us as well on the 7 mile Muddy Hollow trail loop. The weather was spectacular for a hike along the coast. After the hike we all gathered at the visitor center and the men cooked up some fresh oysters on the bbq.
 |
| Fresh oysters |
 |
| Kristin relaxing after the hike |
 |
| 33 years of marriage and going strong! |
I’m not sure if it was the strenuous hike Carol led us on or being out in the sun all day or the massive amounts of food and beer we all consumed after the hike, but by 4:00 pm we were all pretty tired! We dragged ourselves back to Sebastopol to celebrate my birthday with cake and presents!
 |
| It's not a birthday in this family without cheetos! |
 |
| Yes indeed - 29 and feeling fine |
 |
| Wow girl, that's a lot of candles! |
Thank you to all my family and friends who made my birthday weekend so wonderful. Cheers to a great year ahead!
