The Yuras Files

Christmas 2009

2010-01-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

We did something different this year and spent Christmas up in the mountains. Our days were full of activities like skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing and a cold day of fishing (Mike). The temps were usually around 5 degrees when we woke up. A few days of 0. Very cold. We also lost power all day on Christmas due to a power outage, which we all decided it would make one of the most memorable Christmases to date. Thanks to the gas fireplace we all survived. Anna proved to love the snow as much as we do, no real surprise there. We had planned on taking her skiing but only made it to the sledding hill. I don't know who had more fun, Mike or Anna. Happy 2010!

Fourth of July? Really??

2009-11-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

This has got to be the most common question (slightly rhetorical) in reference to our blog. For those of you still following, I thought I'd add a couple just to become somewhat current, and yes, change that fourth of July posting. Here is Anna on our front porch. I just love this picture. It really looks like her. The next picture is from Hermosa Beach. Mike's old stomping grounds. Mike took her down to the water and she was immediately knocked over by a wave. A little shocking to me, but Anna loved it. She has been loving the water for quite a while now so this was the ultimate. Mike just returned from an incredible fishing trip in Alaska and he is anxious to post lots of pictures. Those will be up soon.

Anna and her new favorite friend 'moo moo'

A cool day at the beach

4th of July Block Party with the Vans (and everyone else on 14th street)

2009-07-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I can say that I was never really interested in 'block parties' (especially the kind with a thousand kids running all over the place) until now. Anna was in the trenches. She was smack in the middle of the parade, feeding kids fruit (see below) and in general, just being a kid. Don't get me wrong, to the right of this picture was a margarita machine keeping the parents happy, I mean, life does go on. But it sure is fun with Anna.....

J.D., Anna and Harrison in the parade

Anna 'sharing'

No doubt this kid is part Texan. At the end of the day, she was so tired she had to lay down to enjoy her rib. This is seriously funny to us because the only time Anna slows down is to sleep.

Mike, Anna, Travis and Harrison

Anna (18mo.) and Harrison Van (11mo.)

The Rothschilds in town!!

2009-07-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

Two years ago when Joey and Cathy came out to visit, we went wine tasting in Napa. We ended up at Plumpjack. Here we are again last month. This time with two new additions. Anna, and baby Rothschild who is due in the fall. This winery has a great picnic table up above the vineyards. Both trips we bought a bottle, sat at the table and enjoyed the day. I hope this is a tradition for many years. Here are a few shots.

In the tasting room at Plumpjack. We all loved the Sauvignon Blanc!

At our favorite picnic table above the vineyards

Anna and Joey finishing a glass of wine.

Parents to be. Cathy was a good sport about being pregnant in Napa. I've been there. It's tough.

Easter 2009 - Thunderbird

2009-05-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

Easter in Rancho Mirage has been a family tradition for Cara's family for decades. This year was especially exciting because Anna was into the egg hunt and the petting zoo. Below are a few pictures from out great trip.

Anna and her Easter basket.

The 'Fam'.

Anna loved the petting zoo. I was worried that the goat was going to kick her; but she managed to navigate the area quite well.

She loved petting the bunnies.

This was my favorite rooster - he reminded me of my Dad.

Cara, Anna and Aunt Cat. For those of you that were at our wedding this is where we had our reception.

My favorite picture from the weekend.

Friends

2009-03-22T15:27:00.001-07:00

We were so excited when the Mckee's told us they were coming out for a visit. The weekend flew by and we all had so much fun. We headed up to Tahoe for a night and the kids had a great time playing in the snow. Allyson and Anna are only about 6 months apart so they were great buddies by the end of the weekend. So cute together!

Anna and Allyson

Hunt and a little 'red'

Megan and Luke (the expert skateboarder who made some new friends in California and perfected a couple new tricks- he'll be sponsored one day)

Elliot, Mike, Anna and Allyson getting ready for bed.

Who doesn't love a bathtub shot!

A day at the park

2009-03-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

We have a great little playground near our house and Anna is finally old enough to enjoy, so we head up to the park at least three times a week. I think Anna loves the swing the best, but always wants to go down the slide. The first few times we held on to her, but then she insisted on going down alone. Big girl.

All the camellia trees are in bloom right now. Pink, red and white all over our backyard. I think this is a great shot.

Sun Valley

2009-02-19T15:27:00.001-08:00

Looks like we have a little girl who likes the mountains as much as we do. Mike and I just got home from a week in Sun Valley. The weather was very cold so it made for great snow. A few days of snowboarding and a few days of cross country skiing was sure to create some sore legs, and it did, so we took a day off to go sledding with Anna. She had the funniest look on her face and we had a hard time not falling apart laughing. What a perfect Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend.

Walking on the bike path in front of the house and waving to Mimi and Papa.
Anna thought this was some kind of animal (which it was at one point) because she kept petting it and giving it some love. awwww.

Anna's 1st Birthday!!

2009-02-02T20:12:00.001-08:00

On January 12th, Anna turned one! Jon-Paul and Jessica were here for a few days so it was so much fun for Anna to share her birthday with her cousin Justin. Anna demolished her cupcake and we all demolished carnitas and margaritas. Mimi and Papa and Aunt Cat were also there. It was a small celebration but lots of fun. Here, Anna is showing off her 'touchdown!' which was mastered just in time for the national championships. Anna has been so much fun. She has quite the personality and is walking all over the place. True entertainment nightly. Just went to the doctor. New stats in: 21lbs and 30 in. long. Anna is almost ready for baseball season, watch out Pages, were coming to AZ to getcha!

Time for a little catch up...

2009-01-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

The end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 have been wonderful. It is hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone and it's mid January. Mike decided it was time that we have a 'real' camera so went out and purchased something that would not only visually record our memories but, unfortunately, keep all of our pictures locked in the camera. The only problem with the digital world. Well, we have finally put all our pictures on the computer and are ready to share. Here are a few shots from December and January. This was Anna's first Christmas so it was extra special to us and then we rolled right into her birthday January 12. What a ride. With the new year comes a zealous promise of active blogging! Here we go....

Mike and Susan came for a visit just before Christmas. Anna gave Susan lots of love.

Anna's Christmas outfit complete with her own 'faux' fur shrug.

Christmas morning

We took Gigi out to dinner right before Christmas. Anna had a hard time deciding so she ordered the osso buco. Good choice.

I think Anna actually forgot this bow was on her head.

It's been a while...

2008-11-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

We are slacker bloggers. I'm not sure anyone is even reading this anymore, but just in case, here are some new pictures. This is the most recent picture of Anna. She is actually starting to look like a little girl. My mom said to Mike that there is no denying that she is his daughter, on the other hand, so many people say she looks just like me. I don't know, but she sure looks cute. And that is the smallest hair clip in the world. Perfect for holding 5 strands of hair. The pictures following include lots of team spirit since the longhorns have had an exciting year. Every Saturday we represent in our shirts and the Texas flag has been hanging out front all season. Mike says there is still a shot at the National Championships, but OU has to win (just by a little) this weekend. It is hard to believe that next weekend is Thanksgiving. It is such a cliche, but time sure does fly. Miss you all.

A little over 10 months old.

Last weekend getting ready for the big game! My mom says she has our 'sorority' smile already.

banana face

Vegas baby! I celebrated my first weekend away by seeing Madonna in Vegas. Kim, Kristen, CJ and I had planned this for months. Resplendent in so many ways, Champagne lunch, lots of gambling, and spending time with three of my favorites. I have a feeling I will always like Vegas.

Anna goes to Texas!

2008-10-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Last week, Mike and I took Anna back to Texas. There were many stops across that huge state but all in all it was a great trip. San Antonio was the first stop to see Anna's Momo (Mike's mom) and James. They are in a beautiful spot out in the hill country. Lots of space and deer that come right up to the gate to eat. It was so much fun to see Emily, Aunt Mary, Aunt Debbie and Tom. Next we headed to Austin to stay with the Rothschilds. Austin is so much fun and Mike couldn't wait to take Anna to campus. Congratulations to Ashli and Casey, Ashli's pregnant! And so much fun to see Scott and Leigh too. We miss you guys. Next we headed south to Hunt's ranch to hang with the Mckee's, Jeff and Jarrett. The guys went dove hunting and then we ended the night sitting around the fire. Good times. Anna and Mike at the University of Texas tower.
playing in San Antonio
Momo's new house out in the hill country. I'll have to admit, Texas has the most beautiful sunsets. This gate is where all the deer would wander up to eat.
Anna and Ally
Mike, Hunt and Jeff. These guys have been hunting and playing at this ranch since they were little boys. It's a beautiful spot in the south part of the state just north of Corpus Christi. They actually did come back with some quail.

Anna joins the 'Nation'

2008-09-28T19:01:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday Anna took in her first Raider game. She seemed to really enjoy standing at the edge of the window and watching the crowd as well as bits and pieces of the game. The next home game is against the Jets and Anna is already getting pumped up!

Anna Banana

2008-09-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

Our little Anna banana is crawling! She's like a dart. If I leave the room for a second she is gone. She started crawling a few weeks ago and is so happy to be mobile. She is also pulling herself up on everything which I'm sure means walking fairly soon (or so they say). I can't believe that it is already the end of September. In fact, today, September 25, is my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! This has been an exceptional summer. Anna has brought us so much happiness and some serious belly laughs. Here are some recent shots of her doing her thing. Last weekend Jarrett was out for work so we ended the week with a trip to Tahoe. We stayed with our friends Tom and Angie and did all the fun Tahoe stuff. Mike even squeezed in some fishing. Imagine that. on the move
This high chair seems so big that we have to laugh. Plus Anna looks so small. But it always gets a smile.

a little blurry but you get the point
Tom, Mike, Jarrett and Anna, mid hike.

Now we know why the Raiders got stomped!!

2008-09-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Last night the Raiders played Monday Night Football against the Broncos. Our friends Mike and Kristen said they would watch Anna so we could go enjoy the game. It always feels good to leave your baby with a friend who has kids. They know all the tricks and have all the toys. Well the Raiders got crushed 41 to 14. It was pretty bad. Meanwhile, back in Sacramento, the Bruces were having way too much fun. We don't want to say that the second picture jinxed the game, but that is a 49er jersey on Anna. We got these pictures on our way home from the game, and we are seriously still laughing. We love the Bruces!!!!

no words to describe

Ryan, Anna and Nick Bruce

Labor Day at Lake Tahoe

2008-09-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Our friend Hillary was nice enough to invite us up to the lake for Labor Day weekend. It was a beautiful day and the water was perfect. Still cold but a refreshing temp for a quick jump off the pier. Catherine gave Anna this cute little swim outfit although she never did make it into the water. Hil's daughter was with us who was so much fun. Her answer for everything is 'great'. She and Anna got along very well. Mike and I were saying on our way back to Sacramento how you just never get tired of Tahoe. We are finally getting the hang of travelling with a baby. Anna is a great traveller. She played hard and slept even better. As for the rest of the weekend, we just relaxed. Today we took Anna to the park for a picnic and then walked to Vic's for an ice cream. All in all a great weekend.

Anna, Mike and Holden headed to the lake.

Mike's Flock of Seagulls hairdo!

Sun Valley

2008-08-23T16:09:00.001-07:00

Mike and I just got back from spending a couple of weeks in Sun Valley, ID. There is so much to do we found ourselves busy everyday. Tons of great hiking, mountain biking, and fly fishing. Sun Valley also hosts an incredible symphony. For two weeks in August the crowds bring chairs and picnics and listen to the music. We had a few wonderful nights. I think my favorite was Tchaikovsky but the Pops were incredible too. The symphony just got back from a performance in Beijing and did all the overtures to the Olympics. Very cool. The night ended with the songs of the military. They asked everyone who was in each branch to stand up and be recognized as they played their music. Very patriotic. All in all it was a perfect vacation.

Aunt Cat and Anna

On my birthday my Mom and I hiked Mt. Baldy. This was after having some lunch at a restaurant called Papa Hemi's. Ernest Hemmingway called Sun Valley home and this restaurant was rumored to be his home. Well, if its good enough for Ernest Hemmingway...

Mike and I did some great trails. This was the golf course loop then we ended up on a single track called Corral Creek.

Riding through an old burn scar.

Anna and Mimi with Panzer. Panzer likes to give kisses and Anna didn't seem to mind.

Anna's Baptism

2008-08-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Anna's Baptism. What a wonderful day. Anna was the only baby being baptized, so she was the star. She was great during the ceremony. Just a little case of the hiccups. Our friend Paul was the Godfather and my sister Catherine was the Godmother. Anna is in good hands. Here are some pictures from her special day.

This has by far become Anna's favorite location. It gets a smile every time.

I've never seem two grandmothers love a baby more. She is a lucky girl.

Post baptism. Mike made his famous Paella. It was a very hot day in Sacramento. I think even Laurita who traveled all the way from Texas was hot. Is a pool in our future? Maybe. Right now we'll take the shade and a cold beer.

San Diego

2008-07-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Mike and I headed down to San Diego for our nephew Justin's first birthday. It was also a chance to say goodbye to Jon-Paul who has by now left for Iraq. We had a great weekend. It was fun to watch Justin and Anna to play together, JP hit the bbq, and we just enjoyed the beautiful San Diego weather. I already miss my little (big) brother and hope everyone who reads this will keep him in your prayers.

Pure fun

Anna looking very serious

Aunt Cat and Anna (Anna didn't touch any of that wine)

The birthday boy and Mimi

Anna eats solid food

2008-07-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

This is just always cute. I know everyone with kids has taken these pictures. It is so funny to watch your little baby, who has only known liquids, to eat rice cereal. Anna wasn't terribly interested, but as my mom put it, would you be that excited about rice cereal? Good point. Moving on to the good stuff very soon (i.e. fruits and veggies). Anna is now a little over 6 months and growing like a weed. She is sitting up pretty much on her own and rolling all over the place. This age is so much fun.

Sun Valley

2008-06-24T17:52:00.001-07:00

Last week Mike had a busy work week with Jarrett and Paul in town, then a fishing/camping weekend planned, so I decided to head to the mountains with Anna. Sun Valley is so beautiful in the summer, and since my parents are living there full time, they kept us busy all week. This picture was just after our first hike with Anna. My mom and I went to one of her favorite spots, Galena Lodge, and did a hike which was appropriately named, Psycho. There were beers hiding behind us in the picture. And well deserved. Anna was a champ. She slept through the first half, then just purely enjoyed herself for the rest.

Since Idaho received so much snowfall this year, everything was so green. This was another hike we took through the wildflowers. Just beautiful.

Anna loves to be outside. While we were eating dinner, she just played on the grass.

Happy Birthday Mike!!

2008-06-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Every year as Mike's birthday approaches, he begins to ask what we should do for his birthday. I think he is trying to figure out when (one of these years) I'll have a surprise birthday party for him. This wasn't the year. But it was a great day. We took our friends Tom and Angie, Catherine and of course Anna, up to Napa. We had a great lunch at then headed over to Domaine Chandon. We received the v.i.p. treatment which included a thorough tour and a wonderful tasting. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Anna learning about tank fermentation

I love this picture. This dress on Anna was mine as a baby. My mom saved some of her favorite clothes of ours (in duplicate of course).

Rio Viento Vineyard - Year 2

2008-06-02T19:16:00.001-07:00

The name Rio Viento, which means river wind, was chosen because it represents the unique micro climate created by the cool delta breezes. This climate along with the rich soil creates an ideal location to grow grapes. Last weekend we took a drive out to the ranch to check the progress of the vineyard. This is the 2nd year and the vines are doing very well. Shortly, the vines will be split and trained to grow across the trellis which will enable them to yield more fruit. Next year will be the first year that fruit will be harvested. It is exciting to watch the progress!

Close up of the chardonnay vine

Rows of vines with 2nd year growth (upper field)

View of the lower vineyard

Fabulous 4s (Months)

2008-05-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, I have been a little flaky on keeping up the blog. I promise to start posting a bit more frequently. Our little peanut is now 4 1/2 months old! We celebrated my first Mother's Day with my mom and grandma. Four generations, pretty cool. Anna has been so much fun lately. Lots of new tricks. Mike and I just went on our first overnight trip without Anna. My mom stayed at our house with her so we headed for Tahoe. We took a hike, had a great dinner overlooking the lake and then went gambling (of course). It was a total success since both Mike and I walked away with cash in our pockets. Here are a few pictures from Mother's Day, a giggling shot, and Anna taking a bath (which is just always cute).

Anna has one look these days in pictures. Kind of like Blue Steel from Zoolander.

Going to Iraq

2008-05-14T18:46:00.001-07:00

My brother Jon-Paul, who is a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, is headed to Iraq. JP's been in the Navy for 10 years and has just received his orders. Our family is so proud of Jon-Paul and know he will serve our country well. He has just left for Kansas to begin combat training. He returns home for a brief stint, then heads out. I love my brother so very much and hope that all who reads this will keep him in your prayers.

JP's wife, Jessica, had a big going away party at their home in San Diego. We had a blast. The night was ended with a shrewd poker game. This is a pix of the 'fam'. Justin is now 9 months old.
A quick stop for the obligatory mimosa. Catherine and I were lucky enough to be on the same flight with JP's good friend Mike. The good times started early.
My cousin Eric and his cute wife Lindsay made it down for the party as well. I heard there was a golf game the next day but still haven't heard how that turned out.

Anna's first Easter!!

2008-04-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

Easter in Palm Springs has been a tradition in our family for many years, so it was so much fun to take Anna this year. She has lots of little nicknames, but one that seems to stick is bunny, therefore, Easter is her holiday. She was awesome, not only on the trip down, but also in all the new surroundings. She is almost 12 weeks old and at the last appointment weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs 11 oz. All these pictures were from Easter Sunday. Everyone says how much she looks like Mike, and I have to say, I think so too. The picture with the chocolate bunny is my favorite. She giggles all the time!

Grandpa Mike, Aunt Em and Little Mama

2008-02-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Mike, Emily and Little Mama came out last week to meet Anna. We all had a great time. Anna is growing like a weed and smiles are popping up more often!

Grandpa Mike and Anna. Matching pink outfits!

Aunt Emily and Anna! She's a natural...

Grandpa, Little Mama and Anna!

'I love Broadway'

I'm One Month Old!

2008-02-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

Anna's first birthday cup cake. Mom made it and Dad ate it.

Goofy Face

Anna and Uncle Rusty!!

What a month!

2008-02-10T18:28:00.000-08:00

This has been quite a month! It's hard to believe how much she's grown. I think she's got to be up to 7 lbs by now. The smallest things keep Mike and I entertained. She is holding her head up, gripping everything and every so often we can get her to smile. It is really so fun. We are also a little sleep deprived, but for some reason, that also seems funny. The sun is finally out in Sacramento so it's been lots of fun taking Anna out for a walk. Just like her parents, she loves to be outside!

Stretch it out!!

Anna after her first bath!!

This is by far her favorite sleeping position. Now I just need to teach her to 'hook em'!

Anna Christine Yuras

2008-01-15T16:31:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, January 12th at 7:30am Anna Christine Yuras was born!! She was 6 lbs 2 oz and 20" in length and born at Sutter Memorial in Sacramento, CA. She is such a blessing and we are so excited to have her in our lives.

Right after she was born...

Scrubbed in...

Day one with the newest member of a our family...

Momo with Anna...

Mimi and Papa with Anna...

Aunt Cat with Anna...

West Coast WINDS!

2008-01-06T13:30:00.000-08:00

For once a West Coast storm has lived up to the hype! Friday morning Sacramento was slammed with a storm that brought inches of rain and winds up to 70 mph. For those of you who haven't had the chance to visit our neighborhood our streets are covered with trees close to 100 years old. Unfortunately the storm took out my neighbor's 80' Elm tree along with the high voltage lines that power our neighboorhood.

The tree was physically blown over - roots and all! The roots are almost 8' out of the ground and the tree managed to take out our neighbors garage, driveway and the power lines. We have now been without power for two days and hope that power will be restored by Monday! Quite the adventure prior to the baby. Hopefully all will be in order before the baby arrives!

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday with lots of love and happiness. I am now 37 weeks pregnant, due in 3 weeks! And feeling very big. And very slow. Mike and I can hardly believe that we will be parents shortly. Check soon for pictures of a bigger belly or a baby! Happy New Year....

Our New Home!!

2007-12-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

We did it! We bought our first house! It has been so exciting and fun, and lots of work. The best part is that we moved about eight houses down from where we were living so it was one of the easiest moves. The house was built in the early 40's and has great charm. Come and visit!!

One last getaway - Monterey, CA

2007-11-13T15:54:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we decided to pack our bags and head to Monterey to take advantage of one of our last "quiet" weekends. The timing was perfect because the weather was ideal and the tourist traffic was gone. We spent one full day on the beach relaxing, working on baby names and just enjoying the spectacular coast.

There was a great break just north of our beach spot so I thought I would take a picture for all you surfers. Although the weather was warm (85) the water was a little too chilly to partake without a wet suit.

We also took a day trip to the Monterey Aquarium. It was so awesome. We were lucky because we happen to come on the day when they did the live feeding....a lot of action. The jellyfish exhibit was beautiful.

Our New Playground!!

2007-10-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

I knew Mike would find the nearest fishing spot as soon as we moved back to California. It's pretty spectacular. It's just outside of a town called Markleeville in the Sierra Nevadas. And the fish have been good to him. Cal and Scott came up from L.A. and had a true boys weekend. For those of you who know the story, this was the weekend when their camp was stalked by a bear. Funny pictures, not so funny at the time!!!

The friend who keep Mike from sleeping all night. Somehow, Cal and Scott didn't mind...

Mike and Cal headed out to hammer the rainbows. The East Carson River is a federally regulated catch and release river filled with native rainbow trout. Great fishing!!

In between fishing there is always time for a little R&R. Thanks Mr. Rhodes for hauling in the pink floats!!! Needless to say the other anglers that hiked in 4 miles to enjoy premier fly fishing where shocked to see our crew!!!

Although the hiking, camping and floating on pink rafts are all fun, this is why we are here. I caught this 22" rainbow on a dry hopper. It was so great! He would have looked good in the bottom of a frying pan but oh well.....

Babies, babies everywhere

2007-10-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

It seems to me there are a lot of pregnant women right now, or at least a lot of babies being born. My nephew, Justin, is almost 3 months old and so cute. He was born July 24th and made my parents, grandparents, for the first time. Now I get to do the same for my in-laws. I am now a little over 6 1/2 months (due Jan 17th) and feeling great. Mike and I are so excited but half the time in disbelief. We have decied to keep the sex a surprise, which is hard at times, but I think well worth the wait. I have noticed that the baby kicks like crazy everytime I watch football. Especially the Longhorns! Wonder what that means.

The Yuras Files are born!!

2007-10-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Yuras Files! We decided in an effort to update friends and family, that we would create our own blog. Since we were married back in November of 05, we've moved from Houston to Sacramento, taken some great trips, and now are expecting our first baby. Lots to share. I think some of our favorite weekends have been at friends weddings. This picture was taken at Gainey Vineyard in Santa Ynez where our friends Bobbie and Brian were married. We will keep this updated so check back! And if you miss us, call or write. We'll do the same. C&M