2019

a year in review

In 2019...

We kicked off the new year knowing we had two weddings in the near future. Perhaps this is why leaving the folks’ house early to snap a selfie (wefie?) in front of the TV was a welcomed alternative to a late-night party.

Photo in front of the TV

We still believe hanging out with our parents and Aunt Margaret is a total blast–especially when making late night cookies! This year, however, we think the evening got the best of us as we were petering off one by one.

Pink is the new ♡

February—the epic birthday month for our family, also touts Valentine's Day. We normally trade off cooking for each other.

Pink color-themed dinner

This year, Jeff took on a color theme idea after he saw Nina’s grapefruit Campari granita in the freezer.

Starting with a gin and Campari sour with a blood orange garnish, Nina’s granita was the perfect palette cleansing finish! Everything followed the theme, including the homemade crab-butter beetroot pasta, the scallop ceviche and even the chilled sparkling Rosé.

Thai Wedding

March approached quickly. Jeff with his parents and Aunt Margaret trekked to Japan prior to meeting Nina, his bride to be. At the Sukhothai Hotel in Bangkok we had our first wedding ceremony and lunch reception. Accompanied by drummers and folk dancers, Jeff and his entourage approached the garland gates arranged by Nina’s family and friends. Our most cherished memory of the ceremony was when each guest poured water over our hands and blessed our marriage.

After the ceremony we all enjoyed a delicious Thai meal at Celadon.

Since Jeff’s family was visiting Thailand, we decided to take them to a secluded, fully staffed villa on a hill in Koh Samui for some privacy and a view. We had a great time eating, relaxing and exploring the island.

Six Senses Samui

Villa Baan Fan Noi

Beverages on the beach at the Library, Koh Samui

April, May and June Showers with Flowers

In May, Nina’s coworkers hosted a bridal shower for her. Some of them shared their wedding photos and tips from their own wedding. It was really touching.

Declan, a welcomed addition to our greater family, graced us with his smiles in June—Annie and Kevin’s 3^rd and final package.

Near the end of the month, Nina had another shower with her close friends that ended with beautifully crafted succulent center pieces for the wedding.

Our new Nephew, Declan!

Shower with Coworkers

Nina and Friends

Crafting Succulent Center Pieces

Bread-making 101

With the planning in full swing, Jeff decided to pick up a new hobby…bread making. Nina got excited and followed suit. Obviously, not the best hobby to start when trying to fit into our wedding attire.

Sourdough Starter Pancakes

Wait Until the Last Minute?!

It did get a bit crazy towards the end of July. We were denied sound permitting at our wedding venue. Jeff drove up to Napa to outfit their existing wireless audio system as a workaround. Jeff also helped with last minute sizing of the best man’s suit and even crammed in a weekend bachelor party filled with virtual reality and outdoor hiking at Shaun’s Tahoe palace!

Nina, of course, had all her tasks under control. Yet when Nina’s family arrived in August, everything was a blur. Accommodating them while also getting prepared for the wedding wasn’t without its challenges.

The Big Day... Again!!

At Addendum, the "backyard" of Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc restaurant, we placed a special photo of each guest at their seat. Going through photos with each guest was such a joy. We also wanted to pay culinary tribute to Jeff’s grandmothers. We really appreciate that Keller's staff was able to recreate my Grandma Marge's donuts from her recipe. We also had Sweet Adeline bake and sprinkle cookies as Grandma Terry would.

Wall with Grandma Marge's Donut prepared by Ad Hoc Restaurant

Wedding Favor with Grandma Terry's Homemade Cookies

Photos Credit: Elise Aileen Photography

With Jeff’s dad propped up with a folio and round thick rimmed glasses, he was ready to marry us. The whole event was very special and memorable. We loved being among our families and friends. Perfect weather. Delicious food. Humorous toasts. We wished would could have had more time.

This video was a gift from our dear friends Bryan and Stephanie of Mazzarello Media and Arts.

We said no first dance. We did it anyway :-)

After we walked back down the aisle, Jeff's now ordained father joined us to snap a group photo!

Denouement

Just like after our first wedding, we escaped the craziness of the bay area with Nina’s family and took refuge in South Lake Tahoe. This time in a spacious cabin-house where we had easy access to beautiful parks and views of the lake. We also enjoyed our time exploring the bay area with them. Nina’s nephew was adorable and we loved having them visit.

Pakanant Family in Emerald Bay, South Lake Tahoe

September, then, was a downtime for us to recuperate from the wedding activities. We had time to reflect on how fortunate we were. Jeff decided to carpet clean the homestead while Nina tried a whole bunch of new recipes.

Back in the Kitchen Again

Later in October, we finally found a cooking class we were excited about. It was a Christmas gift from Annie and Kevin a few years back. We made pasta with Chef Ryan; flour, eggs and water are the key! Jeff immediately ordered a motor for his pasta machine.

Cozymeal Cooking Class, San Francisco

We also signed up for a sunrise hike in Muir Woods, a National Monument. It was crazy at first and we had to drive through thick morning fog in the valley to get to the bottom of the redwood forest. It was excruciating getting up that early but having the whole park to our group was well worth it.

Nina and Jeff balanced life with some big projects at work. Nina and her team finished a project of 2 years this November! This new 17,000 sq. ft. innovation center for all-girls high school and its program are hoped to provide more girls with opportunity in STEM education. We are so happy this project was a success!

Photo Credit: Carondelet HS Website

Jeff Recording a Video for his Product Launc

Late November Nina received news that her aunt passed away. We drove down to Los Angeles to attend the funeral and reconnect with Nina’s relatives. It is moments like these that we reflect on the importance of relationships with our family and friends.

The Holidays

Dinner with the Mazzarellos

Hot Pot at Chris and Lynn's

Working with Legos

Video Games!

Which brings us to the end of the year, a time of family and friends. The holidays were wonderful. We really cherish our time with everyone! Christmas Eve and Christmas sparked childhood memories as our nephews’ exuded excitement while opening gifts .

It’s been an eventful year and we’re grateful for every minute of it. We really appreciate the opportunity to reflect on how many memories we’ve formed with people around us this year.

Thank you for being a part of our lives!

Nina + Jeff

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