Stole a few moments out of their day for my kind of play!

While in Thousand Oaks (L.A.) visiting my in-laws over the holidays, I managed to get the gang out of the house a few times and grab some great shots – other than of the kid tearing open presents!

One trip took us to the beach, another to the pretty busy Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, which was great, my son was in heaven, especially over the shark touch pool. Some impressions:

Just before Christmas my friend Toni turned 40 and celebrated with a huge bash! His family owns Mountain Forge in Truckee, which perfectly lent itself as a location, since it’s spacious and has no residential neighbors. Check them out if you need any metal work done, they’re amazing! 2008 also marked Mountain Forge’s 40th anniversary.

The evening was a blast for me, I haven’t spoken that much German/Bavarian in a long time; Toni’s dad is from Austria, and the whole Fest was themed accordingly – from the band to the food (Weißwürscht und Kartoffelsalat a.k.a. white sausages and potato salad) to some outfits – that’s right, Lederhosen! I was loving it. German beer, too!

Happy birthday, Toni!