San Francisco - Part 2

Every few years we have a girls get-away with John's sisters. It's always fun! This year we went to San Francisco.... a few hundred pictures later.... and we have some highlights. Enjoy!

Julie, Nikki, Me, Patti, Jacqui, Tiffany & Adrienne

A bet's a bet.

I L-O-V-E the Marriott beds... I have for years. So cozy!

This dessert could have stopped my heart - but thankfully it didn't. Soooo rich!

Great time ladies....

San Francisco

Last weekend I took a girls trip up to San Francisco with all of John's sisters. Before I met up with all those lovely ladies, I made a pit stop to see Joanne (and Luke). She picked me up for the airport and before we hit the freeway I felt 16 all over again! Just like High School!! Joanne seems to have this effect on me. I started giggling and laughing the moment I got in the car - mainly because she was missing a front tooth and felt no need to forewarn me. How could you not bust up laughing when all her "f's" sounded like "th's"....

We headed first to Luke's shop. I had always wanted to see where Luke works. He makes really cool furniture from old trees that have fallen or died on their own... very earth friendly I might add.
Joanne and I couldn't resist a little fun with this window sticker. Seriously!
Like I said, it was like I was 16 all over again. Joanne took me around the shop and showed me all the different stuff they do. Luke mainly makes tables and furniture (like I said). He has a few partners that share the space with him. One guy makes wooden surfboards (I guess they are super light and last a long time. :)
Another guy collects old chairs and refurbishes them. As you can see on the wall behind Luke!
Another guy does mostly painting and sign work. In this picture with Jo you can see the chairs, surfboards, the cool table of Luke's and some small signs... sometimes a few of them will collaberate and work together on projects.
Like these cute little bird houses. Luke builds them and the artist paints them. Each one has a unique theme.
Here is Jo and Banjo (their dog) outside Luke's Wood Shop! I kept saying, "I took wood shop in High School - I loved it." The place smelled just like it too. :) Thanks for the tour guys.
Afterwards we headed back to Joanne and Luke's place.
Jo was making a delicious dinner for us all. I pretty much sat around and chit-chatted the whole time. It was heaven.
Lindsay and Jenny came over for dinner. It was us four sitting around the dinner table getting caught up on each other's lives. Lindsay had just gotten engaged the weekend before. Jenny was filling us in on all that little Taylor does. It felt so nice to be with friends, friends I've known for... gee... almost 20 years! Am I really that old? Let's say at least 15 to be safe. :)
I had such a great time. We stayed up late talking, catching up and laughing. I don't get to sneak away from the kids very often and it always feels so good to do it. I get to relax and laugh without worrying about poopy diapers, sippy-cups, snack time, fighting, sassy attitudes, pj's and all the other things I do daily. I had a great time with Joanne and Luke - they were the best! I only wish I could have stayed longer. Maybe one of these days I'll get a weekend away just to see them. :)

Learning to Swim - Part 2

Few words are needed...

Big Bear on the 4th

Another great year in Big Bear. The weather was great. The kids enjoyed the boat and the fireworks were as amazing as ever. All the kiddies...
Paige and Fletch on the Crazy 8. Paige is a wild one - she has a serious ZEST for life!
Our annual family photo on the swing out front.
Paige and Fetch.

Even Orange looks good on this baby. :)

Pre-K Graduation

Unfortunately John was in charge of taking photos... so there weren't very many to choose from. At least he took a couple. Owen finally finished preschool and will now be heading on to Kindergarten in the fall. I wondered if this day would ever come. Holding him back was the best decision we could have made for him... now here he is a whole year older and hopefully more ready to take on Elementary School.

Accepting his Pre-K diploma from Ms. Diaz. A special thanks to Ms. Shelly and Ms. Ellen and Ms. Jennifer too. He loved all his teachers and assistants.

The class had a pot luck afterwards - and a fun party. Owen will sure miss all his friends but we are excited to make new ones too.

Learning to Swim

So last summer was a breeze... Olive slept in her carseat all summer and Brock never got his face wet. Just hung out on the steps. This summer is going to be different. Olive is mobile and Brock is learning to swim. Here he is on his first day of class.

Brock is letting Mrs. Campbell know how old he is... don't be mistaken - he's a mature 3 year old - won't even crack a smile.
Oh! We caught you... having fun with your cousin Sophie.
Getting his chin wet - just a little at a time. This kid is hilarious. He'll kick his feet and move his arms but once she puts him under water it's as though he is experiencing weightlessness for the first time. His body stays completely still and he just floats motionless.
Here's the group - get use to it Brock because all these kids will be in your preschool next year!

Pre-K Jog-A-Thon

Owen's school had a Jog-A-Thon today. They invited the preschool to participate. Owen was so excited to... "exercise" as he would say. I told him he could earn a bean if he ran as much as he could without throwing a fit or sitting down. I told him he could walk if he was tired but that I wanted him to try. Every time he passed me he would yell out, "do I get a bean?" I bet people thought I starve the kid.

Here he is on another lap.
Owen with his preschool class after the run.

BTW - Mighty Beanz are Owen's latest collection. He loves to collect things and these are inexpensive. He loves to do extra things to "earn" them.

A Special Day

What a special day it was for Paige and our whole family... ok, let's be honest - for Paige and John. The boys were wiped out from camping (Fathers and Sons) the night before and Olive is a handful. It was a great day nonetheless. Paige and Eliza do just about everything together - why not get baptized together. I think it made the day even more exciting for them.

We sent invites to all the family member - even those who lived far and couldn't make it. We didn't get to take a family picture, mostly because Olive was grumpy, Brock was sick and Owen fell asleep (Fathers and Sons will do that to them).
The girls - so excited for their big day.
The girls and their dads.
Paige and her Daddy just before the Baptism program started. She was so excited all day. She asked her Uncle Jake to give a talk and her cousin Kate to sing a solo. It was really cute. Her Grandma Vicki said the prayer and Eliza got to choose the second half of the program. Very sweet.
Hannah, Paige, Cina & Eliza (notice Owen smiling for the camera too).

After the baptism we had 41 family members at our house. I know! And that is only the family members that could attend.

Did I mention that this day made me feel old? I can't believe I have an 8 year old.

Paint

So our house has been in need of a new paint job for a while now. As much as I would LOVE to have new wood floors or a number of other things done - this was getting out of hand. The last straw was when we received a letter from our association saying we needed to touch up our paint. Uh... Oh!

I thought I had it in the bag - I knew what I wanted. I'd seen a house with exactly what I wanted and this would be easy. Oh no it wasn't. The house I wanted was NOT on the "approved" list. I then had to go through a binder 2 inches thick and pick from the "approved color schemes" -- this was no easy task. I would wake up with anxiety sweats and in a panic over what color to choose. I think it was easier for me to decide on a husband than it was to decide on a paint color. Well, we chose it and although it wasn't my first choice -- I am happy with the new look.

BEFORE:

AFTER:
It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do.

Like it or not - we are stuck with this paint for a long while.

Birthday Bash!

Paige and Eliza were born just a day apart... every once in a while they share a birthday party. This year we decided to have it at Powell's Sweet Shop. This place was magical. It was a candy shop right out of the imagination of kids. The party started with fresh Cotton Candy for everyone. They played a candy game, went on a Scavenger Hunt in the candy shop and filled their Goodie Bags, had Gelato and Old Fashion soda pop and took a ride on the sugar high of their lives.... so fun, so loud, so crazy. They ended with decorating cupcakes and singing happy birthday. I had to apologize to the parents --- because in a couple hours their kids would come crashing down.

The kids lining up before the game.
Running through the store looking for the candy on their list.
Decorating cupcakes. Happy birthday Paige and Eliza! This place was perfect for a group of 8 year olds. :) The best part is that the store took care of everything - we literally got to sit back and watch.