Serena Vida

Visit my new site

2011-04-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I have moved from blogger to Wordpress. I will no longer be updating this site. Please visit me at http://www.serenavida.com/

See you there!

Southern California Desert Weekend

2010-12-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

Cholla cacti

Hi. So much has happened as of late that it has been a challenge to gather my thoughts and write, yet here I am.

James and I were able to squeeze a childless moment away this past weekend. It has been two years since we have been able to do this and we needed it. Thanks to my parents and sisters for volunteering their time and patience to care for my little angels so we could have some essential time away.

The desert was calling our name so we headed out to Palm Desert for the weekend. We lucked out. Rain was pounding the south land, but skipped the desert area all day Saturday.

First stop, Joshua Tree National Park. We entered from the south off Interstate 10, stopped at the visitor center in Cottonwood Springs, then did a looped hike to Mastodon Peak and the Mastodon Gold Mine.

James goofing around.

Mastodon Gold Mine

We then headed northwest towards Twenty-nine Palms and viewed the Cholla Cactus Garden. The garden is amazing and the cactus looked as if they glowed. Very alien like.

We drove a full loop back to Palm Desert, but before we headed back we veered off to Pioneer Town in Yucca Valley and ate at Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace.

James goofing off again.

Out last stop on Sunday was Hadley's. I have stopped here my entire life and usually it is to get a date shake (Karen, since you asked. :) Not this time. It was freezing out so we bought other goodies for the kids and my sisters.

Shutterfly Holiday Cards

2010-11-15T18:49:00.000-08:00

Hello again. Life has been a whirlwind lately so blogging has taken a backseat to life. As you may or may not know I am walking this weekend in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure 3-day and will do my best to walk 60 miles. I cannot wait for the adventure. Until then, I will tell you something about Shutterfly and a little promotion they are doing which is wonderful by the way.

Normally, I have my Christmas cards filled out and mailed at the beginning of December. I cannot guarantee I will make that date this year and too be honest I have only put in a tiny amount of thought to the design. Well, guess what, Shutterfly has sped up the process for me. Currently, they have a promotion for any and all bloggers to write up about their holiday cards and in return I get 50 cards for free!!! This is a deal I cannot pass up and it is perfect since I love sending cards, especially photo cards.

Shutterfly has the best card designs (and many) which are so good that I will have a hard time deciding which ones I like the very best. Let me give you some examples of my favorite Christmas cards.

I like cards with simple designs if my picture tends to be wild or I do not want much distraction from the picture itself. Like this one.

Every year I change my style. One year I go for a look with traditional colors and other years I opt for non-traditional. Here is a very cute retro style card. I also like that this card is a 5.25 x 5.25 flat stationary card.

Look at this cool option. The scrapbooker in me likes this one.

or this one. Sometimes it is hard to pick just one picture.

It is impossible for me to review all the cards available so here are some links to check them out for yourself:

Christmas Cards http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards
holiday cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards
calendars to http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars

Want 50 free cards to send out this season? Go to this link to participate.
http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

'tis the Season!

so I have been walking alot lately

2010-09-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. Last week I walked over 20 miles and this week I am on track to have walked even more. We will know at the end of today. So far, I have walked 4 days and 18.842 miles. I would love to walk at least 8 today. We shall see as it is very hot in these parts.

I walk many miles around my town. We have so many great walking trails and the city really has put a ton of time into creating and maintaining them. In fact, I just noticed the other day brand new signs at all the trail heads. These signs include a map, trail mileage, elevation, GPS coordinates, trail connections, and so much more.

new signs

I am a huge fan of my town. I just love it. Small town feel, best climate, national forest nearby, and beach 2 miles away.

Here are some recent pics from my daily walks.

Blenheim Farms

horses on a trail in the hills

roadrunner

school days, soccer, and sleep

2010-09-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

School has started and Julia could not be more thrilled as she has the same teacher she had for kindergarten. We just love her. On her first day of first grade I brought my camera, of course, and had her stand in front of the school sign so I could take pictures. She was acting embarrassed. It has begun. She got over it as soon as she saw many more moms making their kids do the same thing.

this is her embarrassed-her-mom-is-taking-her-picture-look (is that kid laughing or sneezing behind her?)

J and her teacher (second year in a row)

Serena began preschool yesterday. This is her second year and her teacher is one Julia had three years ago and which we truly adore. Serena will have a fun year.

James took these pictures. He really has no idea how to work my camera other than pushing one button and taking the picture. :) Serena has some great poses, though.

The past week and a half has been crazy. The kids are adjusting to their "school" bedtimes. Ever since our road trip we have had the darnedest time trying to get them back on an early to sleep, early to rise schedule and when school starts at 745am you have no choice, but to adapt.

Julia had her first soccer game this weekend. It was great to sit and cheer her on. I told her she has another game next Saturday and she said, "You mean I will have another real live game? And I get to wear my uniform?" I answered, "Yes." Julia, "AWESOME!"

it has become an annual event

2010-09-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

My parents, sisters, me, our kids, and James spent three days up at Big Bear Lake in the same house as we have for the past three years. The house sits on the lake, in Grout Bay, near the Fawnskin Marina and "quiet" side of the lake.

One year we visited in October. Last year it was June. This year, Labor Day weekend.

The weather was splendid.

For the first time we had neighbors and luckily for Julia they were her age. She would have spent the entire weekend next door if we or they let her.

Here are some pics from the weekend.

attacked by gnats

2010-09-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

I am officially behind on posting to this blog, but will catch up eventually I am sure.

Several weekends ago Kristi and I went hiking out in the San Mateo Wilderness area of the Cleveland National Forest. Even though it is summer here and it routinely runs over 100 degrees out in the wilderness this day was cool and around 75-80 degrees. Perfect!

The plan was to hike the Bear Canyon Trail to the Morgan Trail and back. Round trip it is about 10 miles.

dead yucca

The hike was pleasant and quiet. We saw no other people on the trail. Most of the trail is a single-track and a steady climb from the side we started.

No snake sightings this time.

We did, however, spot some fresh mountain lion tracks and later when we heard a "large" animal near some oaks we definitely considered a lion (but, most likely a deer or other animal)

And no, we were not bothered by any large animals.

In fact, we were majorly annoyed by gnats.

The last 15 minutes of the first half of the hike, as we walked through a grassy, oak-lined area, the gnats began to harass and attack us in the most annoying way.

Honestly, we were swinging and flailing our arms like there was no tomorrow. This was the same time were heard the "large" animal in the bushes slightly uphill from us. We started to make lots of noise (just in case) and swing our arms like crazy people. Those bugs were in our noses, eyes, ears, you name it.

The gnats left us just before the end of the trail.

We survived, thank goodness. We ate our lunch at the Morgan Trail head and rested a bit.

looking east towards Lake Elsinore. Notice the smog. Yuck.

Then Kristi said the unthinkable. To summarize, she declared she would rather risk her life walking the Ortega Highway than go back through the gnats. So funny.

We are adventurers and taking a chance to get hit by a car is just part of adventure, I guess. :) (This is where Kristi says, "Oh, jeez.")

on the road again

We saw some new things, stopped at a day use area and looked at the California Wildland Firefighter Memorial. Interesting. Never knew it was there.

Next we walked down to El Cariso Village to stop at the Country Store. Lo and behold I ran into an old friend who bought the store. She informed us we were crazy to consider walking the road for the next three miles so her friend gave us a ride back to our car. Thank goodness for good Samaritans.

Then we had ice cream at the candy store to reward ourselves for surviving the gnats and Ortega Highway (not to mention a possible mountain lion.) "Oh, jeez."

It was a good time.

Days 10 and 11 - The End of the Road

2010-09-02T19:14:00.001-07:00

We had a lazy morning at our friends house eating pancakes and drinking coffee and then we were off.

Today's destination? Fairfield, CA. The drive is just a few hours and we want to break up the drive home since we have a LONG drive home.

Fairfield is windy!

We toured the Jelly Belly Factory and went swimming at the hotel and plain and simply relaxed at the hotel.

The next morning we drove highway 12 which took us through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Fascinating!

Really.

I like deltas.

We hit one last State Park before we hit home. The Tule Elk State Reserve. It is the tiniest California State Park I have ever seen. It is in the middle of nowhere and no one was there.

searching for the Elk.

I was the perfect place to have some snacks and let the kiddos run around, but...

NO ELK.

They must have been hiding.

Oh wait there's one behind James.

The time spent together as a family was fantastic and I am truly sad it is over. I am not ready for it to be over. Road trips are my favorite vacations.

Day 9 - California again!

2010-09-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Driving in Southern Oregon and over the border to Northern California the landscape is pleasant. The scenery is grand. First milestone? Mt. Shasta.

Beauty.

Serena passing the time.

Snow was seen the day before and today...100+ degree heat.

Nothing says road trip like a cool snack at a gas station. (Serena spied me taking this picture)

We reached our friends house in the afternoon and it was so much fun to catch up. The kids played outside the rest of the night. Julia never took her bathing suit off. I don't blame her, it was HOT! The adults stayed with the air conditioning inside.

Trampolines and hoses make a great pair. Probably dangerous, but it worked. :)

The Nelson were kind to let us sleep in the studio above their shop. It was perfect! They cooked tacos for dinner and pancakes for breakfast. All that with great company, what more could we ask for?

The Sacramento River is at the end of their street. I took this picture at dusk...9pm.

Union Creek Resort and the Rogue River Gorge

2010-08-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

After we visited Crater Lake we drove about 22 miles to Union Creek Resort on highway 62. where we stayed the night. The resort is really just cabins, a cafe, country store, lodge rooms above the country store, and an ice cream shop. It is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It is however, listed on the Register of Historic Places and has had many notable visitors in the past century or so.

our cabin

The cabins are VERY rustic which was fine for us. We like rustic. The mosquitoes were out in full force that evening. The Rogue River flows right next to the resort and a creek flows on the other side.

home cooked breakfast the next morning at Beckie's

We walked a short distance to the Rogue River Gorge which was formed a long time ago when lava flowed from Mt. Mazama (Crater Lake before it was a lake :) down to the Pacific Ocean.

We saw lava tubes and lava rocks. The gorge is beautiful. Too bad the lighting was off for my pics.

lava tube next to red arrow

We left in the morning to head to Medford and then on the California border...

Day 8 - Umpqua River and Crater Lake National Park

2010-08-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

We left Portland early in the morning and headed south on Interstate 5 about 3.5 hours to Roseburg, Oregon. Then we headed east on the scenic Rogue-Umpqua Byway. The highlights are beautiful scenery the North Umpqua River and the many, easy to hike to waterfalls.

Toketee Falls

Firefighters heading in towards the falls. A small fire was burning. Time for us to leave.

We drove into Crater Lake National Park from the north side. The landscape is awesome!

Pumice field

snow

James and the girls played in the snow.

the Lodge. It is classic.

View from the inside

Crater Lake is beautiful.

I would love to go back someday and explore further.

Miles driven = 205

days 5-7 in Portland

2010-08-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

Day 5
We very much enjoyed our time in Portland. We took the OHSU tram up to the hillside facility and had a private tour from Miss Karen, herself.

The history and tour is interesting especially the mixture of buildings built in different eras, decades actually, and how the building codes differ. The views from the top were awesome. We could see Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens.

Portland is a very green city and even the hospital composts its food scraps and recycles everything.

After, the tour, we headed to grandma and grandpa's hotel for a swim in their pool and then off to the park to let off some steam.

Dinner was at a restaurant call the Screen Door, southern food, where I had some pretty good fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and collard greens.

Day 6
James, the girls, and I drove to Washington Park to visit the World Forestry Center Discovery Museum. Washington Park is HUGE, over 400 acres, and hilly and crowded, but beautiful and a must see. For some reason, again, I thought everyone would take public transportation. The Forestry Center is near the Portland Zoo and parking was a zoo. After quite some time and finding parking a few miles away, we took a shuttle, to the center. The museum is completely hands on and unique.

After the museum I toured the International Rose Garden while James and the girls played at the Rose Garden playground.

In the evening, we headed to music in the park, where we ate, drank, watched the kids run and dance, and enjoyed some music. The night was a perfect Portland summer night and super enjoyable.

Day 7
Our last day. In the morning we took a nice walk around Karen's neighborhood while the girls rode their scooters.

Later in the day, we boarded the max and headed downtown. James was so kind to take the the girls out on the town and Karen and I headed to the adults only, International Beer Fest. The sun was shining and the beer was flowing. I enjoyed spending time with my cousin!

waiting to board the max

Before the beer fest we had lunch at a food cart. This is a must do. Serena had a giant burrito, I had fried rice, Karen had a gyro, and Julia had a hamburger. Excellent!

food cart pod

James took the girls to Finnegan's toy store and Ben and Jerry's for some ice cream.

obligatory shoe shot at the IBF

Thanks to Jaime for our free tickets!

day 4 - next stop, Portland

2010-08-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

After packing up and a quick hike to the dunes, we sadly left Honeyman State Park. Serena actually cried. It really is a beautiful place.

We drove to Florence and grabbed some coffee and snacks at a grocery store and headed inland towards the 5 freeway. This was one of our shorter stretches of driving, only 178 miles, so we left a bit later in the morning.

We took state hwy 126 for approx. 41 miles. I found this route scenic as well. More twists and turns. Once we hit the 5, I was ecstatic. I love beauty and all, but boy was I happy to drive in a straight line again.

The drive for most of the way shows Oregon's farms and countryside. About an hour from Portland we decided to stop in Salem for a much needed stretch. The outskirts we nothing special to look at, but I found the downtown area quite cute. We located an information center and asked for directions to a nearby park. The woman at the desk was helpful and pointed us towards a riverfront park.

The park is scenic and located next to the Willamette River and I wish I took more pictures. Oh well. The weather was in the high 80s so we put the girls bathing suits on and let them run through some fountains with many other children. The park also has a historic carousel and big play structure not to mention 23 acres of grassy area and footpaths.

Willamette Queen

Back in the car we set off for Portland. How silly we are that we did not plan around rush hour traffic. Duh! We sat in traffic for about an hour once we hit Portland. For some reason I thought there would not be traffic since the public transportation system is so advanced. I should know better than that. It is still a large city and there will always be some traffic.

Finally, we made it to my cousins house in Southeast Portland!

The first thing we did was go eat at HUB. My parents are also on their own vacation and in town for a few days. Karen's boyfriend is a brewer their so we were given the special treatment. The restaurant is huge. Karen scored us a table upstairs next to the pinball machines, SCORE! The kids were happy, plus they had a cool train table and toys for the kids, SCORE!

The adults did some beer tasting with Karen and Jaime giving us their beer expertise.

Next we headed down to the brewery for a private tour from the brewer himself. The girls learned the art and science of brewing beer which included pushing buttons, flipping switches, smelling hops and tasting barley.

It was a fun day. I think the kids got to bed around 11pm. So much for schedules.

Day 3 - more redwoods and the oregon coast

2010-08-10T19:26:00.001-07:00

We left Eureka and set off to complete the northern California drive via hwy. 101. Our destination? Jesse M. Honeyman Memorial State Park near Florence, Oregon.

Before that, though, we made multiple stops. First we drove through Redwood National Park and made several stops along the way. One place we stopped was at an elk viewing site. So sad, no elk sightings for us. The elk in the park are Roosevelt Elk and are the largest elk in North America and only live in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest, specifically Olympic and Redwoods National Parks.

no elk sightings for us

It took us several hours to reach Crescent City where we stopped at the National Park visitor center, had lunch, and let the kids play for a long time at a really big and cool park nearby. Before we left town we viewed the Battery Point Lighthouse. Too bad it was high tide and we could not cross the water to physically tour the buildings. Darn.

Next we set out for the Oregon border and some wonderful, winding, driving along the coast and cliffs. Beautiful!!!

An interesting focal point is when the Oregon dunes abruptly begin in Coos Bay. It is so odd and then they continue on for around 40 miles. Crazy!!

For the life of me I cannot remember the town we stopped in when we were starving. It was around 3:30ish and not quite dinner time and the town hardly had any restaurants. We randomly selected a nice little cafe and went in. The cafe brought out large pieces of paper and crayons for the girls and had a big basket of toys which made them happy. This made James and me very happy, too. We had the best darned pizza and lemonade! It was the perfect refreshment to give us some renewed energy for the last hour or so of driving.

I had to take a picture of it since it made me so happy!

I know he is not showing it, but James is very happy here. :)

Alas! Jesse M. Honeyman Memorial State Park. This park is awesome and one of my top 3! The park is about 2 miles from the beach, has over 400 sites and it totally wooded. The bathrooms are clean, free hot water showers, a huge playground for the kids, plus a fresh water lake for swimming, and of course the dunes! So much to do so little time.

the girls riding their scooters throughout the massive park

Six months earlier I reserved a yurt for our stay. Since we were taking such a long trip we really did not want to lug our tents so a yurt was the perfect option for us. Many Oregon state parks offer yurts as an option.

Isn't it cute? It has electricity, a locking door, windows, and a heater which we actually did use. The temp. did get down into the 50s at night.

one half of our yurt

climbing a dune. The sand is so soft and the dunes are massive.

mossy tree on nature trail to dunes

Cleawox Lake

dunes down to Cleawox Lake

264 miles (many of them winding)
around 6 hours of driving time

Day 2 - Avenue of the Giants

2010-07-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

Our day started in San Jose and then we drove and drove the day away around the bay away from San Fran and connected to the 101 near Novato, CA. Driving the 101 up to Eureka was a treat. The scenery changed from urban to rolling hills with vineyards to slow winding hills through thick forests.

As usual, we made a stop every hour to two hours to stretch and such.

snack in a grocery store parking lot. It was about 80 degrees.

we stopped here for a picnic snack where the temperature was in the high 80's

Next, we drove through Richardson Grove State Park. Hwy. 101 goes right through it. Just beautiful!

I loved seeing the Redwoods. Next time I go I will be there for a week so I can hike all the trails and see some of the super giants in the more remote groves. I also missed Fern Canyon in Redwood National Park (day three). Next time.

I had the hardest time taking pictures in the Redwood Forest. It was so dark!

We stopped and hiked in Humboldt Redwood State Park. It is along the Avenue of the Giants route.

Avenue of the Giants

When we reached Eureka, our next stop, around 6ish the temperature was in the 50's. Of course our kids still wanted to go swimming. And they did.

Day 1 - Lots of driving and Fort Tejon State Park

2010-07-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

Day one we drove mostly on California interstate highway from our house to our destination, our friend Carly's house to stay the night.

Our first stop was several hours into our drive at Fort Tejon Historic State Park. I have driven past this park many times and never stopped. James and I are glad we stopped as this park is a great place for a picnic and pit stop.

We toured some adobes from the original fort which was established around 1854 and looked in awe at the 400 year oaks on the property. The history is interesting (the camel experience) and we also enjoyed some much needed exercise.

this little guy was looking for handouts as we ate

A man named Peter Lebec was killed by a grizzly in the area. Someone created a ceramic man and grizzly which details the event visually. Serena loved it. For days after our visit to this park and even at the end of the road trip she would say her favorite part of the trip was the man who was killed by the bear.

Three year old children say the darnedest things.

approx. miles driven - 400
about 7 hours

one awesome road trip

2010-07-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

I have been on vacation from work for the past 19 days and just returned today. I survived. Enough about work.

Our family ventured on an 11 day road trip and we saw so many amazing things! I will be posting lots of pictures and details. In fact, this will help me with my journals later on when I create an album for the trip.

Here is a summary of what we saw and where we went (I am sure I am missing a few things):

2000+ miles
2 National Parks
Avenue of the Giants
4 California State Parks
Oregon Coast
1 lighthouse
many bridges
1 Oregon State Park
multiple scenic highways
multiple National Forests
public transportation in Portland
Portland tram
visited 7 friends, 1 cousin (and her friends), and met my parents for 2 days along the way
factory tour
music in the park
brewery tour
food carts
OHSU tour
International Beer Festival
Sacramento delta
multiple rivers
stayed in a yurt
stayed in a historic cabin
we saw snow (and touched it!)
day 2 of our trip it was cold 50 degrees at night
day 9 of our trip it was hot and 108 degrees
we had no car trouble or highway incidents
a resevoir
and so much more...

The most important thing I enjoyed on this trip was spending time with my family and teaching my girls about the world.

Surprisingly, they adapted quickly and I am not kidding when I say they rarely asked, "Are we there, yet?" This may be due to the fact that I packed a ton of fun stuff for them to do in the car which is necessary for 6 and 3 year old. We spent many days driving and sometimes we drove 6-7 hours in a day. We did allow a small DVD player to enter the car for this trip and I am glad we did. It helped on some long stretches. Julia liked it of course, but Serena wanted nothing to do with it. In fact, Serena did not want to listen to any music or books on CD. She would rather play with a doll, color, play with her car, or read books.

The biggest hit for Julia are the Adventures in Odyssey Cd's. She LOVES them and we have been listening to them over and over and over. I bought the car travel pack and we will be getting more of them.

Crystal Cove State Park

2010-07-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my sisters and I took a hike in Crystal Cove State Park, the Moro Canyon side, not the beach side.

We hiked approximately 6 miles with the first part of the hike up a steep incline with wonderful views from the top. The park is huge and we really only hiked a small portion.

Even though it is summer and it is July there was a terrific gloom settled over the coast which kept us cool. This made the hike much more enjoyable for sure. We did see plenty of people on the trails with it being a holiday weekend and all.

There were still plenty of wildflowers to be seen.

monkey flower

obligatory shoe shot (in first position, no less!)

dancing with benefits

2010-07-01T20:27:00.001-07:00

Meeting new people and making new friends is one of the many perks of dancing at Highland Games. This is a plus in J's mind. She loves nothing more then making a new friend.

a new friend from on holiday from Australia.

discussions include Disneyland rides, the fact that Australia is on the other side of the world and so much more

After all that fun and one more dance, and she won this...

barbara's lake hike

2010-06-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

Do you know Orange County, CA actually has a few natural lakes? Two or three, I can't seem to get a straight answer, but there are at least two, or three, and they are located in the Laguna Coast Wilderness. Barbara is the largest of the three, or two, and is fed by a spring. No swimming or boating is allowed in this tiny lake, but it is nice to look at. I have lived here my entire life and never knew this lake existed until a few years back.

the lake

Well, we met our friends there for a play date/picnic/hike. The hike from the Nix Nature Center parking lot area to the lake is flat and very easy for small kids. It took us about 15-20 minutes to reach the lake. The hike can be longer depending on where you start and end.

obligatory shoe shot (we are looking at an ant carrying food)

The kids found many red ant dens? homes? holes? Whatever you call them. Several small beetles, not the stink kind, a grasshopper, and a plant that smells like peanut butter (do you know what this is called? I don't). Probably their favorite part was running up and down a dirt hill under the bridge.

the little ones are holding up the bridge

We spent two hours out on the trail, walking, exploring, running, eating snacks (of course). The best parts were the exercise, fresh air, views, happy kids, good conversation and the fact we barely saw anyone out there and, luckily, we did not see any snakes, either. I love uncrowded places.

Our Summer Travel Plans 2010 - Family Roadtrip

2010-06-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Ah, the open road. There is nothing like driving to your destination and experiencing the world around you along the way. I love road trips. I love planning road trips. Reading and dreaming about road trips is a wonderful pastime of mine.

What is more perfect than a summer family road trip. Parents in the front of the car singing show tunes and angelic kiddos in the backseat keeping their hands to themselves singing along with their parents and never asking, "Are we there yet?"

It could happen, no?

Yeah, right. Who am I kidding? The ideas and planning are the perfect part.

We are doing it anyway and with all my planning what could go wrong, right?

This summer we are going to take a road trip to Portland, Oregon to visit cousin Karen and will be making many stops along the way. Total mileage will be somewhere around 2000 plus or minus. I love the United States and honestly there is an infinite amount to see and do. I enjoy small tiny, ramshackle towns as much as the big cities. Our great country is so diverse in geography and history and I cannot get enough. Road trip, here we come!

I am always looking for new ideas and suggestions on attractions to see along the way so I read reviews other parents have written at Trekaroo. Since I love to perform lots of research Trekaroo is an obvious choice.

Some highlights we will see along the way:

Several California State Parks, we might see some Tule Elk.
Avenue of the Giants
Redwood National Park
Several Oregon State Parks
sleeping in a yurt on the Oregon coast
lots of public transportation in Portland
Portland food carts
Portland breweries (of course)
maybe a lighthouse or two
sand dunes
unique, small towns and people
who knows what else? That is part of the adventure to come!

Our expectations are to make many memories, bond as a family, overcome road trip obstacles, and live the adventure!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bing Travel and Trekaroo summer vacation spotlight for a chance to win $500 in cash. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Read more about Trekaroo’s Summer of Travel Contest. Visit Trekaroo and start planning your family summer vacation!

see you on the road!

colinas bluffs trail

2010-06-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

Look real hard in the above picture and you can see the Mission San Juan Capistrano. This trail is on the north side of SJC.

I am out of shape. I need to walk more, exercise more, do it all more. Kristi and I hiked the Colinas bluffs trail and it was good for me, but the hills were killer and I was truly lagging behind. Not to mention it was a HOT morning.

The views are spectacular. The Pacific Ocean can be seen at one point, views of the San Juan Valley, Cleveland National Forest, Saddleback Valley, and more. Look, our hills are already dried out. No more green hills.

FYI, this is my sister Kristi in the pictures.

She is always in my pictures since she NEVER brings her own camera anymore.

No pictures of me this time.

see the big hill in the background, see the little person hiking the big hill?

going up

view of the ocean

redondo beach - day # 2

2010-06-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

We did a lot of walking today. Lori and Julia kept track of our steps with Lori's phone pedometer and 10,000 steps was no problem for our group, even in flip flops. Actually, the flip flops were a problem for the girls so a shoe switch was mandatory at one point.

After breakfast we walked down to the boardwalk and pier. The pier is a horseshoe shaped "endless" pier and has an International boardwalk with unique shops and restaurants. A big fish market was a highlight for us as there were some crazy looking fish. Julia really liked this red snapper.

My mom worked on this pier at a pizza place during her high school years.

Later we headed to the RUHS reunion track meet. My mom bought the girls pom poms to cheer everyone on. An interesting fact, RUHS is the second largest high school campus in California and the third largest in the United States. The campus is huge. The school dates back to 1905 and has a very active alumni association.

After a nap we walked to dinner and then back to the swimming pool to wear the girls out.

beers for the grownups

redondo beach - day # 1

2010-06-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

The girls and I spent the weekend in Redondo Beach with my parents and Lori and Kayli on a mini-getaway / Redondo Union High School track meet / reunion. My mom spent her high school years in this town and graduated from RUHS in 1962. More on this later.

We recently had our ceilings scraped in the bedrooms of our home so James stayed there to paint while we were away.

We arrived in the afternoon and our first stop was the Seaside Lagoon across from our hotel. The day was cold and overcast, but that did not stop our children from swimming in the freezing ocean water.

After searching for the entrance and entering the lagoon, which took us a long time and I am still not sure why four grown adults had such a difficult time with this, the girls headed straight for the water. The place was empty which is just how I like it. Honestly, if I can go and do something with the girls in southern California without a crowd then I am ecstatic.

After an hour of play we headed to our hotel to check-in and give the girls baths. Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Frank were smart to give the adjoining rooms to me and Lori. The girls were happy to have us all connected and I am sure the grandparents were happy not to be connected, they were two rooms down.

Next we headed to Leo's for dinner. Leo's is a small hole-in-the wall Mexican restaurant that my mom has been eating at for well over 40 years and each time we are in the area we eat there. My mom is right, they do have the best ground beef soft tacos. I compared the shredded beef taco with the ground beef and the ground beef soft taco rules. Serena, too, loved the tacos. That's my girl. She will eat anything including the hot salsa and lots of it. My other child, the weird one (just kidding) will not eat anything other than tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant. What is wrong with this child!?! You cannot live in SoCal and not eat the food I love. I need to train her...

On the way back to the hotel we took a leisurely drive through Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. I would love to hang out in Manhattan and explore as it has such a great layout. Another day.

Manhattan Beach pier (there is an aquarium at the end)

sword dance

2010-05-31T21:53:00.001-07:00

Here is my babe dancing the sword dance yesterday at the Highland Games in Costa Mesa. She received fourth place. Let me know if you have issues viewing. Thanks and have a wonderful week.

I have homework to do!

mariachis and pics from the mission

2010-05-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

The girls and I walked to the mission with Lori and Kayli. We wanted to see and hear the Battle of the Mariachis. I took Julia a couple of years ago and it was fun. This time I was surprised to see how crowded it was. The mission was packed! Finding seats was difficult so we walked around a bit and we were lucky enough to watch the grand finale which was Julia's favorite part since, "all the bands were on stage together."

I took photos of course.

view of San Juan hills from mission

the crowds

daddy's little girls

2010-05-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Since James has been a "househusband" (is that politically correct to say?) for almost a year and half you can imagine the bond the girls and he have together. They are like super glue. James is lucky to spend so much time with them and how lucky the girls are to spend so much time with their dad, seriously!!!.

My class started today and at the looks of the syllabus I am going to be one busy girl for the next five weeks. I may not be posting as often. Then again, I might divert here as a way of escape from comparing and contrasting inventory cost flow assumptions.

disneyland and dramamine

2010-05-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have a problem with motion sickness and it can happen anywhere for me whether I am on a boat, plane, or car. Did I mention I get sick when I shop? This is a true statement and really I think it is the browsing that kills me. This is partly the reason why I hate to shop. I don't like it. I dislike it. Blah. Don't make me go.

This, however, has not stopped me from riding roller coasters, lots and lots of roller coasters. At least, it did not stop me until recently. Ever since I gave birth to...wait...could it be my age? Whatever it is (hormones?) it has become worse. I drove to Big Bear last year and got sick at the top of the mountain even though I drove. Next thing you know I will be throwing up just walking up stairs. Nice thought, huh?

Yesterday, I took Julia (just us two) to Disneyland. She mentioned many times that she REALLY wants to go on the teacups. Um. This did not sound very good to me so I tried to talk her out of it by telling her, "they are boring and not any fun at all." She did not like that answer.

I took two Dramamine (I prefer Bonine, but Target did not have it which irritated me) before we left ,for the first time ever, before heading to an amusement park.

Sigh. I am getting old.

I took the "less" drowsy formula, but found myself really relaxed, almost napping, on the It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean rides. Other than my small sleepy bouts it worked, but I must say we never made it on the tea cups. Oh, darn.

Anyone else have this same issue at the Happiest Place on Earth?

On a side note: The park was empty which is always excellent and the lines were pretty nonexistent. Julia was even pulled in to a little dance finale with Mary Poppins.

Of course, once again, I have many pictures to share.

i have been asked about my camera

2010-05-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

I am not anti DSLR , but I cannot afford one at this time and I have not put any money away for one. My sweet husband bought me my current point and shoot camera last year for my birthday. I think at the time it cost about $275 and recently I have seen it for under $200. Is is a Canon Powershot SX110IS. The cool thing about this point and shoot is it has many manual settings so if I feel the need to play with them I can. It is not the smallest of cameras, but it takes very clear and clean photos which was my main criteria. I have learned some great techniques when taking my photos and the best thing about digital cameras is I can delete, delete, delete! I routinely take 100 photos during an outing and only use a handful of them in the end.

After using this camera for almost a year straight I can happily say I am not sick of it. In fact, I love it. It will be a while before I trade up.

morning walk

2010-05-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I take a Saturday morning walk with my friend Cyndie. Usually, but not always, our routine consists of a purchasing a coffee especial-of-some-sort and then we head down the beach trail. The trail, round-trip, is about 4.6 miles and completely flat. It is hands down the most crowded trail I walk, but there is much to look at and see.

When I was a kid my sisters and I would walk this trail often from our house to the pier. When were were older we rode our bike from our house, through the state park, and then on the trail to get to work at the Fisherman's Restaurant on the pier. My two sisters and I all worked at the restaurant at some point in our lives.

The trail today is much different than it was years ago. It has been mostly developed and landscaped, but I would say not in a bad way. The only bad part now is the crowds.

Here are some pics from this morning. It was foggy.

t street

squirrels like the beach. wonder what they eat?

where is the weekend?

2010-05-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

Sun I miss you. I hear you are supposed to warm us up this weekend. Yes, it has not been cold, but I want more.

I have a mommy and me day on Sunday with one of my girls while the other has a daddy and me day. I cannot wait. Sun please do not disappoint.

life lessons

2010-05-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Since we are nearing the end of my oldest child's year in kindergarten I have some thoughts about it all. Many I will keep to myself. Others I will not. A few issues have happened this year in which I really did not expect. I mean, I knew eventually friendship dynamics and drama would start, but for some reason I did not think it would happen this early.

Well, it does.

An occurrence took place the other day in which Julia's "friend" violated her space and in a nutshell bullied her. I will not go into detail, but I was a little taken a back by what happened.

Here is the amazing part, though. Julia took me aside that night (she did not want to tell James what happened) and told me everything. She started the conversation with, "I did not get in trouble so do not worry." Next she told me all the sordid details in a matter of fact manner. No tears at all, none at school. During the incident, after she broke free, and had a chance she told the recess teacher who then "benched" the other kid. The recess teacher told Julia's teacher who then made sure she was okay. When school was over, Julia, walked right up to the other girls mother, in front of the other girl, and told her exactly what she did to Julia. The mother told Julia it would never happen again. No fear whatsoever.

I praised Julia for her strength and for doing the right thing. I am amazed how mature she is sometimes and her choice to tell the other parent herself is cool. I am so happy she told a grownup what happened and that she spoke to me about the incident. We had a great heart-to-heart and let's face it, this is a teaching moment that helps set the way for how she handles future incidents. I am so grateful she did not decide to "live in fear" or "hold it in" and not talk about it so it could eat away at her. I made sure she understands that nobody has the right to do what they did to her and it is important to stand up for yourself. I also told her that this is real life and she will always encounter bullies even as an adult. It is better she learns how to deal with this now. She was happy to hear the reassurance from me and her teacher and the other mother.
On a side note, she said something so interesting to me, "mom, I prayed to God that he would make the bullies nice and it did not work." I let her know that somewhere a mean kid probably did the right thing, but a different prayer is to ask God to give you the strength to stand up to mean kids, do the right thing, and help others when they are bullied." She really listened. I also told her not to be mean to the other kid, but just tell her you do not want a friend who does not treat her kindly. Be a leader! Yes, school is for academics, but I also think it is for finding your place in this world, as a team player, and an individual.

The next day, I asked her who she played with and it was the same kid amongst others. It is kindergarten after all, forgiveness flows freely and an "I'm sorry" makes it all better and they move on past their issues pretty fast. Funny.

On a side note, I love, love, love her teacher. She is smart and strong and a wonderful teacher and guide for little miss J. The teacher and parental support in her class is terrific and we are hoping she is in her class next year, too.

Oh, if you know my daughter, do not mention this to her since she proably will get mad at me for talking about her. :) That starts early, too.

thursday's agenda

2010-05-06T16:33:00.001-07:00

Today was nice. Beautiful weather. Good company. Great memories.

It started with a nice walk this morning. Serena and I walked Julia to school. It was nice and relaxing and Serena walked the entire way without crying for me to carry her. Yes, that was nice.

Then I ran some errands and visited Serena's school for a Mother's Day event. She made me some sweet gifts and sang some sweet tunes.

Next, we took my mom out for lunch. Very nice.

Once we got home the girls and I headed to the harbor for a quiet afternoon walk.

Hugs

Homework and now dinnertime that James is cooking. Pierogies, spinach, and potato pancakes, yum!

After that we are off to dance practice.

Such a serene, easy, stress free day. I wish they were all like this.

into the woods

2010-05-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Julia, Lori, and I attended the musical Into the Woods at San Juan Hills High School this past weekend. The play is an original Broadway production directed by James Lapine and the music and lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim and it is great. I have been waiting to attend the spring musical at the school since last spring when we saw Beauty and the Beast. The talent of the kids is immense and it was an enjoyable experience once again. The theater is state of the art and the money is worth spending for a great night of entertainment and to support the school and the arts program.

Julia's kindergarten friend, Isabella, has a sister in the production so Isabella was in attendance. They exchanged "hellos" before the opening act and Julia could not wait until intermission to visit with her friend. In fact, Julia whispered to me, "I can't wait until the interview so I can see Isabella." So cute.

James watched Kayli and Serena for us so we could attend. Those little ones played the game and gave James a good ride for his money. Thanks James!

welcome to san juan capistrano!

2010-04-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my world BlogTrotters. What is a BlogTrotter? Click on this button and you learn all about it. I am sharing my post with them today.

If you are anything like me then you like learning about the world around you. Reading, researching, and planning where I want to go next, to me, is almost as good as actually going there and when I first came across BlogTrotting I thought, "What a great idea!"

Well, now it is my turn. All aboard! Next stop, San Juan Capistrano, CA

I am an Orange County native having spent most of my childhood in the neighboring beach town San Clemente. My husband and I settled in San Juan Capistrano (SJC) about 11 years ago and we love it.

Our town has roughly 35,000 people. Orange County has a little over 3 million.
SJC has a unique and old history that includes Native American Indians, Spanish, Rancheros, European settlers, outlaws, and pirates. Yes, you heard me right, pirates. They raided the mission after landing their ship in Dana Point.

If you visit San Juan Capistrano you should visit our Historic Downtown, which includes the Los Rios Historic District which is the oldest neighborhood in California. It is a combination of quaint restaurants in old houses, some of them adobe dating back to the 1700's and residential houses. The Los Rios District has a small, but really nice, petting zoo, park, nursery, Tea House, and several great cafes. Dividing Los Rios with the rest of downtown is the old train depot, which also houses several restaurants, and was built in 1894. Buildings made of wood, adobe, and old brick give San Juan Capistrano an old Spanish-Western feel.

The downtown district is small and easy to walk around. In fact, get on the Pacific Surfliner train and head on down for the day. Have lunch!

Other highlights include a year round farmers market, a community theatre with a yearly old-west style melodrama, many patio cafes and the town highlight... Mission San Juan Capistrano the "Jewel of the Missions". The mission was founded by Padre Junipero Serra on November 1, 1776 and is seventh in the chain of 21 missions across the state. Multiple events take place at the mission yearly, including, but not limited to:

Battle of the Mariachis Bands

Music under the stars

Christmas at the Mission

Return of the Swallows to San Juan Capistrano (this is a two-month event and our biggest of the year.) There is also a famous song about this yearly event.

Unique tidbits:

The El Adobe Restaurant is comprised of two separate adobes, the Yorba adobes from the early 1800's. The stagecoach used to stop in between the two adobes, which is now the lobby of the restaurant. One adobe was used as a residence and the other as an early courthouse and jail or juzgado. Here is the "neat" part. The old jail cell is still underneath the restaurant. It now serves as the wine cellar, but it still has the original jail cell door and the walls. Next time you eat there ask the waiter or waitress to take you down there. The kids will get a kick out of it!

Michael Graves designed our library and architecture buffs come from all over to visit it. It is nice! (Pictures at the link below)

San Juan Capistrano historical society gives a spooky tour, at night on Los Rios, near Halloween. Many ghosts story and creepy tales of the area are told.

San Juan is considered the Equestrian Capital of the West Coast. There are many stables and equestrian estates in town and all the trails are open to horses. It is not uncommon to see horses downtown or anywhere for that manner. The Olympic trials for Dressage were held in SJC in 2008.

San Juan Capistrano residents voted, in the 1970s, to keep much of our space "open". Much of this open space has been turned into a trail system that is now extensive. The trails are open to hikers, bikers, and horses.

Click here to read some of my other posts that are tagged in SJC.

What? You need more information? Well there is a ton of it out there. Visit these links and have fun:

San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano Historical Society

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Images of Public Library San Juan Capistrano

Los Rios Street

lions, tigers and hams, oh my!

2010-04-22T21:09:00.001-07:00

Here kitty, kitty.

Okay, so this one is not a tiger, but he or she is exotic.

Here is the "ham" as promised. The pose was her idea. Notice the hand under the sign to enhance it. Not sure why there is a hand on her head. Feeling faint, my dear?

All in a days visit at the Wild Animal Park.

sitton peak update: mini movie

2010-04-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the mini movie I promised of the hike I took with my sister up Sitton Peak. Enjoy!

we love arts and crafts

2010-04-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love to paint and make it your own?

Julia chose a plate this time. Last time she painted a little robot. All this fun happens in a little Ole Hansen house in San Clemente called Fired Up. I love that place. Great owner, great parties, great everything.

At Julia's school they have a kiln and all year she comes home with little pieces of painted, glazed, and fired art. The students each design and paint a tile for their school wall. She has brought home a pretty little carrot for Spring and so many more cute little items.

I like this plate. It is very practical since she can eat on it too. Woo hoo!

before it is glazed and fired

my first peak,Sitton

2010-04-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

Happy 100th post.

Kristi and I hiked to the top of Sitton Peak in the San Mateo Wilderness of the Cleveland National Forest last Saturday. It was a very fun hike as the trails varied in vegetation and elevation. We made it to the Bear Canyon Loop Trail about 9 in the morning and we headed out. The trails are nicely maintained and the trail signs are easy to find.

Sitton Peak is sits at an elevation of 3273ft, but feels much higher once on top since the views are spectacular. We took Bear Canyon Trail to the Bear Ridge Trail to the four corners area and then followed the marker towards Sitton Peak. On the way back we took the Bear Canyon Trail from the four corners area back to Ortega Hwy. Round trip the hike was 10.3 miles with an elevation gain of 2100' and it took us 6 hours total.

The last part of the leg up to the Peak is a killer. Straight up we had to climb. It took us 40 minutes since we had to wait for other people to pass us coming down. I need to find out how much elevation gain is on the last part, because it was steep and strenuous. My legs were on fire!

Lunch at the top was awesome. My cool sister brought me lunch and the views were great all the way around. We stayed on top for about 30 minutes or so. Hiking down that incline Kristi and I found ourselves scooting on our behinds more than once since it was so slippery and steep. I could barely squat at the end. Even my toes hurt.

The hike back was warmer and Kristi and I were both walking a bit funny near the end. Kristi did a 10 miler the weekend before and she said this one was a bit more strenuous. We also realized there are many little uphill portions on the way back which we did not like. Doh!

As far as nature goes, it was just beautiful and peaceful out in the wilderness. We saw oaks, sycamores, a hawk, heard lots of birds, many lizards, a horned lizard, and a RATTLESNAKE! We were about a half mile to the end of our hike and on a single track. Kristi was in front and I was behind her. All of sudden a massively huge snake rattled his rattle at us in warning. We were about 10 feet away. Kristi jumped and we backed up slowly as those suckers can be fast. He was on a slope next to the trail and he had to be old because, again, he was HUGE. We let him saunter off and slowly approached, made sure he was gone, and took off. I think we kept expecting another snake to jump out at any minute since this part of the trail has slopes on each side so they could be close!

We made it out and treated ourselves to ice cream and candy at the candy store before heading home. Thanks to Brian and Ashley and their Hiking Blog! We read your posts to find a hike to do. Thanks for the information.

It was an awesome hike and I would do it again! I have a video in the works and will post soon.

a litte movie i made

2010-04-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hi. I have been gone for a while taking care of business. I spent a week as a juror in a civil trial and I actually enjoyed myself. I just love doing new things and even with the process being a bit painfully slow it was a great learning experience.

The girls have been out of school for spring break and on Friday we headed to the park for the day with Aunt Lori and Kayli. Here is a video of our day.

Please excuse the music credit at the end. I originally picked a different song, but I was unable to use it on you tube so I edited in another. Enjoy!

howdy neighbors

2010-03-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful weekend. It is around 75 degrees today and clear as can be. I took a small hike this morning with some friends, signed Julia up for soccer, and now our family is hanging at home and relaxing. Okay, it is sort of relaxing. I am cleaning and James is cleaning up the backyard, but I am enjoying the time with family at home for once.

Our "neighbors" were home this morning, too.

O'Neill Regional Park and some polliwogs

2010-03-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

I love spring and so do the girls. The weather has been nice. Great polliwog catch and release season. Not too many wildflowers sighted at O'Neill this weekend, but we didn't mind. O'Neill is one of my favorite regional parks. The park is near Trabuco Canyon and it rarely is crowded. A slice of paradise with lots of pretty sycamores and live oaks to admire.

fremont canyon, have you seen this part of Orange County?

2010-03-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

My sister, Kristi, and I signed up for a hike in the privately held land of the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. The hike was six miles, three up and three down. The first three miles were all up hill and it took us about two hours to get to the top. We gained about 1000 feet and the views were spectacular.

To start we drove to the back of Irvine Regional Park and then down a gated road a mile more. The Fremont staging area is right next to the Irvine Lake dam. It was interesting to see the back side of the lake as the damn has grass growing on it so it is nice and green instead of concrete looking. Right off the bat we walked next to a giant pile of coal that must have been there for 100 years. The coal is low grade and not very good. The surface mine at the top only was around for a short period in the late 1800s to early 1900s.

obligatory shoe shot in the "creek" crossing

uphill

Kristi hiking into the blue

yucca

coal deposits at the surface mine

looking down on the back side of Irvine Lake

wildflowers

Orange County weather station at the top

looking southeast

I recommend this hike for the views alone. Also, this time of year has got to be the best. A few months from now this will all be brown and showing the semi-arid state we live in. Enjoy!

chaos reigns

2010-03-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

The past week or so has been busy. Sickness had a hold of the kiddos this past week, but it looks as if it is done for now. My time has been filled with that plus school and work. I was lucky enough to get away for an hour yesterday morning for a walk in our local hills with a good friend. Here are some lovely pictures from my outing. Spring is almost here.

by the window

2010-02-19T10:30:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we spent the afternoon in Santa Monica visiting grandpa after his ankle fusion. They are staying on Ocean Avenue where there is great people watching to be done. The girls and James played across the street at the park, but I was tired so I stayed inside and took in the views from the many windows. Lounge seats are placed under many windows and I was content to use them to the fullest extent. The lighting was great for picture taking.

Laguna Coast Wilderness

2010-02-18T08:15:00.001-08:00

The girls and I went on a outing with friends to the Nix Nature Center last Saturday in the Laguna Coast Wilderness. It was a gorgeous day, warm and sunny. First stop was the Nix Nature Center. There was nobody there, which pleasantly surprised me, except a very friendly volunteer...other visitors were out hiking so we explored the center. We saw some art from local plein air painters, mechanical bats, and the girls ground some corn with a stone. A telescope facing the wilderness was also a hit with the girls. A funny sign hung on the wall, "Unattended children will be given an espresso and a puppy." Now that is funny. Julie and I ran over to our children sides right away.

Next we took a small nature hike and then parked ourselves on a picnic bench and the kids played in the dirt and explored for well over an hour. That was my favorite part, just sitting and conversing with my good friend while watching our kids play in the dirt. Just good, "clean" fun.

Hey kids, see that hill over there? Why don't you race up and down it a couple times.

a mother's dream

2010-02-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting for this day for a long time. A birthday? A holiday? A vacation day? What day you say? (no I am not trying to rhyme. It just happened. :)

My kids organized their portion of the bookcase today...ALL ON THEIR OWN. I did not suggest it. I never even mentioned it. It was their idea and I was thrilled.

Yes, they dumped all the clean laundry out on my bedroom floor so they could transport the books in the laundry basket, but that is okay. I let it slide. They were being resourceful. They used their noggins and might I just comment on the teamwork involved. I love it. Keep it up girls!

Problem number one? Messy bookcase. Problem number two, how do we transport books? Laundry basket. Brilliant. Okay, maybe brilliant is too much, but they are only 6 and 3 so I am giving them double credit.

Top shelf Julia declared is Serena's. Bottom shelf, Julia's. Serena is fine with that decision.

Now children...can you please go organize your closet?

highland dance competition

2010-02-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

Julia had her first highland dance competition at the Queen Mary in Long Beach yesterday. She told me a while back she was a bit nervous, but does a six year old child really get nervous? Not sure. If she was nervous she did not show it. In fact, this little girl has amazing confidence in herself. Last year she was swimming laps as a five year old and keeping up with seven and eight year old kids. Honestly, I think she believe she can do anything which is exactly what I want her to believe. You CAN do anything if you apply yourself and believe you can do it.

Julia looked a bit shy on stage at the start, but after she finished her 16 pas de basques there was no stopping her. She danced all four primary dances, 16 pas de basques, pas de basques and high cuts, fling, and sword dance. Highland dance is a very athletic sport, believe it or not. The stamina these girls have is amazing.

Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Frank came to cheer her on. The competition began a bit early and thankfully James made it there in time.

Julia won 3 medals and each little girl was given a cute Queen Mary bear.

I love these next three candid shots of some of the girls and Julia on stage.

After she was done we toured part of the ship and headed down to the games to watch some bands.

friends checking out the bands

looking forward to the weekend

2010-02-11T20:03:00.001-08:00

We have been seriously busy around here lately with James birthday, valentines day parties and our regular routine. The girls are off school the next four days which I think is fantastic!

This weekend we will be busy with friends and family. On Sunday we will be trekking to Julia's first highland dance competition where she will be jumping and leaping all over the place in her little kilt. More on that later.

Meanwhile, here are some pics from this past week.

We have seen this showdown before...stare at the cake and think "get in my belly". click here.

yummy bagels, cream cheese, lox and the works.

Some really great clouds.

The SC pier during a break in the storm. I love going to the beach when it is raining and stormy.

Shoe shot for Karen. I think this is going to become a habit. It makes us laugh.

Sorry I do not have a single point of focus today, but this is kind of how my week is going. Surprisingly, I am having a great time and am not stressed at all. Peace.

valentines made with love

2010-02-05T09:11:00.001-08:00

We are not buying Valentines this year. The girls are making their valentines instead from old cards I have saved and other craft items around the house. The only rules are have fun, use your imagination, and make them from your heart!

Each card is unique and special and I love how the girls have embraced this challenge.

Below is a sampling of each. Julia and Serena put a lot of thought into each card.

Serena cards:

Julia's cards:

it is starting to look like spring...just a smidge

2010-01-31T18:13:00.000-08:00

My sis Kristi and I went on a two hour hike this afternoon on and through the San Juan Hills. What a great trail system with beautiful views. Too bad it was a bit overcast towards the ocean and my pictures did not turn out so wonderful.

Just one the many trails we hiked.

We started on this one.

A few cactus flowers below. They are a pretty pink and yellow.

Can you spot Mission San Juan Capistrano is the picture below?

The hills were killer and I am sure I will be sore tomorrow.

This was on the backside looking east towards the National Forest.

Obligatory shoe shot for Karen.

walking with my sisters

2010-01-31T17:14:00.000-08:00

My sisters and I went on an urban hike last weekend. There was debate whether this is considered a hike or a walk. Kristi the hiker, says it is a hike. I am okay calling it either a walk or a hike. Lori says we can call it a wike. I say we can call it a halk. Whatever we call it, we had plenty of time to mull it over. A hike is a long walk, no. How long is long?

We started at the corner of Margarite and Vista Del Lago. The total walk was 5.4 miles according to google pedometer. The first two miles were on Vista Del Lago to Alicia and back. It appears there was an elevation gain of about 500 feet.

Ground decor on Alicia side of lake.

Click here to see a map of the hike.

Next it was an approximate 3 mile walk around the lake. We completed the walk in about one hour and 45 minutes.

Karen, this photo is for you. Obligatory shoe shot

Photos courtesy of Kristi

so cal fun

2010-01-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Today the girls and I drove about 25 minutes north to Irvine. I have heard the best farmers market around takes place across from UC Irvine every Saturday morning. "They" are right. It is the best around! The market has lots of fresh produce, some organic and some not, live entertainment, some crafts, fish, nuts, tamales, and so much more.

The girls had some money to spend so Julia bought a bag of avocados and a bunch of carrots. They each bought a cute mini bag of shells for a dollar a piece.

We tried all kinds of fruit and veggies, cake, and cookies. Yum. Julia loved the pink oranges, but did not like the blood oranges ( I think it had something to do with the fact that "blood" is part of the name).

I really liked these Turkish Teas.

Next we met Aunt Krist, Aunt Lori, and Kayli at Mason Regional Park. The girls ran and ran.

Julia and Kayli rolled down the hill. Take notice of Julia's rolling skills below.

To top it all off Aunt Kristi joined us for lunch at the Steelhead Brewery.

would you pay 5 bucks?

2010-01-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

Twice in two days miss Julia has come up with some impressive entrepreneurial ideas. Yesterday she painted at her grandmas. She called me up at work and left me a voicemail, "Hi. It's Julia. I did some painting today and when you get home tonight can we have a yard sale? I want to sell my paintings and make some money."

Good idea, right?

I like it.

Today Julia built a petting zoo. She asked if she could set the petting zoo up outside because she wants to charge everyone, "five bucks" (not dollars, but bucks) to pet the animals. Another brilliant idea, but I really do not want our neighbors to think we are cuckoo so I told her there are zoning laws and wild animals cannot be kept in a residential neighborhood and we might get a ticket...

She didn't buy it. She said, "Mom, they are TOY animals."

Still, there was no outside petting zoo today.

James and I did fork up five bucks each to pet the wild animals, though.

(well not really, we recycled the money, wink. wink.)

through a childs eye

2010-01-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

Julia and I walked to school this morning. It is only a half mile each way and a very nice walk actually. We get to cross the creek and see the turkey vultures sunning themselves on a nearby building (no picture, though, darn it.)

I let Julia take a few pictures on our way to her school. Here is what she saw.

some sort of animal track...probably a dog?

palm hill

the creek and some green on the ground

still looking good in spite of the rain

2010-01-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

My lovely Camellia tree. It sure is hearty. We have had this little tree for 10 years at least and it produces pretty pink Camellias every January, year after year.

got vultures?

2010-01-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

We do. Actually, we have had vultures for some time. Our house is surrounded by eucalyptus trees which smell great and look good, but seriously are the messiest trees around. That's another story for another time.

All year, except for several months in the spring, those vultures come home to our trees. Many vultures come home every night, right about sunset, to nest. I have never seen a nest so I guess they just sit there. They fly away every morning to eat out in the Cleveland National Forest which is down the road from our house. They are big birds with a wingspan of about 5-6 feet, however, my pictures do not do justice to their size.

all those black blobs in the trees below are birds. There is at least a hundred in our trees every night.

not quite

2010-01-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

I took the girls this afternoon to meet up with our friends and get some fresh air and exercise before the rain begins. We are supposed to have 4 or 5 days of rain...in a row!

It took us about an hour and a half to go a mile. Several breaks were taken. One for a snack, climb the rocks, and the other to bring the joy of Chinese jump roping to the lives of our girls. Thanks Julie for that great find and idea!!! Memories.

notice the dog in the background checking out the ducks

We did not quite beat the rain. It did catch up with us the last 15 minutes.

food, fossils, and fun

2010-01-09T20:38:00.001-08:00

Did you know Los Angeles has a Little Ethiopia? Well it does.

Aunt Lori suggested a trip the La Brea Tarpits, Page Museum, and a picnic lunch.

Cheers!

Aunt Kristi packed the flowers. Nice touch! Serena and Kayli were a bit stunned by the fancy picnic ware.

names written in tar

80th birthday celebration

2010-01-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

This weekend we attended Grandpa Mort's 80th birthday. A chauffeur picked us up in the morning and drove us to Malibu. The day was absolutely beautiful, the party was awesome.

A private chef cooked up incredible finger foods all afternoon such as lemongrass chicken, lamb on cinnamon skewers?. shrimp with cauliflower soup, sushi, and so much more I cannot recall it all.

We sipped champagne and just looked out over the ocean all afternoon while catching up with others not seen in a while. The girls played with all the balloons, swam, gave treats to the dogs when they did tricks, and talked with long lost friends.

At the end of the day our chauffeur drove us back home. How wonderful!

foaming and fizzing fun

2009-12-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

Julia received several science kits for Christmas. The girls and James had so much fun trying out a few of the experiments.

Christmas celebrations

2009-12-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

We had another wonderful celebration. I should say we had two wonderful celebrations since we visit with James' side of the family on Christmas Eve and my side on Christmas day.

I have been married to James for 11 years and this year was my 14Th year celebrating with his family on Christmas Eve. Grandma Stephanie cooks up a Ukrainian meal each Christmas Eve and I just love it. James grew up eating this meal or a version of this meal each year. Stephanie, too, grew up eating this meal in Canada with her Ukrainian parents.

it looks messy, but it tastes oh so good!

Traditionally, Ukrainians eat 12 different courses on Christmas Eve to symbolize the 12 apostles.Preparation for these meals can take days. Our meal is much smaller. No red meat is served. Only fish. Traditionally it is a white fish, but we had salmon with a mushroom and tomato sauce to die for. Varenyky (or pyrohy or perogies) is also served. Julia particularly is a perogi freak. She eats these once a week and seriously cannot get enough of them. We also had potato pancakes, grilled onions, and some delicious desserts.

The next afternoon we headed to my parents house. This year only our immediate family was there to celebrate the day. So weird. We missed everyone, but it was a very nice and relaxing day. Kristi made some beautiful, tasty, fruit skewers.

Aren't they pretty?

We had ham, bean and corn salad, green salad, homemade mac and cheese, rolls and cheesy potatoes. Delicious. The desserts there were good too. Christmas night...the girls and I made an impromptu visit and sleepover to Kayli's house. It was their first time sleeping on the floor, besides camping. They loved it.

raising money and a really long walk

2009-12-22T18:46:00.001-08:00

So yesterday I was reading an article in my most recent Sunset magazine about a guy who retraced John Muir's trek to Yosemite. He was able to take 5 weeks of life off from his real life and go on this "walkabout". I was kind of jealous reading his story. For some reason I want to go on a really long walk/hike like that. I am not sure why, but I think I would just like the adventure.

Meanwhile I am trying to come up with new ways for our family to give back to society. Now that the girls are a bit older it is easier to do little things here and there together. Julia and I have raised funds and walked the AIDS walk in Orange County several times. This Christmas season, along with family and friends, we were able to adopt a family in our town and put together an entire Christmas meal and gifts. The girls helped wrap some of the presents and pack the food. My friend Julie and her girls, along with my girls, were able to deliver the assortment to the recipients home across town. I really want to have them do more hands on helping. I will work on that.

Back to the walk, today I signed up to raise money and walk 60 miles over 3 days. I am doing the Susan G. Komen 3-day walk for breast cancer in San Diego. I need to raise $2,300 in order to do so. I have my work cut out for me, but luckily I have 333 more days to raise it. I have some ideas, though, and I hope I can get the girls involved, too.

I am looking forward to exercising more, which is much needed, being outdoors, meeting new people, and giving back even it is just a small amount in the grand scheme of things.

I have created a new blog to talk about my journey in preparation for the walk from November 19 - 21, 2010.

3 Days and 60 Miles

yes it has been warm, but we have stylish winter wear, too

2009-12-21T18:55:00.000-08:00

Julia's cute winter outfit she wore last week to school. This was prior to the 80 degree weather. Notice the snazzy stance.

a big hike with caves and all

2009-12-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

Julia, Kristi, and I went on a hike yesterday. A big one, 5.5 miles to be exact, and Julia completed it no problem. It took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes. We started around 2 pm and had to be out of the Aliso and Wood Canyon Wilderness Area before sunset. We cut it close.

In order to get to our destintations we needed to take several trails. The Aliso Creek Trail is a 15 mile trail that starts out in on Santiago Canyon Road and makes it all the way to the beach. We only needed to walk 1.5 miles of this paved trail. It was a hot day, 80 degrees. Seriously, it was that warm 6 days before Christmas. The next trail we took was Woodland Trail. We took that to the Cave Rock Trail and then hiked up, around, and through Cave Rock. It was pretty cool and we were the only people there. Julia was able to slide down a few of the holes.

Next we headed another mile or so to the dripping cave, aka robber's cave. It was big and there is a neat legend about robber's who used to hide here many year ago.

There are two creeks running through the park. We saw a large crane, rabbits, and a squirrel.

Julia was pretty funny. She brought the "necessities" for hiking in her bag. They are water, stickers, and perfume. That is exactly what a 6 year old needs in thw wilderness.

I will definitely be going back once the spring flowers come in.

looking back 2009 - post # 3 - rv sea explorer

2009-12-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the year, James, Julia and I headed out to sea on the R/V Sea Explorer which is a marine educational and research vessel. We took a marine mammal cruise to see what we could see at sea. The difference with this cruise versus other local cruises is the research aspect, it was not crowded at all, and the kids are able to perform simple experiments at the end of the cruise such as drudging up mud from the sea floor and then sifting and carefully separating and sorting the bottom dwellers into water filled petri dishes. Julia loved this and it was just perfect for a 5 year old.

The day was great and we could not have asked for better weather. We only saw 1 grey whale migrating to warm Mexico waters from the cold north. A little boring as it was feeding and we only we able to catch small glimpses. The highlight was a pod of 200 or so dolphin. Just wonderful.

check out this small video of the pod.

it's a tradition

2009-12-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

When I was little my mom always had us decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. My sisters and I could not wait to do decorate either. Now that my mom is a grandma she still does use her same decorating strategy and now my sisters and our kids help grandma trim her and grandpa's tree each year.

Grandma's house is cool. She has a year-round Christmas tree decorated for each holiday and she does have a lot of snowmen.

Julia's ornament circa 2005. I just love that feisty look.

Later that afternoon our cousins visited. Below is the only shot I could get that was not blurry. Those kids are fast.

annie

2009-12-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

Tonight Julia, Grandma and Grandpa, and I went to see the musical Annie given by the South Orange County Performing Arts students at Dana Hills High School. The production was well done and those teenagers are so darn talented. I made sure we had front row seats and Julia really got a kick out of being so close. I have no pictures to share believe it or not. Looking forward to our next musical in the spring. It is Into the Woods and we will be seeing it at San Juan Hills High School theater where we saw Beauty and the Beast last spring. Now that theater is amazing for a high school.

uh...

2009-11-29T17:56:00.001-08:00

I have too many posts swirling in my mind that I cannot seem to separate them from each other. I have a bit of blogger block. Too many fun an exciting things have happened lately that it seems like a bit of old news to talk about them. Julia received an award for being Caring and having enthusiasm for learning...WONDERFUL...Thanksgiving...wonderful, family visits...wonderful...birthday week for my 6 year old...fun and wonderful...Christmas cheer downtown with the family...fun and wonderful. Phew.What's next...

girls weekend getaway - part 2 - san diego, ca

2009-11-24T20:13:00.001-08:00

We left La Jolla and headed to our hotel on Shelter Island. There were plenty of places to run on the hotel property. We checked out the bay, boats, parrots and turtles, outside our room. Next we met my friends on Point Loma at the Cabrillo National Monument. The girls completed some tasks related to the monument and the history and they earned a junior ranger badge and certificate. They even had to take an oath to protect the national parks. Cute. Next we took in the amazing views and toured the old lighthouse. Fantastic. Next time we will do more hiking.

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetary

Early the next morning, after room service, we met our friends again at the San Diego Zoo. We were there 5 hours and saw the following, polar bears, rode in sky buckets, the new elephant exhibit, pandas, orangutans, meerkats, and much more. According to Julia the porcupine is a must see. We trekked for over an hour to the porcupine pen and never did see a porcupine...maybe next time.

girls weekend getaway - part 1 - la jolla, ca

2009-11-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

We headed down to San Diego for a couple of days of non-stop walking and fun. Poor Serena had a cold, but she was a trooper the entire time. There were many stairs involved. First stop were a sea cave and seals. In La Jolla there is this touristy little store called The Cave Store. Nothing special is for sale in the store, but for two small children a private entrance to a sea cave is super, duper exciting. I must admit it is kind of cool. We paid our small fare and walked down 145 dimly lit, slippery stairs. The sound of the waves crashing boomed throughout the tunnel as we descended. A frightened 3 year old shed a few tears on the way down, but I coaxed her to the bottom inside the sea cave. Fun stuff!

without flash...this is how it really looked

with flash

looking out to the ocean

Next we took a long walk over to the sea wall for wave and seal viewing. On this particular day there must have been at least 50 seals sunning themselves. What a treat.

watching a body surfer..he is the little guy in the middle of the girls

...next stop Shelter Island, San Diego

fullerton arboretum

2009-11-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

The girls and I drove to Anaheim to watch some of Julia's fellow dance students compete in Highland Dance. It was fun to watch and the girls sure got a kick out of it. The competition was held in an old church. Here is a pretty picture of the architecture.

After lunch we headed to the Fullerton Arboretum which is located on the Cal State Fullerton Campus. It was a clear, cool day to run through the gardens and this jaunt was free, minus the gas and lunch.

day with aunt lori and kayli downtown san juan capistrano

2009-11-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

Lori took Kayli on her first train ride. It was a very far 16 minutes from station to station. Serena and I met them and then we went to lunch at Ruby's. After that we headed over to our new favorite park on Los Rios. It was a wonderful, fall day. Of course, I could not resist taking a ton of pictures.

SJC is the "equestrian capital of the west" (not sure who proclaimed this)

looking back 2009 - post #2 - tallship festival

2009-11-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

In September the girls and I headed down to the harbor for the annual Tall Ship Festival. We visited one of our fun local places, The Ocean Institute. Fish were watched, bird were petted, pirates were eyed. Adjacent to the institute were 6 ships tethered together. We toured all of them. The girls favorite parts of the ships were going below to see the beds and carefully crossing from ship to ship. Later, Julia took part in a pirate show which was for sure the highlight of her day. Serena on the other hand cried at those scary pirates.

looking back 2009 post #1 - san diego weekend getaway

2009-11-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

The last week has been a rough one for our family. Illness has located us and hit us hard. Three out of the four of us are on meds to get rid of bacteria that has taken over our lungs, ears and sinuses, oh my. We are on the mend; however, and looking ahead to days where can run and laugh without coughing and sniffling.

I find this a great time to look over the zillions of pictures I have taken this year and reminisce. Many outing have occurred this year that never appeared on this blog so I am finding the need to fill this time with some fond memories.

In June, we took a mini-getaway to San Diego. Julia and I had a mother-daughter getaway there earlier in the year, too. Maybe I will post pictures from that adventure next.

It is no fun to go stay downtown without taking public transportation so we took the train and what kid does not like public transportation. Buses, trams, trolleys, trains...you name it, they love it. Our hotel was just a few blocks from the station. I tend to always pay extra when we take Amtrak to sit in business class so we get goodies and a guarantee for a reserved seat.

Grandma and Grandpa Lessman met us at the station and we have a very nice weekend together.

the children's menus/etch a sketch in the hotel bar

One of my favorite places in San Diego is Balboa Park. This day we hit the aerospace museum.

I even had some time to meet my friend Teri around the corner for a drink

The best part of the weekend, though, was spending time together as a family. Since James cares for his dad 7 days a week, twice a day, our mini getaways are few and far between...for now.

it was a wild weekend

2009-10-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

It was a wild weekend. Everything we did was wild or "kinda" wild.

Saturday we attended another well done event organized by Inside the Outdoors. We watched an animal show, hiked with a naturalist, drummed in a drum circle, and made recycled crafts.

These...

Became these...

Yes, that is a mountain lion on her face. It looks just like the one on her shirt, don't you think?

Today we visited the Wild Animal Park in Escondido.

Some wild cousins below

wild kids on rhino

my wild herd

3

2009-10-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

Three years of laughter.
Three years of sweetness.
Three years of wonderful memories.

Happy 3rd Birthday Serena!

potential firefighters?

2009-10-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was the yearly open house at the Orange County Fire Stations. Each year we visit a different one. This year we met our friends at station 45 in Rancho Santa Margarita. The girls and I got a kick out of it and I learned some new things such as why this station has 3 refrigerators and how many gallons of water their engine holds.

The girls were oohing over the walk-in pantry. That was kind of funny. They really liked the command center fire bus used during wildfires and Serena LOVED to test drive each truck. At the end of the visit I polled the girls about what they want to be when they grow up. Only one girl wants to be a firefighter. Serena. Julia, now, wants to be a chef. Hmmm.

Thomas F.Riley Wilderness Park

2009-10-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

Orange County has a ton of wilderness areas. We have visited a few this year and today we took a hike at one we have never been. Riley. This park is a wildlife sanctuary with coastal sage and old groves of Coastal Live Oaks and Western Sycamores. A small butterfly garden housed a few fun things for the girls. Of course, mountain lions are always on my mind since there are signs posted everywhere to beware. Eek! We have never seen any since they are, for the most park, elusive. Thank goodness.

i was never a flower girl..

2009-09-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

My girls were lucky enough to be asked to be flower girls and this past weekend was the special event. It is evident that each of my kids have their own special, distinct personality and it is interesting to see how the girls react so different in similar situations.

Julia, my social butterfly, just LOVED attending her first wedding and being part of the wedding party. She followed the bride and groom everywhere and Todd and Alisa were so kind to let her do so. When the DJ announced the flower girls at the reception, Julia waved to the guests and whispered to me, "I am a star." Too funny.

Serena on the other hand is shy and at the ripe old age of 2 is a wall flower. There was no dancing for this girl. She did not want to walk down the aisle, she fell in the fetal position at the top of the aisle and refused to have any photos taken by the photographer. Several hours later she finally agreed to photos with the bride and she eventually opened up and ran all over the reception.

The wedding was beautiful and I am so glad for the happy couple. Congrats you two!!

around town today

2009-09-20T14:00:00.001-07:00

Today the girls and I hung out around town. It was a gorgeous day out.

First Stop was Los Rios street. There is a new park in town and a great job was done to build it to look old. It really adds to the historic district.

Next we walked down Los Rios street to Zoomars and Julia went on a few horse rides. Last weekend we went to the Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point and we were given 4 free tickets to the mini-farm. Serena refused to ride the horses and cried. Maybe next time.

After all that fun we headed over to South Coast farms to pick up some organic produce and "ride" the tractors. Such a simple treat was such a hit.

Education

2009-09-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

My dear 5 year old started kindergarten this week. She loves it just like I knew she would. My social butterfly of a daughter has attended several years of preschool and junior-k last year so this year it not a major transition for her. Her school has about about 70 or so kindergartners, enough for 2 full classes and a combo K/1st grade class. J is in the combo class and I think she will do well. Today was day three and she cannot wait to go tomorrow. What a lucky girl she is to be meeting new friends, meeting and learning from new teachers, and have many new learning experiences!

I say J is lucky because last night I watched a show on PBS called Wide Angle, Education Part 3 and it brought tears to my eyes to learn of the featured children in the show. The kids and their life journeys have been documented for the last six years. The circumstances some of these children live on a daily basis are hard to imagine and it is amazing they are still in a school. One child from Benin, a girl, was selected to get a public education. She is the only one in her family and only a handful of girls even get the chance. She walks 2 hours each way, daily, to her school.
Dedication.

She knows how lucky she is and it is amazing. The other stories, too, were inspirational and emotional.

I really am thankful my kids can experience the public schooling they do and I am doing my best to remind them daily how lucky they are. Happy learning!!

Oh, by the way, how could you not have fun with Mr. Curt Visca as your principal? If you are a local then you know I am speaking of the Curtoon guy. Serious fun! "Elvis"has already left a message on our answering machine to give us the school scoop.

it's not over until it's over...

2009-09-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten begins on Tuesday for little miss J. She will love it!

We will now need to conform to a "school year" calendar which means we can't just go away on a whim anymore. We have three more days of summer recess left to sleep in, relax, and have fun.

Since the weather has been unbearably hot lately we have spent much of our time in and around the beach, harbor, lake, and other bodies of water to cool off.

Here are some of my favorite pics from this past week.

day at the museum

2009-08-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

The girls and I ventured to a nicely air-conditioned museum for some visual stimulation and education. We did the "adult" Bowers museum first where the highlights for me were the 35 rare Rembrandt etchings being shown. I think the girls got a kick out of looking through magnifying glasses at the small etchings.

Next we walked a block over to the Kidseum and the girls had a great time touching and wearing costumes, playing instruments from around the world and wearing some neat masks. Surprisingly, the nesting dolls were a big hit. You would have thought the girls never have seen these before. Maybe since there were so many...

saturday hike

2009-08-22T17:47:00.001-07:00

We took a small hike today.

good luck and safe travels to my cousins

2009-08-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

My cousins will be moving half way across the country from Denver to Albany very soon. I just want to wish you guys good luck and safe travels. Enjoy the wonderful road trip and adventures to come!

Here is a small trip down memory lane, way back when, from last year when we visited you guys.

So kind you were to allow us to stay at your home. I remember your good cooking and the nightly beer tastings, plus your sweet, very loving kitties.

B and K both had looks of worry watching our kids bugging the bunny, Serena opening and closing the front door over and over, climbing up and down all of the stairs (which there are a lot), and I think milk was spilled a few times on the tablecloth. All this a few months before Miss Caroline was born and you must of thought, "OMG." Ha!

Here are some of my favorite pics.

Brian's beer can smoked chicken. Yum.

80 degree weather the first day

snow the next day. Crazy weather!

Estes Park near Rocky Mountain National Park and our cabin

fox

Julia took this pick of James as he was drinking his beer samplers at the Coors Brewery.

Hammonds

wild turkey near our cabin

just like home...sort of

2009-08-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

Not really like home, but we do some of the same things like eat, play, brush our teeth, and sleep.

Camping. I love it. The girls love it. Our friends love it.

So we went. All of us girls. Girls only

S'mores for dessert. Lucky girls.

donuts for breakfast. Lucky girls.

two parties and the pacific symphony

2009-08-17T16:46:00.001-07:00

This weekend was a busy one, but a fun one. Saturday we attended my cousins bridal shower. It was very nice and Alisa truly was glowing. I cannot wait to go to the wedding.

Sunday, the girls and I hung out at my sisters with my cousin Karen visiting from Portland. Pizza, beers, chips and salsa were the fare. Healthy, I know. A rousing game of Guesstures was played.

What were the team names you ask?

The Mamas and the Freedom Loving Non-Mamas. My kids were on the latter and they still won, what?

That evening we walked around the corner to a free concert in the park. Spanish guitars opened and then the Pacific Symphony played. The girls also were able to try many instruments at the beginning. Julia tried every one available. Serena tried none.

Our departure was prompted by me chasing Serena through the crowd. She was smiling, I was not. My sisters thought this was pretty amusing. It reminded me of a scene from the Bad News Bears.

a first

2009-08-13T23:08:00.001-07:00

This week has been crazy. I have accepted a new position at work and will be transferring back to IT to implement hospital CPU interfaces. I can't wait, but I have a major project that I must finish before going back and it has placed a small amount, okay a large amount of pressure on me. To top it off I was called to jury duty at the U.S. Federal Court for a special 6-8 week trial and was to report the same day I start my new job. What timing! Luckily, I found out tonight I was able to successfully postpone my duty until a later date. Phew! All that plus Julia in VBS this week and starting kindergarten in a few weeks, Serena starting preschool, and me with a week left of school. It has been enough to pull my hair out. Not literally, though.

With all of that going on we still managed to have some friends over last Sunday for dinner and Julia was lucky enough to have her friend over for her first sleepover. I wish it did not have to end. It was so much fun for them. Dinner, ice cream, hot cocoa with marshmallows (even on a warm summer night this was requested), Scooby Doo on Zombie Island was the movie of choice, ghost stories, princess stories, and a special little lady bug story were on the agenda. She seriously had so much fun!!! I tried to take some pics, but these girls were not having it. They blocked their faces with innocent little stuffed animals. Too much! I loved it though and so did the girls.

C'mon girls, just one photo.

girl vs. cake

2009-08-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

Cake.

Yes, it says Happy Biathday.

Girl and cake.

Girl stares at the cake in attempt to hypnotize the cake. Get into my mouth.

Girl takes it from another angle to make sure the cake knows she means business.

Girl gets backup girl to stare at cake.

Staring works. Candles are lit. Birthday girl blows out candles.

Girls 2. Cake 0.

Happy Birthday, Lynn!

simple day

2009-08-01T23:54:00.000-07:00

Park. Friends. Cousins. Beauty. Heat. Simple. Fun.