It's 5 oclock somewhere

Cancun Christmas trip

2010-12-26T20:03:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, a few years ago, Troy and I purchased this money suck timeshare through the Westin that I curse every month when I have to make the payment. It was before the recession and before Operation Money Hoarding went into effect. Anyhow we have it, we are stuck with it and when it affords me the ability to go somewhere as beautiful as Cancun, I probably shouldn't bitch about it as much as I do. Someday when its paid for, I'm sure I'll love it, but for now it is a minor pain in my ass with a spectacular view.

So, We made this reservation in April with the intention of this being the kids Christmas Present....we've been paying for it every month, might as well use it right? And then in October, Troy learned that as a result of the merger of his old copany with Agilent, that he would have to attend a mandatory meeting in Las Vegas ALL WEEK while we were supposed to be on vacation. Well, since there are about 7 million people who would be happy to take his job, should he lose it, we decided the only option was for him to skip the vacation. The Westin had no other weeks available for us to reschedule, so we were stuck.

So on December 12th, the kids and I flew without Troy to Cancun, Mexico for a week of rest and relaxation and a little local culture too. It was dark by the time we got to the suite, so I couldn't see a thing when I looked out the window out over the Carribean Ocean. The following morning when I pulled back the curtain, the picture above was my view........I knew everything was gonna be just fine. With a view like that, how could it not?

The post that follow are a few snapshots of our extraordinary trip. Me, alone in a foreign country with my children. I was a little apprehensive at first. (honestly, I borrowed some Xanax from a friend, but never needed a single one). We rallied, we made exceptions, we compromised, we found a way to make it a great trip, and there came a time when I looked out over the water and saw my 3 children playing together in the warm Carribean Ocean and I breathed a sigh of relief and I wished myself Merry Christmas. There are no words to describe how proud I was of my kids and of how I swelled with love and gratitude for the opportunity to do this with them.

Chichen Itza

2010-12-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

Took the kids to Chichen Itza because it is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, and really, how often do you get to see one of those?

Somewhere around 987AD and up to 1200 AD the Maya tradition of the North Yucatan fused with the Toltec culture of central Mexico and established its capital in Chichen Itza. This structure the kids are in front of is the Pyramid of Kulkulkan. This Pyramid is tied in many ways to the Mayan calender. There are 4 sets of stairs with 91 steps on each side (364 total ) plus the top step equals 356. The Mayans were very advanced mathmaticians and engineers. They paved their roads with limestone and it glowed at night allowing them to travel in the cooler hours with plenty of light from the glowing limestone.

These Mayan children were there with their parents selling crafts and jewelry and carvings. The little girl was a serious haggler and would not trade for Hershey kisses......she kept saying "Pesos, only Pesos" She drove a hard bargain but for 20 pesos I got two embroidered handkercheifs that her mother had made. The dress she is wearing is traditional Mayan dress, if she were married she would add a colorful shawl and if she were a widow, a black one. The Mayan people that we met were very sweet and are trying hard to hold on to traditions and customs that have been passed down from generation to generation.

The Group of the Thousand Columns. Believed to be a gallery for warriors and nobles.

Cenote

2010-12-26T19:24:00.000-08:00

After or visit to Chichen Itza, the tour bus took us to this well. It is commonly called a cenote and the landowner where this cenote is located has opened it up and made it accesible to the public. The Mayans used these for water, but also for human and other sacrifices. This particular cenote has yeilded many treasures from its bottom (approx 125 feet deep) as well as some human remains.
And of course, my fearless kids jumped in......here's Vivian
and Gabriel.............
and Henderson.

Beach Day

2010-12-26T19:17:00.000-08:00

Even the days when we had nothing scheduled were pretty fun.....we had this beautiful beach to keep us occupied. This was the hotel's beach, so the kids could play while I relaxed and read and had and cold beverage delivered to me by Juan, or Jesus, or Ernesto...just depended on the day.

Xcaret River float

2010-12-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

If any of you ever go to Cancun, this should be a the top of your to do list. Xcaret is a natural ecopark whose main attraction is a series of underground rivers that flow to the sea. They are open to the public and it takes about an hour to float down and explore. They were georgeous. My kids loved it and I hope they remember the experience forever.
These walls surrounded us for the whole time unless we went into a cave like in the picture below. It was so cool.
All along the way were Mayan Warriors in costumes like this one.
In the cave. It wasn't spooky. we could always see the light at the other end. Although some of them were pretty long and the light was so far away. I must say that my kids did so great. They really are fearless and will try just about anything. I'm really proud of them.

Xcaaret playtime

2010-12-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

When the river float was over it sort of dumped us out on this little beach where the kids could do some more snorkeling. They had never really done it before so every little discovery was something to get excited about.

These little yellow fish were what the kids are looking at in the first picture.

Xcaret

2010-12-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

After our float thru the rivers we had lunch at the seafood buffet. I caught myself enjoying a nice plate of ceviche and then thought better of it. How safe could it possible be to be eating raw seafood in the middle of the mexican jungle? I waited all day for the tummy ache but it never came THANK GOD!!! I snapped this picture of Gabriel because this is so him. Eating brownies with one hand, cone in the other.

This is the view of the Carribean Ocean from the restaurant. Not to Shabby.

Leisuring and relaxing were a big part of our day at Xcaret. Henderson found the hammocks on the way to the bathrooms, and had to relax for awhile.

We staked out our spot under the palapa and snorkled awhile. About 10 feet below the kids feet was an inlet where we could do some more snorkeling. It was a beautiful little spot and we had a great time soaking up the rays and watching the marine life.

Xcaret show

2010-12-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

The last thing we did was go to a show in the theatre at Xcaret. The show was designed to give us a glimpse into the customs and traditions of the Mayan Riveria and how they have evolved over the years since the Spanish Conquerors landed .

As we walked up the walkway to the theatre, lots of "actors" were positioned along the way in various costumes. I especially loved the owl costume below. Just after I snapped this he stood up and opened his wings which must have been at least 12 feet across.

The guy in the green feather headdress is supposed to be QuetzelKahn (sp?)He was a deity of some sort . The whole show was in Spanish and since I don't know Spanish, I had to follow along as best I could. Now I know what its like for foreigners who visit the US. Look at the headdresses on these guys. The latter part of the show was a variey of traditional Mexican dancing styles. It was an amazing show. The whole day at Xcaret was incredible.....I encourage any of you to go if you ever vacation on The Mayan Riveria.

Happy Holidays.....

2010-11-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Hope that everyone is well and that you had the opportunity to spend a restfull Thanksgiving with those you love and to reflect on the things that make you truly thankfull.....I sure did.

No a whole lot to report on the homefront. The kids are all doing great, Troy's plugging away at the job and I am just keeping on keeping on. Most of the holiday decorations are up and we have a few gifts under the tree.

Christmas Cards will be more like New Years cards this year. The kids and I are off to Mexico Dec 12 thru 19 and I hope to be able to snap a cute photo of them on our trip. This trip to Cancun was supposed to be the family Christmas present, but just before we purchased airfare, we learned that Troy had a mantatory meeting in Las Vegas the same week the trip was planned. I begged and pleaded with the resort to change our dates, but there was no other availabliilty, so it's gonna be just me and the kids whooping it up in Cancun Mexico...wish me luck...or maybe say a prayer...either way I am sure it will be a great trip.

Anyhow, we return on the 19th and the kids don't go back to school until the 11th, so its gonna be a long vacation for us all.

Class Trip October 2010

2010-11-29T13:34:00.000-08:00

During the month of October the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park offer free admission for local schools and since the schools are so broke and have made no money available for field trips, Gabriels 2nd grade class spent the day at the Wild Animal Park. The lions were the most active I have ever seen and the cheetas for once were not hiding. It was a cool rainy day and the kids got to see and do so much because the park wasn't busy.

November 11th, 2010.....There's a teenager in the house....

2010-11-29T13:24:00.000-08:00

But we really haven't noticed because she is still the same sweet girl she has always been.
For her birthday she had a few girlfriends over for pizza and then some mall shopping. On our way to Forever 21 to try on dresses for the upcoming Winter Formal, the snow machines came on and I was able to snap the bottom picture. The girls were so cute.

Twice in 2 months

2010-09-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm back with my pesky blog where I brag on my kids and talk up all the normal everyday boring things that we've been doing. I know, it's tough being us...:~) Seriously though things are great... school is back in, Troy's job is still going well, and I can't complain about a thing. I seem to be getting my groove back now that the kids have gone back to school, I can cross a few more things off my to do list when I don't have a lot of little distractions (bored kids on break) in my way.
We just had a great week with my Mom out here for a visit. She tends to spoil us all a little when she comes, and she did again this time. Thanks Mom...Love you!!!

Read on, and post a response if you want.
Have a great September!!!

Big Bear

2010-09-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

In addition to La Jolla on Friday, we spend the Labor Day weekend in Big Bear California. More and more I appreciate where we live and all that it offers. From our house we can be at the beach in 1 hour AND from our house we were in the San Bernadino mountains in 2 hours where temperatures were in the 70 and 80's. Perfect hiking weather. And thats just what we did. The picture above was taken lakeside on one of the paved multi-use trails.

Sunday was the BIG HIKE DAY. The 6 of us and the dog hiked almost 6 miles roundtrip from the lake to the PAcific Crest Trail somewhere around 8000 feet in elevation. I am please to announce that not once did any of my kids whine or complain or want to be carried. Actually it was Winston who I think struggled the most. We've turned a corner, I know what my kids are capable of if they can have a "can-do" attitude. I am so glad we did this because I burned of the Chocolate Torte from Friday night.

Sea lions and Chocolate Tortes

2010-09-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

We were able to paddle right up to these sea lions, there were even a few playing around in the water that would swim by the kayak. It was really cool.

We had a fabulous Italian dinner, complete with lots of bread and a few good glasses of wine at a place I love in Leucadia Ca called Vigiluccis. In the back of the main restaurant is an old little cabin that has been converted to seating and we had this whole room to ourselves. It was like we were in someone's home in Italy.
Gabriel and I threw down on this delicious chocolate torte thing with hot fudge and rasperry sauce. I rolled to the car and then passed out into a slight diabetic coma for the ride home.

La Jolla Kayaking

2010-09-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

Mom was here last week and I wanted to make sure we had plenty of non stop fun on hand for us, so on Friday we pulled the kids out of school and took them to La Jolla for an afternoon of kayaking. In the picture above, Henderson's expression is saying " I really wish I was in the kayak with Dad, cuz Mom is pissing me off" He and I could not find our paddling groove. ( Actually I paddle just fine, he was the problem). Shortly after this was taken I traded Troy one grumpy 9 year old for an excellent paddeling 6yr old. The rest of the day was just fine.

See there, he is much happier now.

And Gabriel was so happy to be with me too....

Back to School

2010-09-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

The kids went back to school August 11. And not a moment too soon, everyone was getting on each others nerves from all the togetherness. I am already looking into camp for the boys next summer so if anyone would like to contribute to the Camp Sea Gull 4 week money suck for the boys I think I will be needing about 5 grand...(don't all rush to the checkbook at once :~))

Anyhow, I digress......Here are the kids being forced to look like they aren't totally sick of each other for their 1st day of school photo. In case you didn't figure it out already by the fingers being held up , Henderson is a 4th grader, Vivian an 8th and Gabriel a 2nd. And the best news is that Troy and I have the house to ourselves for 7 whole hours each day. Things are clean again, the tv is off, there is no bickering and fighting over the Wii...... there aren't these eating machines going thru hundreds of dollars worth of groceries every minute...it's glorious. But seriously I should probably think about getting a job.......or going back to school...or going shopping...or having my hair done.... or maybe meeting my friends for lunch....

Whats been goin' on?

2010-09-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well , for starters Henderson has been taught to cut the grass. I fully expected one of those experiences where he whines about having to keep the lines in the grass perfectly to Troy's standards, and then Troy would get short of patience with Hendersons futile attemps at perfects cut lines,....but I was way wrong...Henderson did great, and actually loved cutting the grass. Now he askes if he can cut the grass even when it doesn't need cutting. Im really proud of him for trying his best and for doing so well.

Since operation money hoarding is still plodding along nicely, we had to find fun ways to entertainthe kids this summer without breaking the bank. So what did we come up with? Outside movie night. We borrowed a projector from friends(now were gunna have to buy one) and we project a movie onto a sheet that we put up on the swingset. We've been letting the kids camp out in the yard and cook hotdogs and smores over the fire. I has been a real hit. Here are the boys with the Rucker Brothers (we always say "Rucker Brothers" and never call them by their names because we cannot tell them apart) at their last campout before school started.

Way past time for an update.....

2010-07-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

And I am so sorry for letting almost a year pass without any news/photos of the kids. Mostly this is because my computer is getting old and slow and I use my phone for just about everything computing related these days, thus making my computer practically forgotten. Additionally since I began operation money hoarding/no credit cards usage actually parting with the cash for the Mac of my dreams is really difficult. Everything on this computer backed up and in the event of a major unfixable repair, I'll part with the money and get said Mac of my dreams, until then I really only turn on my computer about once a week and updating the blog really slips my mind. So again, I apologize.

As for the Louviere's, well we are all great. Troy has been training really hard for a set of half marathons in San Diego county called the triple crown. He has completed the first two and has the final race coming up in August. In addition to that he just started training for a triathalon in San Diego this fall.. He has been managing to fit in some surfing. He has a buddy who visits each spring for a long weekend of surfing. The boys are also taking a real interest and that makes Troy happy that he can take his boys surfing. Troy is now an official Agilent employee. So far so good. The corporate culture seems to be very similar to that of Varian, and the merger thus far has been seamless. November we will be transitioned over to the benefits package that Agilent offers and from what I can tell they are pretty generous with their benefits, so hopefully we are on the right track with this new company and Troy will be happy with them. Additionally, there is a lot of oportunity for him to transfer within the company, options we may explore after the new year. If we're gonna uproot the kids I feel like it will have to be next year before Vivian starts High School.

Yep, you heard that right ...this time next year I will be taking my daughter to register for High School. Don't know where the time went, and if I think about it too much I get a little wistful for the baby she once was. Even though she is almost 13, I am just starting to get glimpses into the moody teenager that may be about to visit for awhile. She is for the most part still very sweet and easy. She had another great year at school. She made all A's except for her Algebra class she got a B both semesters. Swimming is still her thing, and she just competed at the Southern California Swimming Age Group Invitational in Irvine , CA. She qualified for the 50 freestyle. She just missed two other time cuts by less than .05 seconds. But nevertheless, she swam well and was glad that she made the cut. Vivian was also selected last year for a peer counseling program at her school which she loved. It is a great leadership oportunity that teams the counselors up with kids at the school that are struggling in various social/academic areas. She also ran for and won the Public Relations position for peer counselors which means she gets to do the morning announcements a few times a week. She is a really great kid and we are very proud of her.

Henderson.....turned 9 yesterday. For me this brings back memories of living in Denver where he was born and having no air conditioning in our house and being so hot and fat and miserable and then so happy that he was finally born. Again, I cannot believe it has been nine years since this sweet little boy joined our family.. Henderson finished 3rd grade this year and what an awesome year it was. He had a fabulous teacher who just inspired him on every level.. Suddenly I have a kid who loves to read, cant stop writing and scored perfect on the district math test. He's always been smart but he was lazy and was much more interested in recess and wallball. He has also become quite the baseball player. He played in the fall and we had a lot of issues with his sportsmanship, but over the winter he matured a lot and this spring his team(coached by his dad) placed second in their division and Henderson was chosed for the AllStar team. He originally was shortstop, but when his shoulder started bothering him, the coaches put him at pitcher( its coach pitch division) and he played that position really smartly. He loves the game and thinks about it all the time. He is always doing this thing I can only call "shadow baseball playing" He is always pitching imaginary balls, or swinging imaginary bats...it's really cute.

And Gabriel, my baby.....he turned 7 a week and a half ago. Another July baby, born here in CA where it was even hotter, we did have air conditioning and I was still miserable. He is one of those kids who is just happy to be here. Aside from being a super picky eater, I couldn't ask for a more easygoing kid. He seems to have a real grateful nature and is most often the one who shows how much he appreciates even the little things we do for him. He just finished 1st grade and is proving to be quite studious. He wants everything to be perfect, and while reading isn't his favorite, math just lights him up. He is always building something with legos, or tinkertoys. And he has an obsession with paper airplanes. He still sleeps with his blanket which is in 4 pieces, but I don't mind. He is the baby in the family and I definately treat him that way. He has been missing his two front top teeth for months and was just so stinking cute. He also played baseball this year on the same team with Henderson and coached by Troy. We had to get permission form the league to move him up a level but after they saw him play, they agreed he was ready and he had a great season at second base. He and Henderson had a great little shortstop/2nd base cohesiveness that was fun to watch. Next year, the boys will have to be seperated because Henderson must move up to kid pitch and Gabriel isn't ready for that style of baseball yet.

As for me, it is been a great year. Mostly because my family is doing so well. I love seeing everyone thrive and excel and that is really all I need. I am no longer teaching swim lessons. I had a rather significant back injury in March and quit at the swim school to focus on strengthening my back. (I must admit that since school had been out, I have slacked a bit about going to the gym, but will pick it back up in 2 more weeks when they go back.) Slipping on the wet floors was a big concern for me since this injury really scared me and had me flat and on narcotics for almost 10 days. I recently spend a week in Raleigh and Charlotte, the purpose of my trip was twofold. My Dad and his twin sister turned 70 and so I went to Charlotte to celebrate with them. I was so fantastic to see my cousins and their kids that I hadn't seen in 10 years. I also spent some time in Raleigh with my dear friend from High School who has been having some health related issues. It was wonderful just to hang out and offer my support and apparantly having her girls around lifted her spirits, so were gonna do it again in Key West in September. Yay us!!!

As for Winston, he is still neurotic and loves going to the park to chase his ball over and over and over and over. If dogs could be autistic, I think he might be. He needs schedule and any variation from that schedule sends him over the edge. He still runs and hides when the doorbell rings and chews whatever he can find to release the anxiety. Be the kids love him and he's part of the family, so I guess we'll keep him.

Enjoy the pictures that follow...I'll try to caption the ones that need explaining.

Miracle

2010-07-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that after 4 years of asking nightly, Gabriel Louviere has finally hung up his own towel. Still working on his brother.

Boys birthday

2010-07-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Not really sure what I was thinking when I decided to let the boys have a sleepover/campout this past Wednesday for their birthday. We ended up with 13 7,8 and 9 year old boys who were totally jacked up on sugar having what can only be described as a nerf war, whiffle ball extravaganza. We played a movie on a projector in the yard which I though was the best part. Apparantly the boys just wanted to keep shooting each other with Nerf guns. It was a long night. We lost one early to a fat lip and the rest hung in there, some til almost 2am. Those same ones were up at 6.

We did the pinata at 9 am because we ran out of time the night before. So I sent the boys home to their mamas so sugared up that hopefully they crashed and took good naps.

Beach day July 2010

2010-07-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

From last weekend in Oceanside.

Vivan and her good friend Kylie who just wonthe state PTA reflections contest. SHe is a very bright girl.

More fun in the pool

2010-07-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

Our camera is waterproof and a great playtoy for the kids. They pass the time taking underwatre shots of each other.

Sorry Viv got cut off, but I still like the picture of me and the kids.

July 4th

2010-07-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

We spent the fourth of July in Palm Desert this year. We couldn't go far because Henderson had baseball practice for AllStars a few days that week and he and Troy made the hourlong drive so he wouldn't miss any. This is a new Westin Resort and the kids had a blast. Temperatures we hot but tolerable and we celebrated the 4th poolside with a movie on the bg projector and then Palm Desert fireworks off in the distance in the valley. Overall it was a very low key week.

On to New Bern

2010-07-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

Tina is holding a picture of us on that same front porch taken 2 years ago.

The Louviere kids and the Yopp kids......like peas and carotts.

Yep we're in Jacksonville.

Yopp 2010

2010-07-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

In Wilmington we reconnected with some more great friends, the Yopps. Tina and I took the kids out on the Intracoastal Waterway while the guys golfed. It was a beautiful day capped off with our friends the Witzenmans coming over and enjoying the sunset while James made an incredible meal.

Uncle Matty and Troy on the Yopps deck.

Shipwreck Cove

2010-07-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

Although the pool at the resort had been open all week, this waterpark opend on the day before we left. THe kids had a blast. Vivian even had a little girl to play with when Bella Zumbro arrived from Wilmington to spend the day with us. Her dad had business in MB that day so she came with him.

Kids on the beach

2010-07-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

So Sweet.

Toothless cuteness.

Probably hadn't combed his hair in days, and the humidity was making it puffy!

Myrtle Beach

2010-07-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

Nice evening walk on the beach while waiting for our table at the restaurant. It was perfect light for picture taking.

Brookgreen Gardens

2010-07-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

Spring Break this year found us in Myrtle Beach and Wilmington and a short visit to New Bern. I took the kids to this beautiful sculpture garden near PAwleys Island and they loved it. Highly recommend it to anyone in the Myrtle Beach area.

Fountain of the Muses

Magnolia Allee

Youth Taming the Wild, by Anna Huntington

Brookgreen Gardens

2010-07-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

Don Quxiote

Sun Dial

Mom's visit

2010-07-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

Mom came and treated us to a day at Disney. February is such a good time for locals to go. The crowds are so small. We did both parks in one day and there was very little waiting in line. Mom spoils us all when she comes.

One day while the kids were in school I took Mom to the Mission San Juan Capsitrano. We have lived here for 8 years and I had yet to go to any of the missions. This one is close to our house so we took the morning to tour it. I was a beautiful place. The picture below was a great opportunity to get an upclose look at how the structure was built. It was amazing . I also love all the ladies from the red hat society, thats why I took the picture.

A hike on the plateau

2010-07-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

My Mom came for a visit in February and one day we took her up to the Santa Rosa Plateau near our house. The plateau is owned by the nature conservancy and is beautiful natural resource for our community with lots of hiking trails, biking trails and horseback trails.

Gabriel just before he lost the other top tooth

Henderson still the most photogenic.

Vivian and her sweet smile.

Adults night out

2010-07-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

Troy and I went out one evening with Jeanine and Darin Payne and Janet and Ron Mauer to this wine bar I just love in downtown Denver. THese couples were our closest friends in Denver and it was great reconnecting again.

This is our first house. It was so tiny, I cannot imagine living there now with 3 kids and all their stuff. I hated that garage....my Expedition didn't fit, so I had to trudge thru snow with little kids in tow whenever I wanted to go somewhere. This is the house we brought Henderson home to and had the biggest yard ever and where we sat fixed to the TV on Sept 11, had our first garden and a clothesline...ah simpler times.

Denver Zoo Thanksgiving

2010-07-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

For Thanksgiving in 2009,we loaded up the van(dog included) and drove to Denver to spend a few days with some of our very closest friends the Paynes who we have missed terribly since leaving Denver. Vivian spent the day with an old friend and Jeanine and I took the boys to the zoo. The weather was perfect for a relaxing after noon and since we stayed past dark we got a sneak peak at the holiday zoo lights show without paying for it.

Henderson, Gabriel, and 3 of the 4 Payne boys. Everytime we have ever gone to the Denver Zoo, my kids have climbed on the hippo.

Vivian turns 12

2010-07-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

For Vivian's birthday we took the kids to see The Lion King in San Diego. We had dinner in Fashion Valley at PF Changs (her choice) before the play. It was an amazing production and I cant emphasize enough that everyone should see this testament to the power of what the imagination can do to bring Africa alive on a tiny stage. The kids were mesmerized and I caught myself crying a time or two. Cameras were not allowed, therefore no photos.

HAlloween 2009

2010-07-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

Henderson wanted to be the dark knight from the Batman movie. I got so lucky and found the purple velvet jacket at the first thrift store I went in.

We were still washing off facepaint days later. Vivan isnt in any pictures because she spent the night at a friends who lived in a neigborhood with "better candy"

More fall babeball 2009

2010-07-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

Troy got to pick the teams for that season..just had to be semi pro....so of course he went with the Durham bulls.

The brothers. They love playing together and had an even better spring season together. Will be sad to split up next year. Mom will be sad to because that will be twice the practices and games. :~(

Henderson's first time pitching. He loves it and will start pitching for real in the spring 2011.

Fall Baseball 2009

2010-07-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

The fall season is instructional only and the boys are introduced to pitching although those games are only scrimmages and don't count toward their overall record. Troy coached the boys in the fall and spring 2010.

There is me and the boy's PawPaw watching Henderson hit.

Gabriel catching

Carlsbad CA August 2009

2010-07-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

August at the beach is my favorite time to go. The water is finally warm enough for me. The kids start swimming in MAy, but I prefer the warmer east coast water and August/Sept is about as close as its gonna get. THe boys are starting surfing, although Vivian prefers to play in the waves. We discovered this great little Italian place just up the highway from this beach and tradition has become that after a day ont he beach, we head over there for some great pizza and a nice glass of vino.

Summer Vacation 2009

2009-08-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well our summer is almost over, the kids went back to school on Wednesday. Vivian is a 7th grader, Henderson a 3rd grader and Gabriel a 1st grader. We had a great summer and capped off the end of July with a camping trip to Northern Arizona. We camed on the Oak Creek in Page Spring AZ which is about 10 miles south of Sedona. We chose this place because of the proximity to Grand Canyon and Sedona , for day trips we had planned, but the campground itself was so fantastic I could have never left. The kids played in the creek any chance they could. The water was cool, and clean and very safe to play in. The kids did great camping and I was very proud of their "roughing it " attitude. They roasted weiners on the fire for dinner and didn't mind the bugs and skunks. Northern Arizona is NOTHING like the Arizona we think of when we imagine hotness and cacti. It is green and has lots of creeks and water. The temperatures were in the high 80's and very comfortable at night. I really liked it there and would return for a second visit anyday. The next few posts that follow are of our various day trips to Sedona, Slide Rock and The Grand Canyon. Enjoy and leave comments!!!

Camping Pictures continued

2009-08-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Our nightly visitor...never sprayed, but sniffed around the campsite all night every night.

The lovely Vivian

2009-08-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

She''s growing up fast....but still is a very sweet girl who only rarely shows me a glimpse of the pre teen within.

Handsome Henderson

2009-08-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

He is an assortment of photos of Henderson.....even though I think he is the most photogenic of the kids..latley its hard to get him to smile.

Goofy Gabriel

2009-08-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

He is the biggest ham for the camera....I have no idea where he picked up the pose in the last two picture. It remindsme of those Captain Morgans commercials.

A day in Sedona

2009-08-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

We took a full day to hike a few trails in Sedona. It is a really neat little city with lots of opportunities to get outside and be active. It had a very busy main street with shops and restaurants and lots and lots of galleries. But unfortunatley Iwasn't there to shop amd these galleries were FANCY. We had a great day just wandering around and taking in all the beautiful sights. The last picture is of a beautiful neighbor hood with some really interesting custom built houses.

More Sedona

2009-08-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon

2009-08-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

So the whole reason we chose this trip this year was so that we could all go to the Grand CAnyon and I wanted the kids to be old enough to remember. The day we went was a great day to go. The sun was out then behind the clouds and then there would be a thunderstrom and then the sun would come out again. So the colors of the canyon were constantly changing. It was beautiful. We did about a 5 mile hike (roundtrip) above the rim...and I took a lot of these pictures. The rest were from the end of the day when the light was really tricky, but I really love the last one posted here. I think I may order a blow up of it and hope that is is good enought to frame and hang on the wall in the family room

Grand Canyon continues

2009-08-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

More Grand Canyon

2009-08-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Slide Rock State PArk

2009-08-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Just north of Sedona is a gift from nature....Slide Rock is the kids best part of our vacation...in fact we went twice. The creek is the same creek we camped on just on the north side of Sedona. It was so much fun...but a little scary at first until I relaxed and felt the water was in fact deep enough for all that jumping. The water is very cool and refreshing and is in constant motionso it stayed really clear and clean and blue. Troy and I jumped too, but there are no pictures fit for public eyes to see.

Dinner at Medieval Times

2009-08-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here's Troy and the boys at the King's table. They were so much fun to watch cheering for our red and yellow night. On the menu.....tomato soup, roasted chicken ( it was really good), BBQ ribs, potato wedges and dessert. All eaten with our fingers and seved on pewter plates just like in the days of the knights of the round table. The horses were beautiful and there was access to their stables so that we could see them up close.

Boys Birthdays

2009-08-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

This year for the boys birthdays, Troy and I treated just them(no sissy) to a full day at a waterpark in the area and then to dinner at Midevil Times in Buena Park. It was an awesome day and they still talk about the jousting tournament that our Red and Yellow Knight fought in. Too bad he lost. So Gabriel is now 6 and Henderson 8. They are 1st and 3rd graders...sheesh where has the time gone? Just today I can across some old pictures of all the kids as babies....made me wish I had paid closer attention to their cuteness.
The lazy river was a big hit with both of them...they went round and round and round....

Busy Summer

2009-08-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

Those eyes just kill me!!!!

Gabriel showing of his missing teeth....I think he looks a lot like Vivian in the bottom picture.

Getting caught up.....

2009-06-13T20:40:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last posting....I have gotten sucked in to the Facebook world and it has been the way I keep in touch with a lot of friends around the country. If any of you readers are not on Facebook, I encourage you to join and to friend me....that way you can know what we are up to on a daily basis....not that it is all that fabulous but it is a fun way to stay connected.

To get everyone up to speed.....it has been another super busy spring....both boys playing baseball again but on different teams. Troy became an unofficial coach of Henderson's team and he enjoyed it so much he decided that he will coach the boys together int he fall. GAbriel is playing much more advanced then most boys his age and the league will allow him to move up into Henderson's division...so it will be so much easier to have them both on the same team. Vivian is continuing to do well with her swimming...she has a new coach who has reenergized her love of swimming and she has set some personal goals to qualify for the Junior Olympics next spring. If she works hard enough and stays focused I think she should be able to do it. Academically they are all doing great. Vivian finished 6th grade with all A's and has loved her pre algebra teacher so much she is very sad that she will not have her next year for 7th grade Algebra. She also had the most spectacular drama teacher this year who she thought was so awesome, she did a lot of creative writing for him this year which is not something she has ever done willingly , so I was glad to see that spark in her ignited. Unfortunalely he has taken a job at the new High School opening this fall and the school has decided not to hire a new drama teacher in a cost cutting move....which is really sad becuase so many children benefitted fromt he drama department at the middle school. Henderson had a great 2nd grade and finished well above grade level . He won an award for having the most AR points in his class for reading. He is a natural leader and the teacher told me recently that he is a great mediator of other children when there is conflict. Gabriel too had a great year, and is already reading so well...it is amazing. He is the most serious about school and hates it whenever he gets something wrong. I think he is too hard on himself, but maybe this internal drive to always do well will set him up nicely for great academic success in the future.
As for Troy, he is still working for Varian and this year has seen a drastic dropoff in comissions due to the economy. We have had to shuffle the budget a little and the spontanous Target purchases are a thing of the past, along with fast food and dining out on busy nights.. His boss assures everyone that no one's job is in jeopardy and for that we are very gratefull. He is training for the America's Finest City half Marathon in San Diego this summer and his training schedule has him at the gym or plateau for long runs most days. He is travelling a lot less these days and has used the extra time at home to coach the boys baseball and to get in a little extra surfing and golf. Although Fathers Day is not yet here he already purchased himself a fancy new driver that he say is making a huge difference in his golf swing. HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!!
And for me...I am still working at the swim school 2 days a week and will probably add one more day once the kids are bcak in school. I have been lucky enough lately to have 2 girls weekends to Palm Springs....one with my girlfriends from NC and another with my friends here that I am in a bookclub with. One of the girls parents have a second home in Palm Springs and they were so nice to let us use it for a long weekend of book talk and Bloody Mary's. My Mother's Day gift this year was a garden that Troy build on the side of our house. He had to dig out a portion of the slope on the side of the house and then he built 3 -14 foot long boxes that he filled with good dirt so I could plant some veggies for us to enjoy this summer. So far just a few peppers, but the cukes, squash and tomatoes are about to become fruitful too.
Winston is doing well too. He is still very wary of strangers and whenever someone is in the house that he does not know, he hides in his kennel and chews things, mostly legos and tinkertoys, but we have lost a few shoes and stuffed animals to his neurosis too. He loves the kids and would rather play with them in the yard than lay around and sleep. His happiest time however is when he gets to go to the dog park where he runs and runs until he is worn out. Troy knows he is tired once his tounge hangs out the side of his mouth.
So I write this now on our first weekend since the kids got out of school and as I look ahead at the next 8 weeks I forsee a lot of beach days in our future. California may be falling apart financially but it will always have it's coast which is where we prefer to spend most of our time. At the end of July we will load up the kids and the dog and head out to Arizona for some camping in Sedona and the Grand Canyon, then a quick stop to visit frinds in Phoenix and then on to Tuscon for a few more days af R and R before heading back in time for school to start again mid August. I will do my best to keep the blog current and I look forward to any comments you gusy may send our way.

Gabriel Kindergarten promotion

2009-06-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Gabriel has finished kindergarten and he had a spectacular year. He is more than ready for first grade. Henderson also had a great year and will be a third grader when school starts in August., and Vivian will be a 7th grader...GASP!!!! That is the toughest one for me to wrap my brain around......she had a great year, made principals list both semesters and was chosed to be in the Peer Assistance Leadership group next year at her middle school. I am very proud of all the kids and they are proud of themselves too.

Memorial Day weekend

2009-06-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful weekend and we headed to Ponto Jetty in Carlsbad Ca on Memorial Monday. Water was still a little chilly, but the kiddos had a blast and I was able to catch up on some reading.

Henderson is now missing 4 teeth. Won't be a corn on the cob summer for him or Gabriel who has lost his bottom two.

Girls weekend in Palm Springs

2009-06-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

Georgie, Jennifer and Angel came for a visit in April and we took a weekend trip to PAlm Springs. The weather was perfect and the pool refreshing. It was a very nice break and I am so glad these gals are my friends.

Palms to Pines hiway from Palm Springs over the mountains and back down toward San Diego.

Children's beach in La Jolla which has been overrun by seals.

One last meal of fish tacos before the girls caught the red eye back to NC.

Back to Sea World

2009-06-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

One advantage of living here is that when you visit Sea World in the Spring , you are able to come back all year for free. So back we went on spring break, and it was the first time I had ever seem the Polar bears actually awake and swimming. We probably stayed there and watched them play and catch fish for half an hour. The shot above was so cool because he swam right past the glass as I was snapping the photo.

Here are me and the kids as we sat in the stands and waited for the seal and sea lion show. Notice the lack of teeth in Henderson's mouth....

Sunset Cliffs

2009-06-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

We made it to Sunset Cliffs just in time to get the last bit of sun as it was going down.

Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma is one of my favorite spots in San Diego. I hope the people blessed with this beautiful view take the time to really appreciate it.

Whale Watching at Point Loma

2009-06-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

Mom came in March and we took the kids whale watching out of San Diego harbor.

I always make Henderson look into the sun so I can get a shot of his beautiful green eyes.

We saw a superpod of dolphins (well over 250 of them) playing around all the boats. The naturalist guides from Scripts Ocean Instutite who led the trip said it was a very rare treat to see this many dolphins together.

Two juvenile California grey whales just about a mile offshore. It was good for us because we didn't have to travel a long distance to see them.

More Seaworld

2009-06-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

This dolphin seemed to zero in on Scott who was on the other side of the cove by himself, so he blew off all the other people who wanted him to swim by them and he hung out with Scott.

Troy, Scott, Henderson and Gabriel in the back two rows, Vivian and Parker inthe front.

Poppy Sam comes for a visit

2009-06-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

In February Dad came for a visit and the timing was perfect because Sammie and Scott and the kids were on their way to California as well , one of their many stops in their cross country travels. We took everyone to Sea World for the day and what a beautiful day it was.

We had great seats for the Shamu show.

He are Poppy Sam, Sam and Sammy in front of Sammy the Clydesdales stall. And Dad and Parker at the dolphin cove.
Although most of the week was cold and rainy while they were here we managed to spend some good times together before Scott and Sammie and the kids took off ontheir adventure.
s

Quick Recap

2009-06-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

So, I have been a little sidetracked lately...thanks to the internet phenom known as Facebook and I have let the postings fall by the wayside. Troy was giving me grief a bit about it, so I will try to catch up.

Here is Gabriel in his Christmas pageant as a reindeer.

Here is Winston in an E collar because af a little obsession he developed with his boy parts.
Vivian got Honor Roll for her first semester as a 6th grader

And the last picture is of Troy, Uncle Scott, Henderson and Gabriel on the Atlantis ride at Sea World.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

Had to get some photos for the Christmas card...and here are a few of what we got.

Box Boys

2008-12-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

The boys disappeared for over an hour one day and this is where their imagination took them. They scared the dog half to death when they walked out of their room.

a new JibJab Sendable

2008-12-15T20:28:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Mission Bay Tri

2008-12-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

This is Vivian and her swim buddy Eric before she started the Mission Bay Triathalon. She finished this year in 1 hour 32 minutes. We bought her a better bike this year and it made all the difference. Once again , she was the youngest competitor and she finished 8th in the 15 and under age group.

Little Slugger

2008-12-06T19:44:00.000-08:00

This was Gabriels first year playing base ball. He did great. HE hits really well and loved playing first base. Troy helped out a lot with the team and it was nice to see how well they all progressed from the begining of the season to the end.

US Womens Triathalon Series

2008-12-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

This was a supersprint that she did in October. She finished third in the 14 and under age group and 82 overall.

Back to Crazy

2008-09-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Yep, we are playing base ball for the fall season. NOt just Henderson either, both boys ,on different teams. This is Henderson's team, the coach is the woman and she is amazing. She really teaches the kids the game, not just hitting, catching etc. She talks to them about always thinking about what they are going to do if they get the ball. I am so glad he was drafted to her team.
Gabriel is playing too, I will post some pictures of him once I recharge my camera battery. He is a little slugger. He knocks the snot out of the ball. His coach has been very happing with is hitting and his hustling to the bases.
So life is again crazy for me. Troy was out of town last week, and I had 3 kids to get to 3 different practice/games/play practices. Plus manage homework/projects/swim team board meeting/working 2 days/ minimun days on Tuesday and Wednesday/dentist appointments/ car wash fundraiser blah blah blah....Here it is Sunday, and I shoudl be catching up on house work. I don't know how single Moms do it week after week. I was exhausted . I am so very lucky that Troy and I have worked out a life for ourselves that don't normally look like that. Ususally we divide and conquer and at least I get to prepare a meal for the family in the evenings. LAst week, it was Chick fil A, Subway, microwaved nuggets, mac and cheese and other varieties of crap.

Palm Springs Airial Tram

2008-09-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

In Palm Springs there is a high speed tram that takes you from the desert to an elevation of 10,000 feet in a matter of minutes. It was 100 plus degrees when we left and was in the 60's when we arrived at the top. The floor of the tram slowly spun so that everyonr would have the chance to look in everydirection as we made our way to the top. Once up there we took a short hike for about an hour, took some great photos and then zoomed back down for my brithday dinner at this Hawaiian restaurant.

Palm Springs Wekend

2008-09-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

Over the Labor Day weekend we took the kids to the Marriott Shadow Ridge resort in Palm Desert. The heat was pretty intense and so we spent most of our time by the pool. It was a huge infinity pool with a waterslide and a kids club for the kids. The room was a villa with a kitchen and seperate living area, so it was very nice to be able to spread out and not have to go out to eat for every meal.

That weekend also happened to be my birthday and on Sunday I went alone to Paseo Blvd for a little shopping. You may not be able to tell from the pics, but since May I have lost about 30 lbs and my clothes were getting too baggy. I was on Nutrisystem from May til July and now am continuing on my own by eating smart, no crap, very small portions of meat, and no bread products with less than 5 grams of fiber. I feel great.
Troy managed to get a round of golf in at the resort course. Normally in the winter months the greens fees are 145.00, but during the heat they drop to 35.00. So he braved the heat,for the opportunity to play a Nick Faldo designed course.

Very Long Weekend

2008-08-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

Vivian and Henderson had a swim meet this weekend. It was a championship meet that lasted all day both days and the temperature was well above 100 degrees. They both did great....Vivian got a Junior Olympic time in her 50 meter freestyle. This is a huge deal except for the fact that she will be 11 before the next Junior Olympics in the spring and then she will be in a different age group. If she had posted this time in the spring, she would have recieved an invite for the summer Olympics that were just held last month in Long BEach. We are still very proud of her and she now has a goal for next summer. All in all she won 8 medals and a few ribbons. Henderson did great too considering this was his first long course meet. He got a first and third place ribbon in the only events he swam. Way to go kids!!!!

First Day

2008-08-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

Here they go, of to school. Gabriel to kindergarten and Henderson to 2nd grade. I almost started to cry but I don't know if they were tears of joy or sadness. I am glad that I am working on Mondays and Wednesday mornings because I think 5 days alone at home would be boring. Henderson's teacher is a friend of mine, I know he will have a fabulous year.

Gabriels teacher is Mr. Youngdale. He is loving having a man teacher. I though he would respond well to a man, so I requested him. Gabriel will not kiss me goodbye on the playground before school. He says he is a big boy. It kinda makes me sad.

Not Funny

2008-08-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

While we were in Nebraska our good friend and practical jokester Chris Jourdan filled my fridge with coke. He did this because he knows how much I hate havingsoda in the house because the kids go into this weird obsession and hound me for soda. Plus it makes people fat. So when we arrived, there was coke everywhere. We found them under our pillows, in drawers inthe bathtub, in the cabinets. I couldn't go to the grocery store until the cokes were gone, and fortunately the food pantry in our area was holding a huge food drive. I called them and they said they would be glad to have it , so off it went to the shelves of the pantry. That bag in the fridge, on the botton shelf is 2 dozen ears of corn I brought back from Nebraska. I threw coke away to make room for it.

Ponca Nebraska

2008-08-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Finally I am posting pictures from our trip to Nebraska. It has taken me this long because I forgot my camera and Jeanine did too. Finally she found her Mom's and so the pictures that follow are from our last few days of the trip. It was an amazing time for my city kids. They could run and play outside for acres and acres without worries about traffic, perverts, snakes, bugs or anything else that could harm them. We all had a lot of firsts. The kids got frogs and participated in a frog jumping contest right inthe middle of town. Vivians frog won for her age group. Her prize was a coupon to the local soda shop for a malt, or milkshake. This was not like going to Coldstone, this was a pharmacy with soda shop in the back, just like in the days of old. I remember going to one in New Bern when I was little with my mom, but it closed many years ago. Each night when they were so dirty from the day they bathed in an old cast iron claw footed tub, no showers. The dirt ring aroung the tub was unbelievable. We ate corn pick that day that was the sweetest best tasting corn I had ever tasted. Each kid ate at least 3 ears each. Troy took the kids exploring on the back p[art of the farm. They discovered a series of beaver dams that went farther and farther down the creek to control the water flow. They could see all the gnawed trees the beavers had left behind. Troy said it was quite impressive. GAbriel got bucked off a horse and was made to get right back on. Jeanine's uncle ownes two huge Belgian draft horses that he hitched up and took us all for a ride throught the rolling cornfields of Nebraska jsut at sunset. It was beautiful. Pictures of that will post as soon as they are forwarded to me. All in all it was an amazing trip. I just wish I had not forgotten my camera.

The Farm

2008-08-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here is Larry and Donna's beautiful pond where we spend many hours relaxing and watching the kids while they played outside. Vivian is holding the kitten that was part of a litter of 4 when we arrived but on the first day 3 of them ran off never to be seen again. It was very sad. Their farm was 300 or so acres and the kids spent a lot of time on the Kabota or driving the tractors all over the place. That is Gabriel with Larry and Adam on it in the picture.

Not a mean spirit

2008-08-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

Spirit the horse bucked Gabriel off almost as soon as he got on. He probably knew Gabriel had been being mean to the kitten earlier and was getting even. Jeanine told him he HAD to get back on. He did, but with Mom"s help. It was a great mataphor for life.

The Mulberry Tree

2008-08-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

On LArry and Donna's property out in the middle of a cow pasture was a mulberry tree full of berries. We all climber on top of the Kabota and ate mulberries until the kids were purple. This was one of those experiences that my "city" kids will remember forever. This is Jeanine's boy's Jacob and Micheal who went back and did it again so I could have pictures. Thanks guys.

Last Day

2008-08-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Henderson and Vivian took an archery class at Ponca State Park on our last day there. They loved it and hit the target a few times.

Vivian's Back

2008-07-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

Miss Vivian has had quite the summer. Last Monday I put her on an airplane bound for Denver CO all by herself. She went to visit her buddy Natalie, and they had so much fun. She would only call me when I called Natalie"s Mom and told her to have Vivian call me. She is so proud of herself although she said she was really nervous on the plane because she was worried if some "weirdo" would be sitting next to her and try to talk to her. She landed safely Friday evening. WELCOME HOME VIV!!!!

Cute movie

2008-07-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

We took the boys to see Wall E the other day and I must say, Disney really had a lot to say about the direction this world is going in. They took a shot at overconsumption, fat lazy people and had a social commentary about how cell phones, texting etc has gotten in the way of the human connection. Despite the preachiness, which we probably all need a little reminder to treat this Earth, ourselves and each other better, it was a cute story.,

We got a Wii

2008-07-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

It is not just for kids. Troy played golf until the Wii hours of the morning.....I cannot move my right shoulder from all the tennis.

Emerald Isle NC

2008-07-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Nice Arial photo of the Island.

Beach House

2008-07-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

This was our beach house....perfect for all of us. Seperate apartment downstairs for Mom and John, outdoor showers to keep the sand out of the house, and very short walk to the beach.

These were the houses across the street.....A little bit much I think. Vivian is already pushing for one of those houses next year,

Bumper Boats

2008-07-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

The kids and Dad had a blast on the bumper boats. When I was little we would hound my parents to no end to take us to the waterslide and bumperboats. I am now on the backside of that and all I can say is, "Mom and Dad, I am sorry I hounded you to no end to tkae us to the waterslide and bumperboats."

Rash

2008-07-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

Gabriel didn't have a rash guard and because of all the shells in the water, he got a really bad rash on his tummy from all the boogieboarding. He was screaming so loud (notice the lady in the background looking at us). Troy put some zinc oxide on his belly and we did the "Wilson" face like from the movie "Cast Away". And the we ran out to the surf shop and bough a rash guard. That is my hot sister ointhe background :)

The Bros

2008-07-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hammocks Beach

2008-07-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is a shot of the semi private island we spend a day at. After a short ferry ride and a 10 minute hike to the beach , we shared this small island with about 50 other people. This island was donated to the NC association of black educators during segregation and it was designated the "Colored Beach". It is now a state park.

Vacation

2008-07-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here we are on Hammocks Beach State Park, which is an undeveloped island that we had to take a short ferry ride to get to. There were only about 50 other people on the beach it was very nice and the water was spectacular. And here's a question ....How many times do my boys have to hear me say DO NOT THROW MUD.....before they get that I didn't just mean right this second BUT FOREVER!!!!!!

Soaking up the sun.

The creature from THE DEEP.

Salt Marshes and Humdity

2008-06-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

We are off again. This time to Emerald Isle NC for a week at the beach. I will post pictures once we are back.

Palm Springs Hot

2008-06-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

114 degrees all 4 days we were there.
This waterslide is what we did all day every day. Thank God for it. The kids were wiped out, slept like babies in the cool air conditioned room. Then they woke up and did it all over again. Troy did manage a round of golf in the heat on Fathers Day, he's such a stud...:)

The Graduate

2008-06-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Miss Viv finished 5th grade this week. This is the promotion ceremony that she had a school yesterday. THe woman in the dress will be her guidance counselor next year at the middle school and she came to hand out their certificates.

Part of the weeklong celebration for the 5th graders was a luau on Tuesday. The company that set it up put together several Polynesian villages that the kids went to to learn about various customs and traditions. This guy was Samoan and he showed the kids how to crack a coconut and shave the meat out. He also talked about the importance of women in the Samoan society and how they are to always be treated with the utmost respect. Check out his tattoos, they go from his waist to his knees. THey were pretty intricate. The kids were curious if they covered everything in that region but no one asked him.. I was curious too . They also learned to hula. Vivian is not in this picture, but that is her principal in the back. After the villages, they had a luau lunch with terriyaki chicken and then a hula and firedancers show. It was a wonderful day for the kids, she is graduating with a good group who were all very kind and respectful to each other and the visitors.

The Other Graduate

2008-06-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

Gabriel graduated from pre school yesterday. His teacher said a littl ebit about each kid before she gave them their certificate. She said Gabriel was a boys boy and was very popular with the girls and that he was her most athletic student. She was very sweet. As always she had the event catered, had a jumper and a face painter for the kids and she opened up her pool for everyone to enjoy. It was a great day . Made even more special because I am free from preschool tuition forever. How should I spend it????
Here he is with his best bud Bradon. They will be attending the same school for kindergarten next year. And lets hear it for the face paint. Kids just love it, moms find it all over everything. My white couch has hints of red in it now. Thank heavens for slipcivers.

Dog Days

2008-06-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

Winston came too, and he had his buddy Reagan to play with. They discovered the grease drippings in the fire pits and became obsessed with them. By the end of the weekend they had bad poops and they were filthy.

Winston also now has warts in his mouth. Apparantly it is very common in young dogs whose immune systems are still maturing. They are disgusting, but the Dr. says, no worries, they will go away on their own in a month or two, and then he will be immune. She says they are not contagious, but coincidently, Gabriel just got 2 warts on his hand.

Kids on the beach

2008-06-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

Gabriel could have flown this kite all day every day
Henderson had the most fun, digging ramps in the sand and the riding over them with his bike.
A Viv and Mom moment.

Memorial Day Camping

2008-06-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

This was our Home Sweet Home for the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the greatest, but we still had a lot of fun. Every night I fell asleep listening to the ocean, and some nights I fell asleep listening to the ocean and the rain.

These gravity chairs were perfect for just kicking back and relaxing. We quite enjoyed ourselves.

This is Dawn, Missy and myself bundled up, but enjoying the view.

Getting caught up

2008-05-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

Vivian and I were goofing off at the Wild Aminal Park and we snapped this picture. Then I realized it had been a while since I had posted a picture of me on the website. so here one is. If you can't tell, I cut off most of my hair and added bangs. As I was sitting in the stylist chair I noticed that when I furrowed my brow and then ralaxed it, the lines stayed. So if figured short of Botox it might make me look younger if I covered them up with bangs. So far they are not driving me nuts, but the stylist gave me some awesome product. to keep them out of my face or sswept to the side.

Enough about my hair. Let me tell you about my job. I am loving it. I thought I would love the babies classes, but actually they are kind of boring, what I really enjoy is the older kids and I even have an adult who is 39 and is learning to swim for the first time. Every time she had to put her face in the water and float, she atarts to shake, so slowly we are working thru her anxieties. She is applying for a job as a flight attentant, and she has to be able to demonstrate that in the event of a water landing, she could safely get out of the plane and swim to a life raft. I am truly enjoying the challange and hope to have more adult classes soon.

We are spending Memorial Day Weekend at Camp Del MAr, right on the beach on Camp Pendelton. Our Friends, the Miltons got an ocean front site and invited us to come along. Looking forward to a relaxing time, but the weather is not looking to great. Today we had a huge thunderstorm come thru while I was in SAMS Club. I had parked next to a drain, and when I came out, I had to wade thru 8 inches of water to get to my car. Then I had to stand in it while I loaded up my car. UGH!!!!!! It was so cold and dirty. At our house Troy and Gabriel collected the hail that was falling in a cup and they kept it in the freezer for me to see when I got home. Weird weird weather. Just a few minutes ago there was a tornado about 15 miles up the road in Lake Elsinore.

Last night I began my training for the PTSA at the middle school where Vivian will be next year. The middle school is very strict about who has access to the campus during school hours but as a PTSA board member I will be issued an ID badge and have access to campus at msot time. That way I can be ther to embarrass Vivian whenever she sees me. The board position by the way is Financial Secretary, really all that is is that I have to go to the bank twice a week and make any deposits that need to be made into the PTSA account.

Troy and I have started Nutrisystem because we both have no portion control and the summer is coming and we wnated to drop about 20 lbs before it really gets here. So far so good. The first three days we were starving all the time, but now we ssem to have adjusted to the portions and we are averaging about a pound a day weight loss. It seems to keep us on track because we spent a fair amount on the food, which is actually pretty good.

Thats about all that shappening on our end. I will post pictures from the weekend sometime next week.
Have a glorious weekend with those you love,
LA

Vivian's Bronze Award Ceremony

2008-05-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Viv received her Bronze Award for Girl Scout this weekend. Here is a picture of her as she lights the candle to celebrate her acheivement.

This is her whole troop.

Here are the girls celebrating the bridging ceremony at the organ Pavilion in Balboa Park in San Diego.

This is the girls just before they walked across the bridge in Balboa Park as a part of the bridging Ceremony. Vivian won't be participating in the Girl Scouts after this year, because the work for the Cadettes to earn their Silver and Gold award is extensive and we worry that she won't have the time to really give it the attention it will deserve.

It's 5 oclock somewhere

Cancun Christmas trip

Chichen Itza

Cenote

Beach Day

Xcaret River float

Xcaaret playtime

Xcaret

Xcaret show

Happy Holidays.....

Class Trip October 2010

November 11th, 2010.....There's a teenager in the house....

Twice in 2 months

Big Bear

Sea lions and Chocolate Tortes

La Jolla Kayaking

Back to School

Whats been goin' on?

Way past time for an update.....

Miracle

Boys birthday

Beach day July 2010

More fun in the pool

July 4th

On to New Bern

Yopp 2010

Shipwreck Cove

Kids on the beach

Myrtle Beach

Brookgreen Gardens

Brookgreen Gardens

Mom's visit

A hike on the plateau

Adults night out

Denver Zoo Thanksgiving

Vivian turns 12

HAlloween 2009

More fall babeball 2009

Fall Baseball 2009

Carlsbad CA August 2009

Summer Vacation 2009

Camping Pictures continued

The lovely Vivian

Handsome Henderson

Goofy Gabriel

A day in Sedona

More Sedona

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon continues

More Grand Canyon

Slide Rock State PArk

More Slide Rock

Dinner at Medieval Times

Boys Birthdays

Busy Summer

Getting caught up.....

Gabriel Kindergarten promotion

Memorial Day weekend

Girls weekend in Palm Springs

Back to Sea World

Sunset Cliffs

Whale Watching at Point Loma

More Seaworld

Poppy Sam comes for a visit

Quick Recap

Happy Holidays

Box Boys

a new JibJab Sendable

Mission Bay Tri

Little Slugger

US Womens Triathalon Series

Back to Crazy

Palm Springs Airial Tram

Palm Springs Wekend

Very Long Weekend

First Day

Not Funny

Ponca Nebraska

The Farm

Not a mean spirit