Shauna

Another Lately

2012-01-29T21:30:00.001-08:00

Said good-bye to friends.

Went to the beach on a lovely January day.
Ended up being too windy so we relocated to the pool.

And sadly for me, they actually prefer the pool.

Will read for Wii.

Will "read" because her brothers do.

Ate sushi for the first time (other than a couple California rolls). Loved it.
Then shared a FIVE LB. plate of food from Hash House A Go Go the next morning.

So fun seeing Sarah again after 2 1/2 years.

Awarded

2012-01-22T16:11:00.001-08:00

One of us is more excited about scouting than the other.

But really, I'm proud of my little Bobcat.

Also proud of my little good citizen.

Injured

2012-01-16T16:52:00.001-08:00

I promise I'm not going to do 16 posts this baseball season.
Or take pictures of every single injury.
But it was quite the bummer when after a long afternoon at Owen's baseball assessment, that he got smacked right in the knuckle on his very last pitch of the day.
One trip to urgent care later, we were happy there were no broken bones.
Just one big fat knuckle.
Hopefully it can heal before practice starts.

NC Friends

2012-01-16T16:35:00.001-08:00

Had a little reunion with some friends from NC who are now out here.

Last time we saw them:

Alex & Owen looked like that.

Drew looked like this.

And then Hailey (with Owen) was yay small:

Since we moved away Noah and Lindsay were born.

The military world is a small one!

Lodging

2012-01-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

This looks promising for future visitors.

Also found while exploring The Village today:

Center of Attention

2012-01-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

Days of the Week

2012-01-09T21:04:00.000-08:00

Monday was put away Christmas and gut the garage day.

So I felt justified in playing the rest of the week (kids had no school).

Each of us got a day.

Tuesday/Drew: Skate Park and Pool.

Yes, pool.

It was 70+ degrees and the pool was slightly heated.

Wednesday/Sally: Disneyland

Thursday/Owen: Dollar Store and Park.

Sally benefited most from the dollar store trip being the only one with Christmas $ left.

She went to town in the party section.

She was excited to set the table just so with her party goods for dinner.

And Owen couldn't wait to, "dig down" on this dinner he's been asking for

since I made it last in Monterey.

Martha Stewart's Angel Hair Pasta with Bacon & Peas
Pretend it looks appetizing.

(I can never find fresh angel hair pasta so just use dried.

And I double all ingredients except the pasta.)

Then she requested to wrap everything.

Those are wrapped napkins, cups, paper plates, and $1 Strawberry Shortcake dolls.

Friday/Me: Disneyland and Danna

My pass expired Sunday so I had to get one more quick trip in.

We just went for the morning and it was awesome.

Why is that place so addicting, crowds and all?

I love that Sally is officially 40" so we can all do everything.

She is obsessed with Big Thunder Mountain.

Saturday was back to stuff around the house.

Then Sunday we celebrated not having late church and a new Sunbeam

Sometimes I Take Pictures for People

2012-01-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

Friends I met here

Friends I met in Monterey

Brett & Yamina (bro-in-law & almost sis-in-law)

I have no desire for this to be a business,

but taking pictures of other people is fun every now and then.

In Other AZ News

2012-01-05T21:02:00.001-08:00

My twin nephews, John (in white) and Joseph (in blue) came to visit.
Oh and their parents and a sister did, too.
Tami, are you impressed I know whose who?

Rachel got her wisdom teeth out and this is the best her cheeks could do:

Mine were twice that size.

We discovered Sally loves to be a helper.

For instance, taking down decorations.

And also, decorating her cousin.

And then there's book smarts over here.

This kid is reading awesome.
He's an awesome student in general.
But I'm not ready to think about school yet.
Busy enjoying these last days before it starts back up.

NYE

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Signed the boys up for baseball that day, so had to take them to the batting cages.

Drew tried the machine, but was happier with the T.

Owen did way good for that being his first time.

Really hoping this is his thing.

And then there's Sally and her stance.

Afterwards, Ma treated us to some ice cream.

The nightly celebration consisted of a visit to Nate & Bethany,

then tree burning, fireworks, and gingerbread explosions at Aunt Darla's.

Happy New Year!

Snow Day

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Wasn't so into snow clothes. Or matching.

Not ideal snow angel material.

The birthday girl! (sister Rachel)

This was how she wanted to spend her day...in the snow with family.

Better for eating than snow angel-ing.

Love Mom in capris+boots. It was warm!

Gwen's puffy ensemble is my favorite.

Someone didn't get the, "look tough" memo.

Someone also thought that helping build the half-igloo for 5 minutes entitled her to be in the picture.

Denise (aunt) and her authentic 80's snow boots.

Enjoying Denise's Christmas present.

And another Alan-here (my dad) contraption: a bike ski.

From another angle:

The Christmas Spirit Award

2012-01-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

Drew wins the Christmas Spirit Award.

(and yes, his voice is higher than Sally's)

The rest of our day:

Presents/Breakfast/Church with my family.

Dinner/Games with Justin's family.

(what I should've got her...she loved Payten's camera)

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

Dad won best gingerbread house.

I was proud of my home-made gingerbread.

But will probably never do that again.

Pretty sure the shepherds did not yell at Mary.

An extra tall Joseph.

Also pretty sure shepherds didn't hit pinatas.

Always love the Martindale Christmas Eve Mexican Potluck Nativity Pinata Party.

Holiday Baking

2011-12-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

If anyone is looking for some

saltcurrycreamoftartarcinnamonbayleaf-

m&msugarrosemarybasil-

thymenutmegchilipowderpaprika-

clovetacoseasoninggarlic-

moresaltgingerallspice cookies...

aka, "super duper spicy cookies"

Sally can help you out.

Merry Christmas from her!

Lately

2011-12-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

They found closet bunk beds.

She painted my toes while I was blow drying my hair for church.

I made sure to wear peep-toe shoes to show off her awesome job.

This caramel apple dip is so addicting.

I've made it like 4 times since having it @ Errin's (thanks to her mom).

Directions:

Bottom layer: 8 oz cream cheese + 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar

Middle layer: caramel dip (the kind you get in the produce section)...I use about 8 oz

Top layer: a large Symphony bar crushed up (pictured is with choc covered pretzels, but Symphonies are better...the kind with toffee bits).

Serve with sliced granny smith apples.

I'm a young women leader for the first time since being a young woman.

6 months later I'm starting to get the hang of it.

(primary has been my life and my comfort zone)

We babysat Ellis.

She got a little fussy, but nothing some Justin Bieber Christmas videos couldn't fix.

A First

2011-12-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

Only took us 11 years of being married to hang Christmas lights on our house.

In other decorating news, this guy makes me happy every year I put him up.

Our friends gave it to us in memory of this camping trip.

It was the best time I've ever had camping.

My tree is still mostly stars, though.

One of my favorites:

Got it in Park City when we visited Nate & Bethany there maybe 9 years ago?

Peach & Plum

2011-12-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Peach & Plum is a new Etsy shop that my friend Danna just started.

Cute little girl wrap bracelets.

And cute models.

Coronado

2011-12-04T22:03:00.000-08:00

The Place to Ourselves

2011-12-04T22:01:00.000-08:00

My Legoland passes have been expired for awhile, but Errin had some free ones she shared.

That place is so much more enjoyable when it's dead

(pretty much any school day afternoon in the fall/winter).

The kids stayed on this ride probably 10 times in a row.

Is that really the sun and the moon both in the background?

It was a good day (I mean 1 1/2 hours) at Legoland, but Disneyland is hands down better.

A Cyclops

2011-12-04T21:57:00.000-08:00

Drew pulled me over to his side of the table the other day to see the, "one-eyed cyclops" his cereal spillage had formed.
I liked it.
Then we talked about how "one-eyed" and "cyclops" mean the same thing.

Also, Drew calls people humans.
Like when we were walking to school during red ribbon week and he said, "Everything has red ribbons on it! Except not the humans."
Or like the cover of his home-made book, A Story About a Rabbit and a Human.

How We Got a Christmas Tree

2011-12-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

No mountainous adventures or overpriced cute tree farms.

We just went to Costco and bought one.

And some pizza while we were at it.

Another Recap

2011-11-28T21:52:00.001-08:00

My mom has patience for days.
She involved kids in everything from bread making to pie making
to candy turkey making, penny collections, and endless games.

A baptist church by Karen's house has a roller skating rink.
It came complete with a disco ball, lights, and Kidz Bop.

Sally was the only one of my kids that enjoyed the skating.

Or, just wearing the skates.

THANKSGIVING

Turkey Bowl Participants:

Spectators:

Back at the house...

I think it was his best one ever.

Rachel was inspired by Pinterest to do a life-size Angry Birds game.

Also seen that day:

Saturday, we were all just sitting around and next thing we know, Dad rigged a zipline.
The mini version:

And the super sized one:

We ended our lovely week with another sand dunes pit-stop on the way home.

Also:

Twilight with Justin. Yes, Justin.
A random fire in my parents' freezer. No damage done.
Long wait for Black Friday shopping (Justin). Got what he wanted (which really wasn't a lot, but he loves the excitement).
Got my hair done.
Went to Jump Street.
Firehouse Subs (my first time...yum) and games with Nate, Bethany & Gavin.
Breakfast at Crackers with friends.
Cousin Kristen's wedding reception.

Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner

2011-11-22T18:58:00.001-08:00

A giant, head-sized turkey leg from Disneyland.

We spent a day there before coming here to AZ for the rest of the week.

Other than a sick husband, it's been lovely.

I'm grateful we are only 6 hours away and able to come whenever our little hearts desire.

Anniversary

2011-11-12T23:02:00.000-08:00

Danna & Craig met us at the Newport Beach Temple.

Then Justin & I ate at:
(favorite thing is the shrimp & spinach enchilada).

We visited The Shops at Mission Viejo.
Loved Restoration Hardware's stocking stuffers and lots of stuff in Zara.

And after our fun day, we came home and watched Hulu as loud as we wanted.
We could because Brent & Errin kept the kids overnight.
And because we're crazy.

We celebrated our anniversary a day late because the Marine Corps decided
to give Justin duty on the actual day...which he found out about just the day before.

Our original plan had been a kid-free day at Disneyland.
Plan B was great, though.

Happy 11 years to us!

Post Edit: Errin sent me pictures of this delicacy the kids enjoyed @ their house.

The Trophy

2011-11-07T22:52:00.001-08:00

He has looked forward to getting that thing since day 1.

A couple players are missing, but here are most of The Stingers.

(Justin was the unofficial asst coach...the original one quit after the first practice)

The Fort

2011-11-07T22:30:00.001-08:00

Owen & Drew were at a friend's house, so Jones & Sally got some rare peace and quiet.
They played awesome for like 3 hours straight.
I like that Jones is not afraid to read Sally's girly books.
The kids were all happy he got to sleep over while Brent & Errin celebrated their anniversary.

Not to Be Confused with Peter Pan or Buddy the Elf

2011-11-01T18:01:00.001-07:00

Drew as Link (from Legend of Zelda)

I made the costume and Justin made the shield using this tutorial:
Link Costume Step by Step

I had never heard the word, "cosplay" before.
But it's nice to know our hard work wasn't wasted on one day.
Drew can also wear this to the next Comic Con.

Then there's Sally as Aurora.

She made a last-minute wardrobe change
when she was given this dress Halloween Day.

We had initially borrowed a cute witch costume (seen on her below back left).

And lastly, Owen the Pirate with his, "mean" pirate faces.

Thank you Halloween City.

The only thing that makes me more happy than seeing Drew in tights...

...is seeing those tights slowly sag down throughout the night.

We went good old-fashioned trick or treating around our neighborhood.
And liked it.

Now on to the pumpkin.

Oh wait, that one isn't ours.

I wanted to buy another huge pumpkin like last year,
but never made it to the pumpkin patch.

So Brent & Errin were nice to donate their home-grown one to us.

We let Owen & Drew design the face

--...

Then totally ignored their designs and went with an Angry Bird.

(their idea not mine to all be touching the pumpkin for a picture)

Really our only celebrating was done at the preschool party.
(our ward didn't do trunk-or treat!)

Sally finally started participating once her costume was off
and some candy had been eaten.

And this concludes our Halloween recap.

Happy Halloween!

Baptism Weekend

2011-11-01T13:50:00.001-07:00

Sally got to enjoy a girl cousin for a change.

Gavin (love his little voice) came to play, too.

Drew had a big cheering section (and sadly, his team got beat worse than they ever have).

Dad donned a scary costume.

Mom did a little Halloween party in the park after the baptism.

Brent and Errin are still trying to get rid of their cheese balls.

Drew & Erica enjoyed the view (he's on her shoulders) at the beach.

And always a bonfire.

All of my baptism stress aside, it was an awesome weekend.

Thank you everyone that made the trip!

The Baptism

2011-10-30T23:07:00.000-07:00

It wasn't perfect, but it was.

Drew, Sally & Jones left Payten hanging during the musical number

(she ended up singing a solo).

And the church copier was out of toner,

so we didn't get the nice program cover we'd worked hard on.

But the Spirit was there.

Linus and Cole gave awesome talks.

Family made the trip from Arizona just for the occasion (and helped so much).

And Owen was happy and felt loved.

Post Edit: Sara sent me these pictures of the girls enjoying each-other.

Practicing their song before the baptism. Maile (far left) was observing.

8

2011-10-27T22:06:00.001-07:00

His big day was spent opening early morning presents,
then missing school to go to Disneyland.
He brought his school/church friend Gavin and I think that made the day for him.
He was literally sobbing when we got home because he didn't want it to end.

Notes:

- Like his new Chargers hat? Top on his birthday wish list. We have never watched a football game in our lives but all the kids at school are wearing them.
- Putting candles inside churros is not a good idea (they melted instantly). Holding candles isn't the brightest idea either, but better than option A.
- Met up w/Brent & Errin for the last couple hours of the day...they introduced us to the Soarin' ride. Why had we never done that before? It's awesome!!! Other ride highlight was seeing new scenes on Star Tours.

First Candy of the Season

2011-10-23T20:10:00.001-07:00

Must not let any go to waste.

(Justin took the boys to Brick or Treat @ Legoland last night. They were nice to share)

The Fog

2011-10-23T19:57:00.001-07:00

I don't know why I'm so fascinated by foggy days.

But I am.

There's a whole field behind those cars!

I was thinking the game would be canceled for sure.

But nope.

Under 6 soccer games are played by splitting the teams onto 2 fields (3 on 3 each).

Drew and his friend Gray never played on the same field.

But that's probably a good thing.

Their team was a lot better than ours.

Pocahontas

2011-10-22T12:33:00.001-07:00

It's every 2nd grade boy's dream: to see the musical Pocahontas.

Yesterday was their lucky day thanks to a school field trip.

But really, they liked it.

This was my car full (our school district doesn't have any buses).

A Scary Combination

2011-10-22T10:00:00.001-07:00

Sally + Lip Gloss

A Baptism

2011-10-21T16:11:00.001-07:00

Owen's getting baptized Saturday, October 29.

Wanna come?

Magic

2011-10-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

It's rainy and kids are coughing.
Perfect day for the best chicken noodle soup ever.

That chicken is nasty. This is the only recipe I'll deal with a whole chicken for.

Instead of bow-tie pasta, use:
Homemade Noodles

2 beaten eggs

4 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

Combine egg, milk, and salt. Add enough flour to make stiff dough. Roll very thin (VERY thin...even thin ones turn out thick once boiled) on floured surface. Using pizza cutter, slice inch wide noodles. Drop into boiling soup and cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes.

Cheese Balls Are Distracting

2011-10-15T19:50:00.001-07:00

- Brent and Errin came to Drew's soccer game with a huge thing of cheese balls (which Drew spied during the game and ran off the field in the middle of play to get some).

- Owen & Jones were more into the Itouch than the game. The rest of us got to see Drew score 2 goals (one for his team, and one for the other guys). I blame the cheese balls.

- Chad & Cherisse (cousins) took a detour on their way home from Disneyland to spend a couple hours with us at the park, sharing pizza and push pops (not just any push pops...ones straight off the ice cream truck).

- Lucy loves babies (even though her expression might say otherwise).

- A bunch of kids had fun playing and got filthy.

Better Than A Doll

2011-10-08T20:37:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when you fall asleep on Sally's bed.

The yellow glasses and green nose bracelet are the most obvious additions.

But I also need to point out the $5 tip he got,

and of course a barrette.

Cupless

2011-10-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

Conference Sunday

2011-10-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if your house looked like this today.

Girl Cousins

2011-10-02T00:02:00.001-07:00

Not sure how much Ellis appreciates all the attention Sally gives her.

But she's kind of impossible to resist.

Scootering at the Skate Park

2011-10-01T23:56:00.001-07:00

We're annoying like that.

Show & Tell

2011-10-01T21:37:00.001-07:00

This Week in School Art Projects:
Sally went abstract with some seeds.

And Drew came home with this family picture:

Top Row: Ellis
Bottom Row: Justin, Me, Drew, Owen, Jones, Sally

I love a lot of things about this picture, but mostly the 2 bonus family members.

Speaking of them (well, one of them),
Sally loves to create things for Jones and tape them to either side of our front door.
Usually its a list she has dictated to me of things she wants to do
(everything from getting a gumball at the mall to holding a butterfly).

But today it was:

a piece of string, an unfinished bracelet, and a Temple picture.

2 for 1 Special

2011-09-29T15:07:00.001-07:00

Those carts are fun for the first 5 minutes of every shopping trip.

This was within that time frame.

Made me happy to look over and see this.

Crime Scene

2011-09-27T18:33:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry, Plum Pudding.

Her only explanation was, "she wanted it short."

Unwinding

2011-09-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

By, "unwinding" I mean, "using up the extra energy that was stored during 3 hours of church."

And then

2011-09-21T21:08:00.001-07:00

Ward Campout
- was at William Heise County Park near Julian
- had good food (all prepped & served by a generous ward family)
- Brent & Errin came along last minute when there were still sites available
- actually slept decent
- realized my family is made up mostly of pyromaniacs who think the best way to put out a fire is to urinate on it (sorry anyone downwind)

- apples were picked on the way home

- and pie was eaten
(lots of it...tried both Mom's and Julian Pie company, both were good but we didn't order the same thing from either, so couldn't truly compare)

(also a grasshopper was inspected)

AND THEN

Jay & Tam(i) + 10 were waiting for us on the beach.
They had gotten in late the night before.
Spent a fun afternoon getting buried, riding in their new van, eating Cessy's, meeting/holding babies, and making s'mores.

AND THEN

My Aunt Sherri and Uncle Clel spent Sunday afternoon with us.
(church, puzzles, dinner, and singing an early happy birthday to Sherri)

My kids have never been so quiet after church...it was lovely.

Fun...busy weekend!

An Ear Piercing Story

2011-09-13T23:15:00.000-07:00

The end.

Blackout Day

2011-09-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

We got crazy during the unexpected school holiday and had a utensil-less spaghetti eating contest.

I'm pretty sure there was less mess than when they do use silverware.

The Blackout

2011-09-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

7 hours later...just when I was about to take a bite out of Justin's calf...power came back!
Phew.

I joke now, but it was unsettling not knowing how long we'd be without.

Only had 1/3 tank of gas.
Cell was almost dead.
The little wake-up call was probably good.

Glad we were at the beach for the first part.
And had already planned on grilling for dinner.

Now we will go enjoy our day off of school....seeing as they were all canceled!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T21:22:00.001-07:00

Family came to visit for Ellis's blessing.
Little sleep from excitement = falling asleep during pre-beach story time.

It was both Candace and Ellis's first beach bonfire.
One was a little more excited than the other.

Blessing day!

Labor Day at the beach

And lots in-between.
Family weekends are the best.

But does your younger sister have 10 kids?

2011-08-31T23:19:00.001-07:00

Cause mine now does!
And you wouldn't know it by this picture.
Meet John and Joseph, Tami's 9th and 10th children (and second set of twins...she started out with girls).
Congratulations to all!
I need to hold them.

School is Good

2011-08-30T20:07:00.001-07:00

Kindergarten, Joy School, 2nd Grade

When saying good-bye...

Drew was totally fine, didn't even look back.

Sally was fine, but quiet.

Owen cried.

All were way happy when I picked them up.

School is a good thing.

On a side note, awhile ago I planted white flowers on both sides of that front step.
Why are the ones on the left flourishing and the ones on the right dead?

Last Day of Summer

2011-08-29T22:38:00.001-07:00

We had an exciting day of errands and more errands planned for our last day of summer.

Anna saved the day w/a last-minute back to school party.

She had stuff to make those cute cupcakes and did some fun games with the kids.

And then Drew hollered from the park bathroom that he couldn't get the toilet paper to unwind.

After the unpleasantness of shopping w/3 kids all afternoon,

I was pretty sure I was done w/summer.

But I'm not.

I have loved (most of the time) it.

We're not moving or about to move,

don't have any napping children (i.e., no schedules to work around),

and we're in an ideal location.

Met Drew's teacher today and love her. He's excited.

Don't know a thing about Owen's teacher. I'm nervous about his class.

And Sally's starting joy school (9 kid group!)

I'm just ready for them to have awesome first days so this pit in my stomach will go away.

Soccer Firsts

2011-08-29T21:13:00.001-07:00

His first soccer practice (there were others, but we were out of town)...

followed by his first game the next day.

They are very non-competitive games where score is not kept.

Owen & I decided to keep score anyway.

Until it was obvious our booties were being kicked.

He still had fun, though...and is constantly motivated by the end of season trophy.

We played Drew's friend Caleb's team.
(they are obviously on opposite ends of the height spectrum)

And we'll pretend that these guys made it in time.

We're just glad to have family around that wants to come at all.

I was bummed in Monterey during Owen's season when we didn't.

(Owen chose not to play this year)

We've had a long enough break in-between kids doing sports that this is exciting for us.

We'll see how we feel at the end of the season.

Poolside

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

The day after we got home from AZ,

we got a hotel by Disney and spent a few days there.

First thing the kids wanted to do was go to the pool.

Justin obviously didn't object.

Disney was awesome and we're getting good at working it there.

What made it good:

- Justin (his first time going with us).

- Hotel within walking distance.

- Getting there first thing, taking long afternoon nap breaks, then staying out late.

- Fireworks. Love watching them by Small World, then timing it just right to get on the boat for the finale (there's never a line then so you can walk right on. and by the time the ride is over, there's a huge line. it's satisfying).

And always the food and fast passes. We're ready to go back.

Name Books

2011-08-28T20:56:00.001-07:00

I have a slight obsession with books that have my kids names in them.
So when I discovered this one at our library that has Owen AND a frog on the cover,
I was pretty much ecstatic.
It ended up being the perfect little boy adventure story.
Read it loud most of the way to AZ.
Owen didn't want me to stop (which is saying a lot).
It made me happy.

So did this one:

There are a ton of Sally books out there.
But a book featuring her name and favorite color was a bonus.

Back to the trip for a second...
Justin said it looks like we're visiting the Star Wars movie set here.

Were parts of it really filmed @ the dunes?

And this gets me every time we drive by it on the way to the rim.

Are they advertising topless heifers?

And did I really just go from children's books to a cabaret picture?

Payson Based

2011-08-27T21:26:00.001-07:00

We took a little trip to Payson to visit Justin's family.
Started out with some really good hamburgers at Nifty 50's Diner in Pine.

Then swam, cliff jumped, and rope swinged in some dirty river water.

We fulfilled Justin's summer dream of camping on the rim.
Literally looked for 2 hours for the perfect site.
Minutes after finding it, it started pouring.

It rained pretty much the rest of the day.
Got an hour break to get the tent set up.
Justin was in Heaven with the rain.
I appreciate rain more if I'm not camping.
The kids were happy playing in the tent.
But not so happy about the super loud thunder and nonstop rain through the night.

Rain free and visited by an elk the next morning.

The chipmunks were obviously comfortable around people.

Spent the morning fishing.

The only thing caught was this crawfish.

Did the vista trail on the rim.
Justin scared me.

Planned on stopping at the hatchery on the way back to Justin's parent's house,
but when we passed Catch-A-Trout couldn't resist a guaranteed fish.

It took longer than it should have, but we got one.
It got grilled later that day, but only a few brave souls tasted it.

Saturday morning we went to a different lake on the rim with family.
Justin thought it'd be fun to boat everyone and everything across the lake.

We weren't there long, but long enough for Parker to catch a little fish.
Thunder and rain clouds started heading our way so we ferried everyone back and called it a day.

Got to my parent's house Sunday and Justin was surprised with some gifts
and a festive banner in honor of his college graduation.

(welding helmet to go with new welder)

Left the next day after getting my hair done and visiting with friends.

Every time we pass the dunes Drew wants to, "touch the desert."
He got his wish on the way home.

How can somewhere so cool be so hot?
We were happy to get here to 40 degrees cooler weather.

Good trip, but like always...good to be home.

A Sleepover

2011-08-14T09:10:00.001-07:00

Please note the time.

9 hours later (at least they slept in)...

Justin had a scout campout.
So we made ourselves happy with Spiritos (strip mall Italian place that has the best pizza)
and a sleepover.

Torrey Pines

2011-08-12T21:50:00.001-07:00

The Guy Fleming Trail at Torrey Pines.

- 2/3 mile loop.

- Totally kid friendly.
(except for the one that needed assistance at the end)

- Amazing ocean view.

Makeovers

2011-08-10T10:08:00.001-07:00

She thought Justin needed a softer look.

And Jones thought Sally needed a little more sand in her life.

They took turns giving each-other "makeovers" at the beach.

Back to School

2011-08-08T16:50:00.001-07:00

School doesn't start here til August 30,

but Drew's got his first day outfit ready to go.

Life is Rad in Carlsbad

2011-08-07T23:24:00.001-07:00

Ward beach days and pool days make our summer.

Middle Eastern Studies

2011-08-01T13:22:00.001-07:00

This is Justin writing his very last paper EVER for his Bachelor's Degree

(in Middle Eastern Studies from American Military University).

It may have taken him awhile, BUT...

he's worked full-time the entire time,

been deployed twice,

and we don't owe a dime for his college education.

Not to mention all the fatherly, husbandly, and churchly things he does.

So a big fat good job to Justin.

He gets his diploma this month then can start applying for post-military jobs.
One year left!

Beach with the Burrs

2011-08-01T12:54:00.001-07:00

Brent/Errin's family & us met Karen/Jared's family at Mission Beach.
They were here visiting with friends from AZ.

Karen hogged Ellis the whole time.

It was cold and windy but we still had fun.

A Field Trip

2011-07-29T12:18:00.001-07:00

It was a scooter ride to the library.
But calling it a field trip is more exciting.

Boxes and Jello

2011-07-29T12:17:00.001-07:00

A little of what's filled our summer days.

Jazz in the Park

2011-07-23T22:55:00.001-07:00

(he's dancing if you can't tell)

Random jazz groups perform at local parks here on Fridays during the summer.
This week was our first time going and it was most enjoyable.

Posers

2011-07-22T22:04:00.001-07:00

We don't know the first thing about surfing on water.
But thanks to Danna's board, they're now pros on land.

Met Danna, her kids, and Xochitl at San Onofre Beach on Wednesday.

In addition to sand surfing, they got creative with beach mats.

A house for a mother and a princess.

A tree trunk.

slipnslide

2011-07-22T21:14:00.001-07:00

We would like to thank Jones for getting potty trained
so we could use his new slip 'n slide.

Moose

2011-07-22T08:53:00.001-07:00

This is Moose.
Moose's owners are David & Krissie.
They are our friends from NC.
Who live around here now.
Which makes us happy.

This Time We Took the Project Home

2011-07-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Binoculars courtesy of Lowe's Build & Grow

Little People, Big World

2011-07-20T08:07:00.001-07:00

Little person.

(why does he really look like a midget in this picture?)

Little person found a little house.

Little person's little sister passed by and spied the house.

Came to inspect.

And made it her own.

Introductions

2011-07-15T23:12:00.001-07:00

Meeting their new cousin.

They were okay leaving her at Brent & Errin's,
but I kind of want to keep her.

Arts & Crafts

2011-07-14T13:29:00.001-07:00

I LOVE doing art projects with my kids!
It's so calming.
I get happy seeing how much they love it,
and how proud they are of their works of art.

K only one of those sentences is true.

I'm An Auntie Again

2011-07-13T03:16:00.001-07:00

Ellis Ann.

You guys did pretty good.

Also From April

2011-07-12T14:19:00.001-07:00

Jason & his siblings

All Jason's nieces & nephews

The ENTIRE family

These are some of the pro pics from Jason & Candace's wedding.
Their photographer was Candace's friend, Cami Dunn.
She did a really good job.
Don't even know her but I like her.

From April

2011-07-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Erica babysat the kids while we were at Jason & Candace's wedding dinner.

She arranged for a visit from a Storm Trooper.

The boys liked.

Sally not so much.

Officially American

2011-07-08T22:20:00.001-07:00

We finally got a grill.
Just in time.
The weather this week has been warm, so it's better to be outside than in (we have no AC).
I'm not complaining.
I'll take 85° and no air conditioner over 118° with (sorry Arizona people).

4th Weekend

2011-07-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Merman

Visitors

Car Ferry from Balboa to Newport

Newport Beach Ferris Wheel

Pre-Firework Bubbles thanks to Errin

Firework Viewing from the Golf Course

I recommend everything above.
Especially the merman.
The Ferry and Ferris Wheels were fun, but Newport Beach on July 4 is NUTS.
Glad we were back here for fireworks.
Would've been perfect if Justin didn't get stuck with duty.

Baltimore

2011-06-29T21:53:00.001-07:00

Hurried home from Monterey, took a red-eye to Baltimore,
and spent the weekend with Justin.

Started at Ft McHenry...birthplace of the National Anthem and the flag.

Did I mention we were kid-free?!

We were, thanks to my parents.

While we were checking out flags, they visited our local skate park.

Back to us.

Baltimore has a cool downtown.

Visited the Inner Harbor for shopping, eating, and ship touring.

And porthole peek-a-boo.

Sleeping quarters on the USS Constellation

They continued their fun with fudge pops

and a beach bonfire.

Apparently Mom wasn't so sure about Drew's sand pizza.

We went to a movie!
That never happens.
Saw "X-Men" with no expectations and really liked it.

Next day was spent in DC.

Visited lots and lots of museums.

We'd been there before so we just kind of skimmed a bunch of them.

Sunday included church, lots of HGTV, and some downtown exploring.

We climbed Federal Hill for an awesome view.

Sally discovered the color slide tool and took over editing duties.

Then I flew back home Monday morning (Justin got back today).

Loved it there and loved a little break.

Traveling without kids is so nice...and slightly addicting.

Before Mom & Dad were on their way home, we had to have Point Loma fish & chips.

Sally had me write multiple lists of things she wanted to do with Grandma & Grandpa.

And they did it ALL.

They are some lucky kids.

We are, too.

Super grateful for an awesome weekend away and that our kids didn't miss us at all.

Monterey!

2011-06-28T23:21:00.001-07:00

Took longer than it should have, but finally got to visit the Monterey area again!
Shawna and her family were visiting from VA so it gave me the excuse.
Justin was training for work in MD so the rest of us went up for a couple days.

We went strait to a new spot Danna found in Carmel Valley on the river.

So good to see these faces!

Amanda S was out of town...sad to not see her,
but awesome to get to stay in her amazing house.

I love her backyard hedges.
The kids loved the see-through shower.
Drew wants to live there for "20 years."
I could handle that.

That night...a backyard hot dog and s'more roast at Danna's.

Bright & early the next morning, we did the Garrapata trail.
Just driving to it was amazing.
Forgot how beautiful it is there.

While Owen & Drew explored the trail,

the girls shared some Chapstick.

Rushed straight to Danna's afterwards for a potluck lunch.

Those girls know how to do potlucks.
LOVED seeing so many people and meeting some new babies.

Water fight after lunch.

Please note Felicity's velvet ensemble.

The observers:

Staying far away from the water:

That night...the farmer's market (where the kids got way too spoiled by Aaron),
and clam chowder on the Wharf.

Wagon Wheel breakfast the next morning.

Oatmeal pancakes even better than I remembered.
Went back for more the next day on my way home.

A quick stop to Hacienda Hay & Feed to see the animals.

Then the newly remodeled Earthbound Farms for raspberries and ice cream.

The parking lot before heading in to the famous Dennis the Menace park.

Felicity loves the boys.

Super quick run around Lover's Point.

Then kayaking the Carmel River.

Craig (our token male) & Danna arranged for this.
It was awesome and it was crazy.
None of us had kayaked before and this was a 7-mile, 3-hour trip.
The river had tree blockages, shallow parts that we had to push the canoe over...it was nuts.
But SO beautiful and I'm so glad we got to do it.

Before we knew what we were getting into:

Wish we had an after picture...goose eggs, scrapes, bruises, and mascara faces.

At the end, we were so exhausted, but it really was amazing.

The kids had been w/babysitters all afternoon.
Drew was happy to finally get to the tire swing he'd been hearing about.

I loved these huge floppy daisy-like flowers.

We fit so much into 2 1/2 days.
It was the best.
Felt like we had never left.
Missed a lot of faces but were way happy to see everyone who was there.
Oh and did I mention we had pretty much perfect weather?
Sunny summer days are not too common there.
We got lucky.
Such a good trip!

He Likes Frogs

2011-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

He's not quite 8 (the age of pet accountability in our house),
but with the luck of someone moving and his own $5,
Owen now has 2 water frogs: Jango Fett Alan and Boba Fett James.
Wait I think Boba Fett James is now Pacman James.
Either way.

He's been obsessed with frogs/frog books for the last couple months.
But I'm not complaining...this obsession is way better than the Bakugan one.

"I can't stop reading books about amphibians" - Owen, to the librarian

He's A San Diego Padre

2011-06-19T23:16:00.001-07:00

Well, San Diego County anyway.

Justin is an awesome dad.

So are our dads.

And awesome dads make awesome grandpas.

Happy Father's Day to them all!

Box Cars

2011-06-18T09:22:00.001-07:00

Moving and Marrying

2011-06-18T09:16:00.001-07:00

Drew's preschool friend Benson (to his left; his brother Jeddy is on Drew's right) just moved.

We might be seeing more of him, though...he loves Sally and wants to marry her when she's 4.

Outer Space

2011-06-18T08:51:00.001-07:00

Took just the boys to Disney for the day on Monday.
Had to go again before we're blocked out for the summer.

3 hour line for the new Star Tours.

It was awesome, but no ride is worth 3 hours.

Space Mountain (everyone's favorite hands down).

Drew thought we were really in Outer Space.

Owen thought his face skin was gonna fall off and loved the music.

Nice people that saved our spots in line.

Fireworks finale from Small World boat.

Got to do all the bigger rides thanks to Errin keeping Sally for the day.
She had fun swimming, finding lizards,
and reading books/whispering in Jones' bed during naptime.

Bubbles

2011-06-18T08:45:00.001-07:00

Borrowed that bubble machine for Errin's shower.

Kids had to try it out.

Yep, it works!

Visiting Visitors

2011-06-11T13:30:00.001-07:00

My Katie and Becky (not pictured) friends from AZ came with their entire family to an awesome beach-front house on Capistrano Beach.

Right after school got out (last day) we went up there for a fun afternoon.

It took awhile for our kids to play together.
(could've had something to do with the multiple bathroom accidents mine had)

But ya, they eventually did:

That house they were in was so cool...mission style right on the sand.

One of Katie's cute kids:

It was fun to see them and I always love seeing new places.

Also, I was happy to finally try a famous Pedro's fish taco on the way home (it was good, but I think I like Rubio's and Cessy's better).

Thanks for letting us crash your family reunion!

Happy Faces

2011-06-10T23:48:00.001-07:00

This face is so much better than the one from his first day of school.
(with Ethan, his friend since day 2)

The loud and always happy teacher's aid, Mrs. Patty.

Probably not your average teacher-student last-day-of-school picture.
But she's not your average teacher.

Mrs. Collins...teacher of our year.

About To Pop

2011-06-10T22:32:00.001-07:00

Jones is a little bit excited for his baby sister to come.

That's one of the pictures I took to use at Errin's baby shower.

A couple more:

We did a bubbles/ "She's About to Pop" theme inspired inspired by this shower:

She's About To Pop

Lots of planning and prep later...the day of the shower came.
That was yesterday.

I was finishing my morning of decorating when out of nowhere I started cramping in my stomach.
I could only take short breaths.
Deep breaths caused shooting pains in my stomach.
I couldn't get my breathing normal, couldn't relax my stomach, kept having these shooting pains, and was pretty much freaking out.

So I had Errin take me to the ER.

After routine urine/blood tests,
an ultrasound (suspected gall stones),
and a cat scan (ultrasound was fine, so suspected appendix)...
11 hours and 1 missed baby shower later I was diagnosed with gastroenteritis (inflamed gastrointestinal tract/stomach virus).

Blah.
Worst ER trip ever.
Glad they were thorough with their tests, but there's no way that needed to take 11 hours to figure out (it wasn't that busy).
And there's no reason I had to wait 2 hours after the cat scan to be discharged with the instructions to take Tylenol as needed for pain and to eat a bland diet for a couple days.

I was SO bummed to miss Errin's shower.
And I felt awful she was hosting her own shower at my house without me.
But she was amazing finishing the last-minute preparations.

Danna reminded me about Amanda W's delicious salad.
Errin said this was everyone's favorite of the night:

Tortellini Salad
1 Package Tortellini
1 1/4 cup Blueberries
1 1/4 cup sliced Strawberries
1 cup Green Grapes
1/4 cup sliced Almonds
1/2 cup Briannas Poppyseed Dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Combine pasta, fruit, and almonds. Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Errin said the shower went perfect.

And today I feel pretty much back to normal.

And I'm getting excited for Errin to pop!

Scooters!

2011-06-06T14:10:00.001-07:00

We're sorry to all the innocent pedestrians that happen to be on the boardwalk
the same time as this little scooter brigade.

Obviously

2011-06-01T21:13:00.001-07:00

I was looking up.
Drew was looking down.
Today is Wednesday.
The sky is blue.

Well Now

2011-05-31T21:29:00.001-07:00

Somehow it took us 9 months to figure out that bonfires ARE allowed on the beach here (if you bring in your own fire pit).

Thanks Brent for figuring that out.

And for having a pit.

And thanks Errin for having a s'mores kit.

Happy Memorial Day to us!

They USED To Be Tortillas

2011-05-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

Tortillas were on the Costco list.

And this is what Justin came home with.

Hahahahahahahahaha.

After those were returned, we had ourselves a nice little Saturday.
Well, the kids and I did.
Justin spent the entire day writing a paper.

Spruce Street Bridge
It's in a San Diego neighborhood so quiet Owen said,
"It's like the library, but outside."

After scooters, bikes, and a park we ended the day with Brent/Errin/Jones at the beach.

Preschool

2011-05-27T21:40:00.001-07:00

Preschool is over!

In general, I stressed when it was my turn to host.

But usually the stress paid off.

My favorite was music day.

The kids were totally into this book:

I thought I'd just go over a song or 2 with them (and the corresponding art in the book).

But they were so into it we went through the entire thing.

And did some finger painting to the music.

Between frogs, dinosaurs, science, camping, pajamas, mothers, boats, the ocean, and more...

Drew and I made some happy memories.

Glad I did it and glad it's over!

Beach Weekend

2011-05-23T20:44:00.001-07:00

One of the many caterpillar sightings during our boardwalk scooter ride.

He would land with his shovel in pitchfork position.

And she took over the backpack.

Thanks to a friend visiting from AZ, I was reminded about
Military Appreciation Day at the Oceanside Pier.

We got there in time for a couple rides and to watch this hover craft take off.

If I had remembered about it earlier, we could've toured it and done a bunch of other stuff.

Next year...

Let's Play Music

2011-05-23T17:59:00.001-07:00

Pretty sure Owen's Heaven will not include recital performances.

Also Plentiful

2011-05-22T23:26:00.001-07:00

Strawberries.

So much better than snails.

Whatever It Takes

2011-05-22T09:01:00.001-07:00

Spelling words weren't such a bore that morning.