Grandma Shirley's 80th Birthday Bash

July 30th marked Grandma Shirley's 80th birthday. We celebrated earlier in the month with a party in her honor. True to form, Josh and I were running late (I finally woke Madi up, she was sleeping in so long!) and then we got stuck in traffic. We had no idea it was the first day of the OC Fair! So by the time we arrived we had missed lunch, gifts, and an apparently amazing & emotional time of sharing memories of our beloved Shirley. But the kids weren't too concerned--they got to blow lots of bubbles with Aunt Alissa! :o)

Alissa made Grandma a really great scrapbook as a special gift. Every family member wrote about a special memory and gave pictures to go along with it. Alissa worked her magic and it came out beautifully! Aunt Susie had Grandma Shirley's name translated into Hebrew and had the meaning and the Hebrew spelling written out and framed. For any of you that know Shirley, the meaning will strike you in the gut..."She who sings songs of the Word..." Amazing!

July is always a great time for our family since members who've moved away usually come back for the 4th of July celebration, so we were blessed to have everyone here to celebrate Grandma as well. We had a photographer join us after the party to take family portraits in the park by Grandma's house. Josh and I actually have a picture that includes the 4 of us--incredible!! And we all got together for one HUGE family shot of Grandma and her descendants and their families.

It was great spending time with everyone, but we had to head out pretty much as soon as the photos were done. Our munchkins were exhausted and cranky, lol. On the way home we ordered pizza so we didn't have to worry about cooking or going out. It was a long day for us, but well worth the effort!!

Our handsome boy!








Cute shoes...couldn't leave these out!








Our sweet Moo...











Aunt Alissa blowing bubbles...

HB 4th of July

June flew by and was nearly missed, except for the fact that my family came in to town for a nice visit and Josh and I celebrated 9 years of marital bliss. :o) It was wonderful having my mom and brother and sister here!! We did a whole lot of nothing for the most part, and it was great. When you don't get to spend much time together, who wants to fill each day with stressful activities and going here and there? Not me!

One event I was so excited to share with them was our family 4th of July celebration. The last time my mom and siblings took part in an Independence Day celebration out here was about 11 years ago, and I know there's no way my brother or sister would remember that one!

Every year on the 4th, our family gathers in hometown HB for the best parade. The men snag us a place on the parade route to set up camp, and we get awesome seats for viewing the festivities. This year, we kind of missed the whole thing! It was a small sacrifice, though, since we knew we'd spend the whole day down there sans naptime and I was reluctant to wake sleeping children to leave early. We did walk the end of the parade route and see the last 10 minutes or so. Just being absorbed in the crowd of patriots does a body a whole lot of good and serves well to amp the spirit!

Following the parade we enjoy tons of food at Grandma Shirley's home and watch the revelers as they pass by outside. It's an amazing time of visiting with family members and friends that we don't see often or often enough. I had the little ones decked out in patriotic colors, and my daughter really got into the party spirit and began to, um, un-deck herself. Let's just say that any top or dress with spaghetti straps is now on the "no" list. As my witty sister later put it to me, my daughter's favorite activities are singing, dancing, and taking off her clothes...boy are we in trouble!



Both kiddos proceeded to share some patriotic fun by way of red cupcake frosting...the kind that dyes your fingers and makes you wonder how many soapy scrubs it will take to remove it all. (Thanks, Kim B.!! ;o) ) Moo did pretty well, but that may be because Mommy wore all of the frosting Moo didn't get into her gullet. Can anyone explain why it takes forever to wash the dye off of your skin, yet a little rub from a baby wipe will take it out of cotton clothing almost immediately? Go figure... Dman fought a brave battle against the sugary explosion, but in the end I'm not sure who won...the cupcake, most likely!



After lunch the majority of the clan moved up the street to the middle school field for a game of blooper ball--softball with a ball that is kind of screwy, hard to hit, and catchable without gloves. We enjoyed the gorgeous beach weather and watched all the fun, though Moo got upset when her daddy would run by 3rd base on his way home and not come see her, lol. We knew the little critters were tired, so my mom and sister joined me in valiantly herding the kids to Grandma & Grandpa's house for a nap. It was a difficult battle for me (Moo isn't used to sleeping anywhere but her crib), but in the end everyone managed some kind of rest.

We later trouped down to the beach to watch the fireworks show. Years ago residents had to buy tickets to see the show as it was put on in the high school stadium. Those of us who were too cheap and lazy to buy tickets walked down towards the school and gathered on sidewalks and grassy areas to watch for free. It was really more fun that way! Now the city shoots the fireworks off the pier and hoards can gather for free up and down the beach to watch. They even shut down PCH near the pier knowing that so many pedestrians are crossing (um, jaywalking) to get a spot for the show. It's awesome! The kids really enjoyed watching and weren't at all afraid of the noise or the crowd.




After walking back to Grandma Shirley's and enjoying some of Grandma Ellen's homemade ice cream, we visited some more with family and then headed home. It was a long day, but it sure is worth it to make the venture each year! I would love to be able to share in more celebrations with my family here, so we'll just wait and see what the future holds!

So far behind!

I know people say that life gets in the way...sounds like a cop-out to me, but I'll take it! I find that I'm so absorbed in my day-to-day activities--no matter how mundane--that I forget to think about all the cuteness around me that I would love to share with you. I get to live it, but I don't take time to share it. I started this blog with the intent of sharing often, but, um, life got in the way!

So here goes attempt #2 (I think) at getting this ball out of the mud and rolling again! Bear with me...

The Aftermath of Diet Dr. Pepper

So Josh wakes me up this morning with, "Honey, I'm sorry to wake you but..." That can't be good! He knows how exhausted I am on Saturday mornings, and did I sleep well during the night? Well, those of you who know me best can answer that one! He goes on to tell me that he was putting some cans of Diet Dr. Pepper in the fridge and one slipped out of his hands and "blew up." He said "it was everywhere" in the way that someone might tell you "it's bad" after your 200 pound German Shepard has had his way with your family room sofa and you have yet to see the damage. Of course, I was in a sleepy haze so I was thinking, ok, mop the floor near the fridge, maybe have to wipe down the fridge...yes, I've also had experience with dropping a diet soda while restocking the refrigerator. It was then that I notice he's furiously pulling on slacks and tucking in his dress shirt. "I'm already late for work," he says, "and I don't have time to clean it up. I'm really sorry, but I had to change clothes."

Now my curiosity is whetted, so I roll out of bed, stumble into the bathroom, and put on my glasses. I didn't even bother to pull on pants because I was fervently hoping I could spend 5-10 minutes wiping up soda then go back to bed. Yeah, that didn't happen! So I go downstairs, sans pants (thank goodness the new neighbor hasn't moved in and his contractor hadn't shown up yet!), and I begin to see small splatters of diet soda on the floor in the hallway leading into the kitchen area. Near the island in the center of the kitchen I see the pool of dark liquid finding it's groove in the grout lines of the tile floor, slowly spreading outward in several directions. And like watching a detective in a movie coming upon a crime scene, I can almost hear the music begin to rise and I know the picture is about to cut abruptly from the expected evidence of the crime to the unexpected carnage that has certain audience members (like me) ready to cover their eyes. I can say my husband didn't exaggerate when he said, "It's everywhere."

Let's start with where it wasn't. It wasn't on the countertops, it wasn't on the area rug under our table. Thankfully, it wasn't on the ceiling! It was, however, all over the floor and the rug just in front of the fridge. The splatter stretched from ground-zero by the island all the way into the main hallway (that's about 6 or 7 feet one direction), into the butler's pantry and halfway to the garage (about the same distance in nearly the opposite direction), and along the tile near the cooktop (only about 3 or 4 feet opposite the hallway leading to the garage). It was all way up the refrigerator, on cabinets and drawers on the island and the perimeter of the kitchen. It was up the walls leading into either the main hallway or the smaller back hallway. It was all over the double ovens and the microwave (which is at the height of the top oven). And, it was all over Josh's shoes which I found removed near the sink. I later found his pants draped over the tub in our bathroom, and I have yet to know whether or not it reached his dress shirt and tie; after seeing the upward splatter all over the appliances I'd be amazed if it spared his torso.

So I set about cleaning, deciding I might as well mop the whole of the tile since I was going to be mopping at least 2/3 of it anyway. That meant I had to sweep, at least in areas where the floor wasn't tacky and wet. And by the time I complete the prep work and am ready to get down to business, I find that some very thoughtful ants have already arrived to offer their services. Bravely, those fine ants gave their lives as they later met the business end of my Libman Wonder Mop. I go to the sink to run water for mopping and come upon the corpse of a can of Diet Dr. Pepper; so unassuming, so ordinary, yet capable of so much more than quenching thirst. I notice the top end of the can is stretched upward as though it's contents engaged in mutiny, and the pop-top opening is a strange, not-quite-round "o" of protest where the offending liquid made its mad escape. Less than one quarter of the soda--apparently the only portion with any integrity--is left mingling in the bottom of this vessel of destruction. I'm ruthless. I drain the can and toss it in the recycling bin.

The kitchen having been mopped, I begin wiping down all the appliances and cabinet doors, cleaning the vent grooves around the microwave where drops of Diet Dr. Pepper gather and hide--still wearing only an old, oversized OCC t-shirt proclaiming commencement exercises I never participated in--and my underpants (sidenote, that word brings back memories of the movie Sixteen Candles. And by the way, don't dwell on the image I'm describing as it's really not one anyone should delight in!). I do my best with the detail work and decide I need Q-Tips to clean the rest. Nearly an hour passes between my unexpected wake-up call and initial assessment of the destruction to the time I find myself sweating, hungry, and in no way crawling back into bed.

Now that my work is done and I've cleaned myself up, I find the whole situation funny. I wish I hadn't been so sleepy as to not grab my camera. The pictures might have been boring, but worth a chuckle. I'm sorry Josh had to rush off to work feeling, perhaps, sheepish over what happened. I really would have enjoyed laughing over it with him. But since he's busy, here I am finishing the last of a bottle of vanilla frappucino and sharing my morning with all of you. Don't worry...I'm fully clothed now!

April Showers (Image Heavy!)

A very close friend of mine is expecting her first baby. After a long struggle and many complications, she and her hubby (also a good friend!) are so very close to the arrival of their baby girl! I wanted to help make this time even more special for them both by taking some maternity pictures to document the pregnancy. They agreed!

So to answer any questions you might have--since I've already fielded them from others...no, I'm not a professional photographer; yes, I'm building a portfolio of sorts (to track my growth, not share with prospective clients); and no, I'm not planning to go into the photography business...at least not yet. I have quite a ways to go before that could become a possibility!

This was an incredibly fun session for me--my first time using my skills on anything other than my own family or nature shots. But it was also incredibly special to be sharing in such an amazing journey with two wonderful friends. I hope to be able to do more sessions like this for family and friends--and I'm eagerly anticipating using their baby girl as my first newborn subject! :o)

I also helped throw their baby shower this past weekend. It was beautiful and turned out as perfect as I had hoped--with great food, funny games, and tons of presents! I managed to grab my camera to capture a few fun moments and collect a few highlights of the decor and such for the parents-to-be. Here are just a few of my favorite shots from the maternity session and the shower.

A Day on the Farm

Last Thursday we visited a local farm with our Moms group. I was unsure of how to handle both kids on my own and manage my Nikon--it probably qualifies as a 3rd child! Thankfully the farm was small enough that even Moo could run around and enjoy her independence without making my heart drop to my knees. Since there weren't very many of us, we got a nice, small tour of the farm and there was plenty of interaction between the kids and the animals. It was perfect for the toddlers--and the mommies! There were hoards of flies, however, which Dman has quite a fear of. I think after our time there, he has pretty much conquered his phobia...or at least learned to ignore them!

We got to walk through the garden and see how radishes and potatoes grow underground, and there was a "pizza" garden filled with all sorts of Italian herbs for cooking. The orange blossoms on the orange tree smelled heavenly, and the grapefruits were near to bursting off their branches. Our guide, Miss Amy, allowed the children to pick rosemary off the bush, and one smart cookie noted that it smells like "Christmas trees."

After the garden, we met Cinnamon--a newborn calf, about a week old. My Moo was ok with petting and standing near this baby; afterall, she was in a small pen and very quiet and docile. But that's pretty much where Miss M drew the line at being amicable with the farm animals. We got to feed lettuce to a pig--aptly named Wilbur--and then enter the goat pen. Moo freaked! There were 2 sheep and several goats, both kids and adults. I was trying to let Moo get used to being around the animals on her level, making her stand right by me (ok, ok...I wanted to get pics of Dman with the goats!). But all of a sudden her whimpers turned into a startled squeal, and I looked down to see the most precious black-and-white baby goat happily nibbling away on Moo's hair. So much for being brave! After that I held Moo in one arm and wielded my Nikon with the other hand. Thankfully Dman was comfortable around the animals and cautiously petted them. Then again, they weren't trying to eat his hair!

After visiting the goats, the kids got to bottle-fed calves in the "nursery." Since Moo wouldn't have anything to do with animals after the goat incident, we let Dman feed 2 calves. From there we visited Tina, the cow, and 2 old horses. Dman was a sport and gently rubbed the cow and one of the horses on their noses. I tried to get Moo to pet them, but she tried to craw into my shirt instead. That tiny goat ruined her for the bigger, more docile animals! The bunnies were next--no major freak-out here since they were smaller than Moo...and in cages. But she did try to dig out handfuls of rabbit feed from their troughs!

After washing our hands and running laps around a chicken coop (come on, who doesn't love that?), we picnicked quietly with the flies and then headed home...again, with a few flies. I was so happy with how much Dman interacted and enjoyed his farm experience. He can be so cautious and reserved when he's in new situations, but he jumped in there and tried everything! I think it would be fun to go back in the fall and pick pumpkins there. But next on the list is another farm...this time with only produce to contend with!

Running laps around the coop!

















Moo plays with the hay bale.

















Dman feeds a calf.

Sweet, Sweet Sleep

We've been so busy this past week that there were a couple of days our errands ran through naptime. Moo is always so great about napping, so on one particular day she was just too tired to make it to bedtime since we skipped the nap. She had dozed in the car, but only for about 20 minutes. Later while playing in the family room with her brother, she just got so sleepy she had to crash in the floor for a bit. It was too sweet not to photograph! Josh had me grab the camera, and I just had to share these sweet pics.