home sweet home

we made it back last night after two weeks full of adventure and laughs and food and relaxation and stress and discovery and unbelievable, unforgettable, amazing memories.  can't wait to share.

Grant's Pass

Rogue River

On the coast

Redwood Forest

Patrick's Point

San Francisco

in the car

right now i am sorting photos, laundry, school supply lists, mail and trying to get back into our normal routine.  bobby had to head back to work today.  sue is coming to visit and i am going to the grocery store and target to refill the fridge.  it's crazy how you have get right back into life.  but for now i am enjoying these pictures of our family together.  thanks for the memories and good times.

five on friday (now with pictures)

1. getting ready for our road trip.  list making, shopping, packing and just enjoying ourselves around here.  working on a travel journal similar to this one for recording those magic memories.  not quite done yet but the best part is that i used what i had to put it together so it cost me $0.  i want to put pictures in it as we go so i had to order one of these.

2.  fuji instax mini - so excited that this is on it's way.  now if you remember last year when i ordered my new lens for our trip to italy and it didn't come until 7pm the night before we left.  this one, along with 4 rolls of film, should be here by monday or tuesday.  i debated over getting this or a tiny printer but in the end i went with quality of picture.  super excited to play with it.

3.  look who lost her first tooth.  i know it seems early, but considering all of my kids started teething by 2 months, it doesn't surprise me.  she has been showing off her "bent" tooth, as she called it, to everyone by popping it out of her mouth when she smiled.  and finally yesterday she came over to me and told me she pulled it out.  no bleeding and she was laughing.  but then when i took her to the mirror she said she was not happy about it.  just one more sign that my baby is growing up.

4.  hoping to put together a "glee" playlist for the trip.  we were listening to the samples on itunes and loved every one.

5.  went to the dodger game for andre ethier action figure night.  we always have a good time going together.  we eat (i always bring our own food, so much cheaper and healthier), we watch some baseball and we love the guy who sings "don't stop believing").  my friend, who owns the amazing club house seats, was there too and came to visit, and brought us cracker jacks and peanuts.  and the dodgers won!



gearing up for 2 birthday parties, shopping and dinner with friends. and of course we are taking the kids to see "despicable me."  have a good weekend.

currents

something fun to post.


listening: to the kids watch the same spongebob episode again.
eating: light english muffin with peanut butter and sliced strawberries.
drinking: coffee with a splash of skinny caramel macchiato creamer.
wearing: my pajamas but i plan to get dressed before noon.
feeling: a little sick.  stuffy nose, sneezy, allergies or a cold, not sure.
weather: cool and overcast.  kind of love this weather.
wanting: some extra money to buy new clothes.
needing: to make a list of things for the trip.
thinking: that i won't get it all done.
enjoying: looking at food blogs. maybe if i didn't i would have more time for things on my list?!
wondering: if sofia's tooth will fall out before our trip. 

weekend highlights

wow, four days went by so fast.  and we packed in as much as we could.

thursday, after work we went to kernville for a few days.  for the last 2 or 3 years we have gone to kernville over 4th of july weekend.  this year jordan and i wanted to spend the holiday at home.  so the compromise was to spilt up the four days.  works for me.  we got to spend some quiet time up in the mountains, read, rest and play.

the kids loved playing with this "vintage" chutes and ladders game.  but they felt bad when the kids got punished for doing something bad.

bobby and the boys got some practice rowing down the river.  we leave on our vacation in a week and getting the kids on the river was a good way to warm them up to what lies ahead.  they had so much fun.  the girls tried to catch them in action to get pictures but we were a bit late.

our favorite spot to sit and read.  really relaxing few days.

then we headed to the fireworks show on saturday night.  we set up at our usual spot with the dakes and waited for the sun to set and the show to start.

the plan was to head home after the show.  but by the time the fireworks were over it was almost 10pm.  which means we wouldn't get home until 1am.  so we decided to stay one more night and leave the next morning.

sunday, we had plans to go to the park with my family and tom and sue.  there is a valley cultural center in woodland hills that was having a concert and fireworks show.  we met up with my family, thanks for the great seats sandy.  we had dinner in the park and then sat and watched the show.  sandy is friends with a couple in the band and they put on quite a show.

of course sofia had to show off her dancing skills.  especially when they played, "i got a feeling."

lots of family time before the fireworks show.

and then the show started.

it turns out there were more than 50,000 people at this event.  we really had amazing seats, right in front of the stage.  and getting out of the park and into our car was interesting.  but we had such a great time and hope to do it again next year.

yesterday we headed to our friends' house for a pool party and taco bar.  the kids go crazy whenever they get a chance to go swimming.  and even though the weather was unseasonably cool they jumped right in.  or should i say slid right in.

we love long weekends and time with family and friends.  hope everyone had a happy and safe fourth of july.