On Independence Day....

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, 

but because we practice it." 

~ William Faulkner

The older I become, the more I grow to appreciate this day set aside to celebrate our nation's independence. It truly is a blessing to live in this country. Since I spread my freedom out all year long I don't feel like I have to squeeze it all into one day and thank goodness because this year there was a lot to do...

 Jason left early, before my eyes even thought of cracking open, to pack up and haul back the equipment from girls camp at Stimpson. Then Lauren came home from camp all stinky and tired with a load of camping gear in tow. Lauren had a short time to rest and a quick shower to wash away the mountain dirt and stench before she and I had to work our shift at the firework stand for the cheer fundraiser. We survived the grueling four hour shift in the scorching Vegas heat. No fan, no air conditioner, just the blessed shade provided by the flimsy plywood shack. We sold happiness to pyros while sweat beads rolled down our backs. Finally it was time to enjoy. We joined the Pisciotta's, Stewart's, Beck's, and Conger's for swimming, eating, and a fab firework display. There were a few sketchy moments during the firework show, some scurried and scattered to save themselves from the fiery darts. A few were not so lucky.... but a little flesh burn never hurt anyone... right? As we watched the barrage of illuminations in the sky I paused for a moment, thinking of the lyrics "and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air" and was thankful to those who fought and continue to fight to allow our flag to brilliantly wave "over the land of the free and the home of the brave...." 

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Jace going for a dunk

Lauren and Chloe

Lauren and Sadie

Jace and the mega sparkler

Impromptu

June 30-July 2

ordinary days can pile up. they are necessary, i suppose, but it is good for the soul to be spontaneous every now and then. this post is about one of those "now and thens." 

it began with a phone call sunday morning, which caused us to rent a car within the hour, a small wait time in the form of church, then southbound on I-15 to irvine. we wrapped up a small business transaction* monday morning, then we explored.....

it began with crystal cove; a beachy nature sanctuary just down from laguna beach. we found tide pools with crawly creatures that swapped shells and natural beaches with an occasional lobster carcass. there were rocks aching to be climbed, sand ready to be dug into, and waves that deviously reached farther and farther on shore to snatch up abandoned flip- flops. (one of which Jason had to heroically rescue) lauren was at girls camp, so jace was free to explore to his heart's content.....

crystal cove also has a sandy beach- bring your beach towel- swim in the ocean type area so we drove to a different parking area and walked down to that beachfront. there are vintage rustic coastal cottages originally built as a seaside colony in the 1930’s & 40's nestled close to the beach- one has been repurposed as a beachside restaurant and others are overnight rentals. they fill up quick so book in advance!! jason found a cozy shady spot while jace headed straight into the vast ocean to jump some waves.

that night we feasted on el torito then drove to laguna. jason had a face off with his old pal zoltar and jace and I enjoyed a rainbow sprinkled balboa bar. we strolled the old wooden pier watching the sun sink, bowing out in beauty, to let the moon have it's turn to shine. 

 

on tuesday we wandered through ikea to see what we couldn't live without, stuffed ourselves on the shakey's pizza lunch buffet, and tempted our willpower with a stop at the entrance of disneyland. we finally gave in and headed back home through the hot, dry desert.

*small business transaction
the small business transaction was linked to the sunday morning call that assured us the trip would be worthwhile and that the little bundle of joy was still available....

it had been on a list for years, brewing in our minds for months, and researched for weeks. i like to think of myself as impulsive, but when it comes to big ticket items jason and i are quite methodical and very logical. we compare, evaluate, then re-evaluate and compare again. i know, that is so boring, please don't fall asleep...wake up, wake up. the truth is we are not normal so we make logical choices based on the not normal things we love. in this case it was this darling.....

don't ask we why we didn't get a picture of it in california, but this 2010 mini cooper clubman is our newest edition. pictured at cedar breaks in utah....

and i'm in love....

Girl's Camp 2013

June 29th- July 4th

I wasn't there, but here is what I know....

• Lauren is a level 3 this year
• Camp was held at Camp Stimpson again (Mt. Charleston)
• they went on a hike (see scenic mountain portrait below)
• camp was held Saturday to Thursday due to 4th of July holiday so they got to have church up at camp
• she was surrounded by good friends and leaders
• the theme was Be Not Moved
• she came home pretty stinky
• we had a quiet week at home (haha)

Dropping off  Lauren and Shelby

Haley, Callie, Lauren, Brooke, Shelby and Bailey

Lauren, Taylor, Callie, Morgan, Brooke and friends

Crazy girls!!

Shelby, Lauren and Brooke

The hike was worth it!!!

Scary tent!

Cute and creative...

 Looks like Lauren had a blast at girls camp!!

The End!!

Los Padres

June 16, 2013

Happy Father's Day!!

Father. Dad. Padre. Pops. Whatever you choose to call him, we all have one. I was lucky and got a good one. He's tall, he's funny, he can fix just about anything, he's a hard worker and I call him dad.

I was also lucky enough to marry a great guy. We had two kids and they are lucky to call him dad. 

With all these great dads around, we thought we'd make their day special. My mom, me, Tiff, and Karessa organized a tasty dinner for them. We had french dip sandwiches, french fries, and more. It was a fun night!! My mom brought super hero masks for all the fathers too. It was nice to have this day to celebrate our dads and show them how much we love them!!!!

                                                         

Jason, Yin's dad, my dad, Randy, and Yin

Dad and his girls (except Steph-they weren't able to be there)

Jeff, you are my father

Bits and Pieces

 Our community has yard sale days twice a year and these kids count the days until the next one comes along. They set up their little snack stand and hope for the best. This past one Jace was also selling Boy Scout Camp Cards for $5. As noon was approaching a family pulled up to the yard sale (which we always have at my sister Tiffany's house) and gave the kids a $100 bill to buy out the rest of their inventory. He said he likes to help the kids out and liked that they were earning money for camp. To say they were thrilled would be an understatement. That is truly a generous man and it is something the kids will never forget!!

On May 20th Jason had a birthday. We celebrated with ice cream cake that day and that weekend he chose a french bakery/eatery for dinner. Totally exciting, I know!

On June 8th, Jace had his first official camp out as a 12 year old scout in Young Men's. There were piles of dirt and innumerable rocks scattered about, so I'm guessing he had fun...... Jason got to go along too....

If you peer into the corner of that overturned plastic trap you will see a heinous creature. My keen peripheral vision caught sight of this slinky monster on the bathroom floor as I tinkled. At first I thought it was my imagination, but then I saw it again. It was fast, I couldn't keep a visual track of this creepy crawly. My first instinct was to lift my feet and relish in the safety of the porcelain throne. But a wise voice in my head wondered, "Could an insect blessed with a plethora of tiny legs be able to scale the slippery white porcelain in a single bound?" I had to decide: high feet or high tail it out?? I decided to run for help. Barely escaping with my life, I was able to enlist the help of Jason and Jace. After some quick maneuvering and high pitched squealing (we won't divulge by whom) we managed to trap the darter under the plastic dome. Then Jason used an age old killing tool a.k.a. a shoe to squash this demon into an oblivion. I'm still not sure what kind of centipede this is, but I am pretty sure I didn't want it anywhere near me.

Fremont Street

Jason found a hole in the wall Thai restaurant down on Fremont and insisted that we try it. Good choice. It was delicious!! I never knew I even liked Thai food!! So if you want something different, want to step away from a chain restaurant you need to try it. Plus while you are down there you can check your weight at Heart Attack Grill and enjoy the people watching or make fun of the crazies, which ever you prefer to call it!  

Memorial Day 2013

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
George S. Patton 

Heroes. Whether on the battlefield or at home, our ancestors were fighters. They made it possible for us to be free in many ways. So in an effort to remember their sacrifices we set out on a trek. It was good to remember those that have passed, to recall memories and share those with the kids. My kids never got to meet my Grandpa Nelson, but through our stories they can know about him. We visited Nana's grave, she lived to the ripe old age of 95, passing in 2007. Lauren and Jace were old enough at the time she died and still remember their great- great grandma Leona Ray (Nana). We also visited my mom's parents (Wagner) and step dad in Boulder City. My kids were able to know their Grandma Dottie (died 2005) but not Grandpa Charlie (died 1994) or step Grandpa George Clark. 

After our "grave hopping" as my mother so eloquently calls it, we all had lunch at a "greasy spoon" diner on the main drag in Boulder City. There was fry sauce so it was legit.

Cousins Trenton, Jake, and Clark + Jace

Cousin Hannah, Cousin Ava, Lauren, and Lauren's friend Taylor

That evening the crew swarmed my parents house for a barbecue and swimming extravaganza. As usual that early in the season the pool was a tad chilly for my taste, but the kids enjoyed it.Family bonding time!!

 I love that we can create new memories while building upon the old ones. Sharing stories, laughing together and at each other; that is what makes us a family. The End!!