Lazy Dog

So tonight (August 14, 2007) was a night where Rob had to work LATE... (what's new) and I was feeling a little "down in the dumps" and the girls were just hungry and tired. Sounds like a good night for Lazy Dog Cafe.
   
Just add one "Build your own" pizza for Avery and one Cheeseburger for Zoey and one night for me with the people I love the most. It helps. I feel much better. Love my little family.

One of those days...

I don't know why it is, but some days are just harder than others. Today started out hard. After the usual rush in the mornings, we are out the door and out of the complex when I got asked "Where's my bike, Mommy??"...which made me realize that I had forgotten her bike (it's the last "bike day" of summer at her school) in our garage. After turning around and going back for the bike...stopping to get cash for Zoey's field trip, forgetting Avery's lunchbox in the car...etc, etc. it was just a crappy start to the morning.

Then to get to work, have to fill out more paperwork for Dad...give him a call to get info needed for his paperwork, and hear him in pain. Anyway, it goes on downhill from there. Mid-afternoon I find myself just sliding down that slippery slope/feeling teary and really down. Worried about Mom and Dad. Worried about finances. Worried about getting everything done I need to to get the girls ready for school. Worried about my family. Worried about responsibilites...work, family, house, brownies, soccer, etc etc...getting it all done and keeping it all balanced.

Left work 1/2 hour early to rush and get the girls both to soccer (they both have practice on Tuesday's at 4:30...seperate fields) only to find out last minute that Zoey's has been cancelled due to the 100+ degree weather. So we go to Avery's and wait around for 20 minutes only to see no one else arrive...(of course nobody called us or let us know practice was cancelled). Just the wonderful @%$&* ending to a wonderful day.

Ended the day meeting Rob at Lazy Dog for dinner. Good way to relax and unwind. Need to get myself up out of this mental ditch. Maybe a good night's sleep?? A lobotomy?? hehehe

What's going on today??

Well, we spent Sunday in Canyon Lake with Bea, Joe and Henny. It was so good to see Bea, and we had some beautiful food, wine and conversation. Much of our conversation revolves around our parents, and what is happening today with them. Sometimes sad. But really good to communicate about it with people that know what you are talking about.

       

We looked at Bea's pictures from her recent trip to Australia to meet her new Granddaughter, Paige. Beautiful pictures of a beautiful family.

Funny, the way it struck me, that when I downloaded Bea's pictures onto my computer it put them down by date, and I could see pics of what she was doing compared to what we were doing on the same day. Max was celebrating a birthday (Happy Birthday Max!!!) while we were at a friend's beach house, having fun, but also reflecting on her new struggle with cancer. Little stories all over the world. Just a good reminder, that while we are celebrating on some days other people are struggling, and vice versa.

Just another day in paradise...

Ugh...I'm tired today. I've been sick all week with a pretty nasty cold, and being an asmatic it has settled in my lungs. Rob has been working 12+ hour days, 6+ days a week for the last several weeks and he is worn out.

We need a break.

Tonight we went to dinner at Kings and to the movies to take the girls to see Underdogs. Pretty cute and funny. A very NEEDED break.

Now it's time for some adult time. Very NEEDED too.

Tomorrow it's time to deal with families and all that.

Ahhh...tonight....

Love you honey...

BBQ at the Contois

Now we have to understand that sometimes I have to go backwards in history to complete my blog. The day-to-day sometimes prohibits me from documenting things the day they happen...but...I'm trying to catch up when I can. These pictures were taken on July 21, 2007.

This was a beautiful BBQ at the Contois household. The usual suspects were there, including the young Mr. Grey, who was trying peaches (I think) for the very first time. It didn't go well...

 

Hey, sometimes the first time you try anything it doesn't taste familiar...not good...

 

The girls as usual could not stay out of the pool, and had a blast swimming.

 

A couple of mermaids...look how happy they are...they never argue...hmmm...

 

I'm the luckiest Mommy on the planet.

Tu Tu Tango's-July 28, 2007

 

We always have fun going to Tu Tu Tango's at the Block in Orange. The belly dancers, the artists, the ballon man, the smores...it all adds up to a fun evening.

 

This time there was a guy there that was a Harry Potter wanabe...he was the "hypnotist". While he tried to hypnotize some of the more eager members of our group...(you know who you are :-)) all he could do was creep them out with his bad breath!

 

We were bummed our regular ballon couple was not there...this guy was fun, but just not as talented as the regular couple. Ah well, the kids had a wonderful time!

 

Bathtime Fun!

 

One of the girls favorite things is taking a bath together. Just add bubbles, and lots of bath toys, and they can totally turn into prunes. I treasure these times, as I know it won't be much longer that they wouldn't think of having a bath together!

 

 

Of course Avery didn't want to have her picture taken at first, with the bubbles on her head (it wasn't HER idea), but then got over that quick with all of the fun they were having together.

 

I think my favorite part of bathtime is when they get out and I can get them ready for bed...smooth some yummy body butter all over both of them (Avery's favorite is "Asian Lily" and Zoey prefers "Mango"), brush out their hair, get them in cozy PJs and just cuddle with my clean princesses. I love you girls!

4th of July--2007

Okay, so I'm determined not to do what I did last year, which was get so overwhelmed with pics that I give up on blogging for a year! Damn those digital cameras...and me being so "snap-happy" that I take too many pics. Plus, blogger can only upload 4 pics at a time from picasa...

Anyway, here is what we did on the 4th...and we had a blast! We went over to the Kendrick's house, stopping along the way to buy fireworks (good job honey!). The plan was to go out on the boat, go to lunch, and then back to the house for swimming, BBQ and fun. And that's exactly what we did.




After going to Gladstones for lunch, we headed back to the Kendricks's for swimming. Too bad Huntington Beach has it out for fireworks this year...we decided to not risk the heavy fine and go without. Bummer!






We had a great time, and thanks again to Tanya, Pete, and Brandon. God Bless America!

Oh, by the way, here are some fireworks from last night...the 3rd of July...I just can't have a 4th of July post without them :-)

3rd of July Fireworks in Orange

 

We had a wonderful time watching fireworks at Grijalva Park in Orange.

 

We went with the Kendrick's and the Quast's, and would love to make it a yearly tradition.

 

Sandwiches, wine, a trip to the playground, and cuddling together to watch fireworks...God Bless America!!

 

Wait...there's more...

 

Dang blogger will only let you post 4 pictures at a time from Picasa...I have to figure out a way to get by that one. These are definitely on my "Faces I Love" list, and were all taken the same night.

 

Da Boys...Rob, Dan and Ross

 

The Ladies...Lo, Avery, Zoey and Deb

 

My little family...whom I love SO MUCH!!

Faces I Love

 

Wow, I didn't really think about it at the time I took these pics, but when I looked at them later I realized that these are some of the people I love best on the planet...faces I just can't get enough of.

 

Sometimes I pinch myself and I can't believe how incredibly lucky I am to have these beautiful, loving people in my life on a daily basis.

 

I can't imagine my life without any one of them.

 

Now I just need to work on getting pictures of the rest of my favorite faces...you know you're out there!! :-)

My Mom

 

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether through a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have suceeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

She has done all of these things, and so many more.
I love you Mom.

Back in the Saddle

Wow...I can't believe it's been almost a year since I've updated my blog! I think I just had so many things happen in such a short time that I got overwhelmed with capturing it all and just got too far behind. Well...NO longer! Instead of trying to update with EVERY pic I love (and let's face it...I love them all) I'm just going to hit the highlights and go from there until I get caught up.

So, with that in mind let's go back in time to June of last year, and Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary party. Of course as I'm writing this I realize it's just a few weeks away from their 51st...yiikes!

The picture you see above is our family on that day. It turned out to be a wonderful day, with lots of laughter, and even a few sentimental tears. We saw SO many friends, many of whom my Mom and Dad had not seen since the Newport Children Center days.

Some of the most important people in my parents life were there, and it was very special for them. I had put together a 10 minute slideshow of their lives together, and had such a good time doing it. My Dad's comment to me, in tears, was that it "was one of the best days of his life". That comment made it one of the best days of my life. We LOVE YOU Mom and Dad!