Winter..

Abby insists on taking the LAST chair.. She is going to be just like her Dad!!

Abby and the Grizz....

My potted plant...

My new treasure that I found at Alameda last week.. Love the color!

Favorite Christmas present (along with the great outfit my mom picked out, and the electric sweeper from RY's mom..)

We had a great time up in UT over the holidays. We had several great ski days! We even got the Grizz out on the slopes. We couldn't pass up the oppertunity to snag a picture of her and Abby in front of the "Grizzly" house. Many thanks to all of our family members that were so generous in lending their homes and cars to our family. We had a great time..

I will say, it has been nice to escape the 10 degree weather and come home to a little sun. I love to reorganize, rearrange furniture, and plant a few pots in January. (Thanks Mom, for the great painting that now sits so nicely on my mantle.) I love it!

Fall.....

So, I feel like this blog is something that gets pushed to the bottom of my "to do list" (even though I don't really make those) everyday. Every time I look at it I feel like I am not doing enough.. The fall is such a busy time of year, and there are many opportunities to feel like you are just not doing enough. We have had a lot of fun though.. Ryan took his sabbatical for the first 5 weeks to coach the kids soccer teams (which I have not taken any pictures at yet...) and work in the yard. Tanner has been playing on a flag football team for his middle school (which I also never got any pictures of..) and took up quite a bit of time.. We have had a few house guests which is always fun especially when it is my Mom and Sister (again no pics..) I have also really enjoyed spending time with my cute niece Lindsay and her sweet little baby Bailey.. I love having her live near us. It is so good to finally have family members in the area..

And, I got a little job... I love it! I just work 2 days a week while the kids are at school. It is at a little shop that my friend owns called Living Peacefully. I get to do all of the things I love to do there..

Here are a few pictures from the times I have had my camera around..

(I did find time to make Abby her Big Pink Cupcake costume, a little more work than anticipated...)

Abby wearing a sweatshirt sold at the store...

Sweatshirts sold at the store...

Cute little Bailey!

The Cupcake!

A shot from some pictures I took for my friends website. (A perfect setting..)

They're Back!!!

Does he look ready or what?

It has been a wild couple of weeks, but they are back in school.

Yeah!!!!

(Had my second migraine in 20 years this week! I feel like I am a prepubescent teen again.)

hawaii

Ry had a conference in Honolulu so we thought we would tag along. We found it very entertaining to people watch and guess which ones were there for the scientific conference. We saw a lot of dark socks and sandals, tweed suits, and funny backpacks/briefcases. The conference gave out a big badge and backpack so that was usually the give away, but none the less, the kids loved asking everyone in the lobby or elevator if they were there for ICAD.... Our hotel was full of them.

Local beach... We drove around for an hour trying to find one that we would not get mugged at. Not sure the locals like tourists at their beaches. Maui is a little more friendly that way.

Tanner is always trying to be so cool.. Hard to get a natural pic of him because he would flex for every picture.

Lei making, was a must for Abby, along with Hula dancing which I did not get a pic of because I had to participate. Scary...

Plenty of moments like this, when the kids were waking up between 3:30-4:45 every morning.

First time since Tanner was 5 that my kids have stayed in a Hotel! It was a little bit of an adjustment.

the kids loved the banyan trees..

Abby was the "little- i-wanna" the whole trip..... She wanted to enjoy everything the island had to offer. Lei, coconut, hawaiian dolls, a variety of necklaces, and of course a tattoo. (which by the way, was the cause of a major the melt down the next day when I put sunscreen on it and it washed away. oops! at least I got a picture of it.)

birds of course.

more birds.. funny how these parrot people put their birds on your kids and then expect cash. hmmmm.

polynesian cultural center..

snow factory

Click on this picture to make it big so you can see how cool it is...

Probably the best treat I have ever had in my life!!! (and I eat a lot of treats...) I was watching the news in Honolulu at 4:30 AM since my kids were up at 3:45, and they featured this new place called Snow Factory. It is like nothing I have ever eaten. The softest, most melt in your mouth texture you could imagine. Slightly flavored with a variety of mostly asian fruits, coconut being my personal favorite. I went twice a day! I need to figure out how to open one of these in CA, and SOON. I am having withdrawals...

the ranch..

Wyoming is a pretty wild place. We had a great time exploring, riding the rhino (with Tanner driving scary!) fishing, hiking and shooting guns. All things we don't get to do in CA. We really loved seeing the antelope or "speed goats" as Buzzy's family call them!

Tony's Wedding

Congrats Tony! We are very excited for you and Racine.... Your wedding was so much fun..