Saturday, June 30, 2007

AMAZING!

A digital camera that's WATERPROOF!


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Friday, June 29, 2007

Monday, June 25, 2007

Visit from the East!

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We had a great day today!  Our dear friend, Angela and her family are visiting from New Jersey and we got to spend the day with them at Turtle Bay.  We love seeing them and can't wait until they're back in our state again...though I love reading about her East Coast adventures on her blog as well! 


We got to experience some fun new exhibits at Turtle Bay, which is always a treat.  Jacob really enjoyed the bird exhibit and got to feed one up close and personal.  All the boys had a great time in the butterfly exhibit and we couldn't leave until they'd identified all the butterflies on the field guide.  It was so great to see them take such an interest.  We also checked out the new "Aliens Earth: Are WeAlienbush Alone?" exhibit.   The kids thought it was cool and of course it was educational, but a little too much info on planets and stars for me....I was hoping the aliens the government have hidden away in the desert would finally be
revealed!  Like 'found' alien parts housed in jars or as Angela said something real cheesey, like a cut out of an alien we could get our picture taken with.  Alas, it was still fun and sure maybe we all learned something, but I'm still holding out for an ET encounter recreation or something cool like that!


After having lunch at the Turtle Bay Cafe, we came home and the kids swam for a bit, they BOTH took a nap (unheard of!), and then we went to Jacob's first baseball practice.  All in all a great day!


Click here for photos from Turtle Bay

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Coastal Getaway

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My Mom, the kids, and I spent a couple days over on the north coast.  We started in Trinidad and hung out on the beach and checked out the Humboldt State Marine Lab.  The kids liked being able to touch all the starfish and other sea creatures there.  Jacob was disappointed that he couldn't touch the octopus however, I'm thinking that's a good thing though!  We had a delicious lunch in Trinidad and had fish and chips and clam chowder.


We then headed south and cruised some of the little beach towns and headed into Eureka.  After checking into our hotel, we stopped by the mall to do a little shopping.  We headed back to the hotel and swam in their cool indoor/outdoor pool.  We had another yummy meal and then headed to bed.  We had a rough night when Jacob woke up screaming from an ear ache.  We think he had water trapped in his ear from swimming.  After a couple hours of crying, I headed out to find a remedy at 5am.  Some homeopathic ear drops saved the day and he was snoring minutes later. 


We had a slow start that morning but once we got going, we headed south to Ferndale.  We checked out the town and browsed the shops for awhile.  We then headed back to Eureka where we visited the Sequoia Park Zoo.  Really neat little zoo that's technically free!  After having a late lunch/early dinner in Arcata, we headed home.  A great little mini-trip, aside from Jacob's ear issue of course!  Click here for photos!


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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

A New Do

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Sunday, June 17, 2007

We will miss you Grandma Lee

Unfortunately the reason we were in Santa Cruz these past days was a very sad occasion.  Aaron's Grandmother passed away last week.  She was an incredible woman and will be greatly missed by many, many family and friends.  She has always been the families "center" and we're not sure what to do without her.  While we would much rather have been in Santa Cruz for a happier get-together, it was still wonderful to see all of the family.  We have all vowed that we will make an effort to see each other more often for more joyous occasions.   Santa Cruz Family Photo Album


I have always thought of Grandma Lee as a very inspirational and strong person and Marcellalistening to how
everyone else spoke of her, they all thought the exact same thing.  She has had a long life, lived many tragedies and still managed to always stay positive.  Family was the most important thing to her and it showed.


Some photos of happier times over the years....


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Click here for photos from our family get-togethers while in Santa Cruz


We will miss you Grandma Lee forever and always. 

Fun in the Sun in Santa Cruz

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We spent a day enjoying the Boardwalk and beach in Santa Cruz, California.  Aaron's cousin, Lacey, hooked us all up with all day free ride passes so we enjoyed lots of the rides!  Funny thing was Ella wanted to go on all the rides, even the ones she wasn't tall enough for, while Jacob preferred the kiddie rides.  However, once we went on the beach, Jacob was all about trying to ride the waves, while Ella preferred to stay back away from the water.  They both like thrills, but in different ways! 


It was a beautiful day and very warm for Santa Cruz.  We had no problem swimming in the cold ocean, we were looking forward to cooling off.  Once your body goes numb, you don't even notice the water is freezing!  We learned a hard lesson though, the sun really got Aaron and I....bad sunburns over most of our bodies.  3 days later and I'm still hurting pretty bad.  We should definitely know better by now!


I took a lot of pictures, but used my sad little compact camera that has lighting issues.  Again, the look isn't typical, but I still kinda like the results!  Click here for the photos


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We missed going to the fair this year, so we had to get one of these on the Boardwalk!

Aaron in the paper...AGAIN!

Aaron the hero at work....


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Rescue crews attend to two people who were injured Tuesday when their car went off northbound Interstate 5 near Lake Boulevard and overturned. The California Highway Patrol reported that the wreck happened at 4:49 p.m. Only minor injuries were reported, according to the CHP.

Friday, June 08, 2007

End of swim lessons

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Well that two week span of our
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went quickly!  The kid's swim lesson session is now over.  Ella moved up to Level 2 and has a fun instructor named, Pat and she likes to say "he's my friend."  They have a lot of fun together.  Jacob is in Level 4.  They both are doing great and becoming much stronger in the water.  We had hoped to sign them up for more sessions, but with all the other activities and trips planned for this summer it just won't work out.  They'll get plenty of practice in the water this summer though! 
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Oprah is evil

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I am a sucker for pretty much anything Oprah promotes materialistically (is that a word?) on her show and she got me again with her latest installment of her favorite things.  The "Ultimate Beach Tote" from Land's End.  Had to get me one of those!! Couldn't decide on the many pretty colors, so I even went with Oprah's favorite, the green one.  Gotta say I am loving it! 


And as a side note, Oprah may be evil, but my dear friend Karen is the best.  She got me those flowers just because.  Love ya Karen!

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Waterworks Park

Dscn2088We spent the afternooon at Waterworks Park today, great way to cool off!  We had debated buying Season Passes this year and now I'm really glad we did.  The kids can go on almost all the slides and we were busy running all over the park trying all the attractions.  Jacob's favorite thing is the Raging Rapids ride and Ella's favorite is splashing in the pools. Dscn2090











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Welcome Nate!

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On Friday morning our good friends, Kim and Kacy, had their 3rd child, Nate Joseph.  Saturday morning we stopped by the hospital for a visit and he is so sweet and beautiful!  Many congratulations to them on their beautiful baby boy.  We can't wait to watch him grow up!  (No hurry of course, he's so precious right now!)


Click here for more photos of this cutie!

Friday, June 01, 2007

Set your Tivo's!

Rob Thomas kicks of Season 5 of the PBS series, Soundstage  Featured


This concert premieres on PBS June 14, 2007 (check local listings)

As one of the most popular voices to emerge in the late-‘90s, Rob Thomas, with his band Matchbox Twenty, dominated the charts and the radio. Marrying ‘70s-styled rock with pop hooks that made a lasting impression. Thomas served as principal songwriter for the group, and his songwriting chops earned him three Grammy nods in 2000 when he co-wrote the massive hit, “Smooth,” for Carlos Santana’s Supernatural.

Rob Thomas graces Soundstage with a performance shot at the venerable Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. The setting proves an idyllic backdrop for Thomas’ set, which touches upon Matchbox Twenty hits along with his solo work. The Matchbox Twenty classic, “3 a.m.” is anthemic alongside other favorites including “Bent.” “Smooth” lives up to its name and his solo work also shines like the poignant “This is How a Heart Breaks,” and the funky “Something to Be.”  (Courtesy of PBS site.)