October 2025

 Another month, another medal. She used to be the same height as her friend.

Melissa and I took all the kids to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal.

Mia's favorite class is her engineering class. She made this catapult for an assignment on her 3D printer. She got some help from Dan but she did a lot of the work herself.

Family dinner for Anna's birthday! 

It's hard to fit all the September birthdays into one month so they overflow into October!

It was time for our second annual trip to Las Vegas to watch the Raiders! We were going to see Barry Manilow on Saturday night but he canceled due to bronchitis.

So we found out Steve Martin and and Martin Short were in town and got tickets for their show.

Did we like it? Sorry, Barry, but your illness was our windfall!

You would never know one of their best friends had just died that morning.

They were a perfect example of the show must go on!

They did pay tribute to her at the end of the show with a silent toast.

The next day was the Raiders game. They won! Who would have thought??? 

It was fun day to be here also.

There was a ceremony at halftime for Eric Allen, who had just been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

We got a good view of him on the Jumbotron.

Aloe Blacc played he's famous song (at least that's what they said), The Man, as a tribute to Allen.

It's always a sea of people leaving the game towards the strip. 

We stayed at the Mandalay Bay this time so it was a short walk for us.

We stopped at Border Grill for dinner and I had the vegan tacos for my birthday dinner.

And...another medal - Orange County Championships!

Beth stopped by for a weekend visit after their Palm Desert trip. 

We love that we live next to so many places within walking distance.

A walk to Yogurtland is always a favorite.

Kinga and I went on our first twitching trip. 

There was a very rare Mandarin duck in Irvine and we found it!

The best part is the it posed for us on a rock.

In tried to get a picture of Kinga and the duck together but the duck is just a blur.

There was a lady on the left with her tripod all set up 

so I couldn't very well ask her to move out of the way.

We watched Becky's kids overnight while they went to a wedding. 

We no longer have a fire pit but that doesn't keep us from making s'mores!

The didn't care about our piddly fire.

Halloween Night - here is Anna with the eighth graders.

And now Mia is with eighth graders.

When it came time to go out, Anna decided to go with the high schoolers instead since they weren't staying out late due to the cross country meet the next day. 

And Mia decided to go with the eighth graders because they WERE staying out late!

And we move on to holiday season...

September 2025

 September started out with me taking a weekend trip to watch Paige and Chase 

while Beth and Greg came down to L.A. to see Oasis. 

I got to take the kids to their ice cream social. 

Paige did a lot of socializing and a little bit of observing the younger kids playing.

Chase stayed inside this gaga ball fence the whole time except for a short ice cream break. 

He had a sweaty blast!

The next day we walked to the boba tea place and passed the duck house on the way.

Last time we were here it was Camp Wedgwood. Now it's Wedgwood School.

For dinner we went to the kids' favorite Mexican restaurant where you watch tortillas being made.

Then it was off to the playground across the street to play...

...and enjoy a very strange band.

I really enjoyed my one on one time with Paige and Chase!

A few days later Anna was chosen as an athlete of the week!

Denise was babysitting Rad for a few days so I invited them over for a playdate with Kinga.

He golfed while she pulled the flags out of the holes for him.

Becky, Mia, Anna and I went to see & Juliet.

Great show!!

And when we got back to the house we celebrated this new teenager!

Where has the time gone??

Our regular campsite at the Halloween campout will not be ready again this year so Melissa and I and the kids rented a cabin there for the first week of the Halloween festivities. 

It was a little early but a lot less crowded!

Our cabin was small but really nice with a private deck.

Because we had to rent it for two nights minimum, Melissa and I went to the first night while the girls and Dan stayed home so they could...

...go to Homecoming!

The next morning we had the pool to ourselves.

And that night it was off to trick or treat and walk through the haunted house.

 I really enjoyed going this week with less people!

At the next race, Anna was in the top 20 for freshman. Dan and I weren't there as we were...

...up in Grass Valley celebrating Aunt Helen's completion of surgery, chemo and radiation with Denise and nine of my cousins and their spouses.

Aunt Helen gave a little speech.

 My cousins had this lucite plaque made for her.

=

So glad she's healthy!

The whole group!

Mia made this catapult machine for her engineering class using her 3D printer. 

Her teacher was impressed. She did have little help from Dad.

On September 30th this one turned 15!

 Her request was money instead of a party and to eat nigiri in bed with no one bugging her.

We did make her come out to sing happy birthday and eat mini donuts.

Her family birthday will be some time in October and it won't be in her bed. 🤣🤣

Until then....