Saturday, July 19, 2025

June 2025

Welcome summer! I planted some corn this year. we'll see how it goes. I'm not really liking how it's looking and it will get about five times the size it is here. Not my best decision.


Anna ran in the middle school district 800 final. 
There were only three of them, her and the two "scary" runners from the other middle school.
She came in third but wasn't that far behind. They all medaled.


Hanah placed first in the long jump.


On June 5th, Anna was promoted to high school! 
She did a great job in middle school and we know she will do well in high school. Go Griffins!




Tyler was also promoted so the neighbors were there as well. 




Afterwards, she chose to go to her newest favorite place, 
Cyprerss Crab Shack, and had her fill of crawfish.
Everybody else had something less bug-like.


I went with Becky, Jenny and Martyna to take Kinga and Wally to see Blippi!
If you don't know who Blippi is, well then you are lucky.
I didn't go to see Blippi but to see Kinga see Blippi.


They absolutely loved it, almost as much as the glow sticks.



We had to have a new picture in the newly painted chair.


We went to Grandpa's to take him to lunch for Father's Day. He and Mia fit in a game of chess first. It was a stalemate! Grandpa chose a barbecue place to eat at. Interesting choice for a vegetarian.


Our first trip this summer was to Big Sur. 
We rented a cabin in a campground.
We hadn't been there since Becky was two years old, 
at which time she made us carry her around in a lawn chair. 
By made us, I mean she sat in the dirt and refused to walk anywhere.


On our first full day we headed to Andrew Molero State Park for a hike to the ocean. 
Absolutely gorgeous!


There were only three of us who braved the wind on the trail to get down to the beach!



The next day was Julia Pfeiffer State Park for a forest hike. 
The kids decided to stay in the car.
We regaled them with all the wildlife we saw on the trail, 
a whole family of foxes, a wise owl and a pencil snake (truth). 😉
Maybe they'll go with us next time.
And before you get too judgmental, tell me you never make up anything about a man in a red suit...


I looked and looked for a four leaf lover but came up empty.


Did you know clovers close up in the sun? 
It makes sense that they would thrive in Ireland!


We had a lunch stop at Nepenthe, a beautiful gift shop and cafe. 
There's also a restaurant but we got scared away when we saw a cup of soup was $18.


There was no cell reception in the campground so the girls had to find other things to do. 
Basketball was a big one. 
Mia wore Dan's big hat the whole time because I made the mistake of mentioning there might be ticks.



Just in case you had to make a phone call you could use these ancient artifacts.


If you aren't interested in birds you're done until next month.

This is a Steller's Jay. They were EVERYWHERE in the campground we stayed at. 
We don't have them in Southern California.
 

On a walk to the library I saw a pin-tailed whydah up close. I've only see them on telephone wires. 
You can recognize them up high by their long tail, sometimes eighteen inches long.


On a bird outing to a local park someone pointed out to me a baby red tailed hawk on the edge of the nest. 
The person said the nest was the owl's nest last year.


Another couple, showed me these three great horned owls way up in a tree. 
This is my favorite birding pic yet.
It pays to wear binoculars. People point out random birds to you.


First month of summer on the books.



 

Monday, June 23, 2025

May 2025

May started off with Anna qualifying for the 800 meter district meet. Three people qualify from each middle school and only three ran in the qualifying race for her school. We were proud of her for not dropping out like all the other kids did who didn't want to run against the two best runners. 
So she gets to move on! 


Arek became an American Citizen! 
We had a little celebration at our usual Sunday dinner.




Becky and I went to Dani's baby shower at a tea house in Upland.  
It was great getting to see all the nieces and to celebrate Danielle's miracle baby.



Darlene and I went up to see Aunt Helen for Mother's Day weekend. 
We stopped at this huge nursery/cafe on our way from the airport. Super cute and good food!


Anna was in her last drama production. They did Aladdin and it was fantastic!
She has had a great two years in drama but is going to concentrate on cross country next year.





She played the head guard of the palace and was in quite a few of the scenes.







Oliver celebrated his 10th birthday. Where does the time fly???



That's his girlfriend bottom left.


Kinga and I go to the library on most Thursdays. This one week they were having an event for elderly persons. Since there was no one attending, they let Kinga participate!
The cellist played Edelweiss and my eyes teared. 
It's the song I've song to all of the kids and I think some of my kids sing it to their kids as well.



Dan and I went to the Sunset Sip fundraiser for The Guidance Center in Long Beach.  
Dan's dear sweet golf friend, Jim, bought a table.  



My dad was in and out of the hospital in May with afib. He's been so healthy his whole life that this has really been different. On one trip up top see him, Mia beat him in chess. 
That never happens! He made sure he beat her twice after that. 🤣 She is really good.


Last but not least, a quirky picture of dessert at Carolyn and John's house. They always serve takeout when we come over but we thought why not put dessert on a fancy cake plate.🤣🤣








Friday, May 16, 2025

April 2025

I can't believe the year is 1/3 over already! April was pretty busy for us.

It started out with the Literary Women Festival in Long Beach. I went with a few ladies from bridge. I enjoyed all the author talks except one, the one I was most looking forward to, Mama Love. Still a very nice day.


So we did say yes to the quail business and Mia ordered her coop. She and Anna put it together and Mia cleared out some plants to make room for it in the side yard.



Anna and I volunteered to fill Easter eggs and hand out Easter baskets at the Joint Forces Training Base to military kids. The Rossmoor Women's Club made all the baskets the week before. 



Spring photos! I normally don't do the Spring photos but Anna's fall photo made her look like a linebacker. This picture is much better.


Mia had a lacrosse game on her birthday and Anna was leaving the next day for D.C. Anna would also be gone over Easter. So we decided to celebrate Easter and Mia's birthday with the four us on the Saturday before. Such a fun day!

They woke up and searched for their Easter baskets.


They needed a few hints but they found them!


Next, Mia opened her birthday presents.


Then they played a couple of Pokemon games with the new cards from their baskets.


Time for an Easter egg hunt!


After dinner out, we came home and sang Happy Birthday to Mia. So glad we decided to celebrate this way.


This squirrel has been trying to get into the bird feeder for weeks. It finally figured it out. 😠


And Anna is off for D.C., Philadelphia and New York City!





She had a great time and slept for almost twenty four hours when she got home, with a virus no less. Apparently almost everybody came home sick. 

Meanwhile, Beth and fam made it out for Easter weekend. On Saturday we colored eggs...


...or literally "colored" eggs.


Then Chase, Mia and Oliver opened their birthday gifts.


Dan made his famous vegan chocolate cake and we sang to Paige, Oliver, Chase and Mia!


And before everyone headed home they decided to include Anna in the celebration somehow by taking a photo next to her promotion sign in our yard.


The next day was Easter and Paige and Kinga wore matching dresses!


We had another Easter egg hunt!






But the celebrating was not over yet. Mia had a birthday party with her friends the next day. Just a few of them went out for sushi first.


I love the teenage parties, zero planning, just vote on what everyone wants to do. So the first thing they did was blow up balloons and write messages or drew pictures on them.



Next they went down to the park and hung out a while. Some girls went home after that. But there was still a bunch left!





After an hour or two of hide and seek, three of the girls spent the night and then it was a wrap. Wait, one friend stayed the whole next day as well. 🤣

I took a photo of the eight grade panoramic picture. There's a lot of glare but Anna is in the front row on the left.


Twice a year Mia has to cook for her Japanese class. Her friend Micheal came over to do it with her this time. They made seared salmon sushi.


One more month of school left and we will have two high schoolers...again. 🤣