The Little Conversationalist

My Grandad has deemed Austin "The Little Conversationalist" and I think it quite fits him! Today is his first day of first grade and he was so excited! I didn't even have to wake him up! So now he is at school, Danny is taking a nap and it is so quiet! I have no one to talk to but myself or the cat!

Pictures for Tanya

Here are some pictures of Mark, Tanya and Maysie. Thank you guys for letting me practice on you!

Maysie's 1st Birthday!

My sweet niece Maysie had her first birthday this last weekend and the party was an absolute blast! It was filled with family, good times and good cupcakes! Maysie was, of course, the little star.
Whew, opening all those presents was hard work!
What a lucky little girl - her first pony!
There was a pinata that the kids loved demolishing!
But they had the most fun in the water!
Danny had been waiting all day to get his hands on one of the cupcakes!
Summer, little Miss Abigail, Me and Andera. Thanks for taking this picture Miriam!
Giving goodbye hugs to Great Grandma.

Kookles Nursing Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Trying to win this for my friend's baby shower. It's a great idea for any nursing mothers out there.
Kookles Nursing Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Ode to a Cowboy Hat

Austin's cowboy hat, beaten, battered, dirty and worn was the inspiration for today's impromptu photo shoot.

Kinda, Sorta, Date Night

Last Saturday we had plan to go on a double date with our friends Brad and Crystal, and I had been really looking forward to it!
Well, Thursday night the big fire started and that changed everything! When an emergency like this happens, all of Bryce's days off are canceled, (no matter that he had just finished working 4 straight 12 hour shifts and was ready for a much deserved break) and he is now working emergency overtime, 14 hour, shifts until the fire clears. It's been rough and he is so exhausted but I am grateful that the fire is not close enough to threaten our home!
Since I still had someone lined up to watch the boys, Crystal and I decided to still go out. We went and watched "The Time Traveler's Wife", a total chick flick. We both loved it, and cried. A Lot! After it was over we wandered down town Santa Cruz, taking pictures of whatever caught our eye. Then we went and picked up pizzas to take to our guys while they were working. They were at a fixed station blocking entry into the fire areas and so were not able to leave. It was great to get to spend a little time with Bryce, even if it wasn't an official date! It was also great to have some time off from the 2 little monsters at home!

Smuggler Caves!

Good news everyone! Austin has decided he does not want to be a smuggler when he grows up. Whew! What a worry off my mind!
It all started when we visited Pigeon Point Lighthouse this afternoon. We have been there several times yet I had never before noticed the trail that led down to the beach at Whalers Cove. So today that is the area we explored and it was so beautiful! It was sandy, rocky, rugged, mysterious and littered with shiny pieces of shells. It also had lots of nooks and crannies, want-to-be smugglers caves! Austin wanted to go and explore the caves and I asked him if he thought they were smugglers caves. He did not know what smugglers were, so I had to explain it all to him. Coincidentally the cove was used for rum-running during prohibition. And now Austin is fascinated with smugglers and finding liquor in caves!
The boys could have stayed for hours just running from the waves and throwing rocks!
Run away, run away!
Danny doing some serious rock climbing.
Austin scouting out the bay.
Mr. Saggy Britches - the pound of sand in his rolled up cuffs was weighing him down!
Beach Stairs
It makes me so sad to see lighthouses falling into ruin and no longer used.
I love this one of the boys!
A little relaxation.

Santa Cruz Mission

This weeks field trip was to the Santa Cruz Mission for an old fashioned campfire. We brought a picnic dinner, made tortillas, explored the mission and, of course, had a campfire with stories and songs.
Enjoying our picnic dinner
And the boys being silly. They are quite good at that!
Austin pressing his tortilla.
Exploring the grounds.
Climbing the walls.
Enjoying the campfire with Ranger Julie. Both of the boys really enjoyed it. They sang songs about animals, got to be mosquitoes in a skit, and learned why the coyote howls at the moon!
Austin snapped a picture of Bryce and I. It was great to have Bryce along with us on one of our summer adventures, finally!
Some pictures I took . . .