This past week was a blast - going by way too quickly. I can’t believe that there are only 5 more days until Christmas! This past week we went to see the lights and fun at Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose (pictures coming in a later post). Mike, Lisa and Audrey joined us to enjoy this annual fun-fest. Best of all, this year we got to see Santa!! Check out the video for an idea of how much fun we had.
Papa
Lisa C Being a Great Sport with PJ's on Her Head!
It’s been a long time since Mama and I have had a party that didn’t include a princess related theme, more children than adults or a jumper, and I realized this morning (after yesterday’s party) that’s it been way too long. Needless to say, we did a friendly potluck yesterday (with more adults than children) and it was awesome. Thank you so much for everyone that joined in. The food was fantastic, the weather was amazing (especially for November), the wine was divine, and the company cannot be matched. Thank you to everyone that joined in, we appreciate it more than you know.
Of course, no good party would be great without some stories, a few pictures and maybe a video or two. Fortunately for all, we got a few of each. Don’t worry, nothing too embarrassing for anyone.
Many of our friends that came to this party were co-workers of Gina and their spouses and children. It’s nice to see that most of the teachers have geeky husbands, and that similarity seemed to give everyone something to talk about. John Ironmonger was in town for his daughter’s basketball game (University of Oregon vs. San Jose State) and was able to make it by for a snack and catch-up. I’ve missed seeing John every day, and am very happy to know that he’s doing well, enjoying life and very, very happily married to his sweetie. Carolyn and Carl are (finally) engaged, which added some additional celebration, and there was plenty of good food - for the meaties and the vegies - to go around. Everyone brought along a bottle or two of wine and I think we consumed all but one. That made for a very light afternoon, and at 6:00PM we were still sitting outside enjoy a 71 degree evening in November!
I started reminiscing the other day about how quickly the girls are growing up. It seems like every day they’re into something new, a little taller, or talking about what they did so many years ago. Looking through our pictures - we have slightly over 27,000 in the last four and a half years - brought tears to my eyes from laughter and joy. Seeing their faces and remembering is an amazing experience and one that I hope to relive over and over again. Here, and in their gallery, I am sharing these photos for you in hopes that you will also get some of the joy and laughter from your own experience with these kids.
There is something amazing about theme parks in general and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is no exception. Sure, it’s not a DisneyLand or Six Flags, but the old-school rides, carnival food and gaudy atmosphere make this something special for old and young alike. For me, the park is exciting for more than just rides. It’s the proximity to the ocean that makes this place special for me and the fact that nearly every ride provides a view that is unmatched at the biggest parks. For the children, it means that the excitement doesn’t end when the rides are done - there’s another world to explore, enjoy and share amongst friends.
I like that Mama is only working outside the home half-time and more importantly that being a teacher allows her to take some time off over the summer. I’m sure it’s not enough time for either her or the children, but it’s wonderful that they get to play this summer and I can really see in both Sofi and Natalie how much they appreciate getting to spend time with her. Surprisingly, I am rarely jealous that they’re out having fun together and enjoying the weekdays without me.
Most parents will tell you to enjoy your children as they grow up - and they’ll tell you that it all goes too quickly. Unless you’re living it, though, you really can’t understand how true those words are. This past weekend we celebrated Sofi’s fourth birthday (June 30) and Natalie’s third birthday (July 10), and looking back all I can think about is how quickly it’s passed and how my little girls are growing up. They’re people on their own now, and it tears at my heart just having them as a part of my life.
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Easter was an absolute riot this year. The girls are finally getting into the holiday spirit (mostly because they realize that every holiday comes with some little gift for them), and they were reallyexcited about Easter this year. Of course, because we don’t practice religion, they only think of it as the Easter bunny and candy and toys and fun, but that’s okay with me. It’s just wonderful to see them enjoying the moment and the excitement that they get from the anticipation. This year it was a whole week of excitement for putting out their baskets in preparation for the bunny to come and fill them up.
For the most part, the pictures on this site have been taken by either me or Mama, but I know that other parents take pictures of their children, and mine, when they’re together. Fortunately for us, Michele Shumaker decided to share photos that she took earlier this month when the girls went to Rancho San Antonio with Michele’s children. Obviously, we think the photos are great, and hopefully if you haven’t been to Rancho you will consider this an open invitation as it really is a great place to take your kids. Sure looks like mine had a great time - thanks Michele!
Papa
If seeing the goats was fun for the group, I believe, for the kids at least, the beach afterwards eclipsed even that, and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. We started with lunch at the picnic tables beside Pompono beach just north of Pescadero (south of Half Moon Bay) and then walked across the parking lot to the sun, sand and surf. I hate to rub it in to anyone not experiencing the wonderful weather right now, but we were at the beach (some children in bathing suits) in early March! How cool is that?!?!?
As most of you already know - any good thing can be made better when your friends are along and so back to Harley Farms we went this weekend. This time, though, we included our friends and made the day of it. Babi even decided to join us and seemed to love the goats. Of course, Babi went crazy for the dairy’s cheese, too, so we left our mark on their small market.
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