The great thing about California is that outside fun can continue into fall without too much inconvenience. We barely skipped a beat and never stopped eating ice cream until December, really. The rent we are paying seems exorbitant, but the weather is really fab. Pluses and minuses. Everyday, the pros and cons swirl in my head.
Eddy and I stopped for a street sign picture. Eliza wearing my grandpa Ed's wooden shoes. One of my most treasured items from my grandparents' house.
Beaches. We have been to a few, and a couple more than once. I love living on the coast and being close enough to get away to the ocean. Feeling the fresh air, hearing the roar of the waves, I love it. The beach is always more fun with daddy, with mermaid tails and digging for sand crabs.
Santa Cruz quickly became one of my favorite day trips. We've returned several times and no visit has been complete without Marianne's ice cream. They have so many flavors. My favorite is the Mexican chocolate. They also have a cardamom pistachio Collin and I like, as well as orange chocolate.
I love this picture. But kid needs a haircut.
We went to the pier and enjoyed a few rides. Once per kid. It was fun, although I don't know if we'll do it again. Unless they are spending their own pocket money!
I'm trying to remember to take more every day pictures, without styling, without removing any ugly, without posing the children just so. I think our life is pretty gorgeous, even with all the laundry and stinky shoes.
Which visitor was this with? I can't even remember now, those first months were a blur. But we popped into the cable car museum and got to see the actual cables running. That was so cool! Still on my list for someday soon is to ride a cable car.
General Conference weekend my sister Katy was visiting. We watched a session from the tent, then went into the city for a Chinese lunch. We walked a good bit of the city because parking so we also got to see the (replica) Gates of Paradise.
Whenever I take a cute picture on my phone I kick myself it's not on my "real" camera. And then I kick myself because how lucky are we, to be able to so easily and relaxingly take pictures to remember children at 8, 6, and 4.
One of Eddy's birthday presents--and really to all the kids--was a fish tank. They chose three small and three medium goldfish. Most were gone within a few weeks, a couple hung on, but soon enough only one remains. But he has now made it through us being gone for two weeks and some pretty shoddy daily care, so he's a hardy one. His name is Bob and he's my buddy. I actually am very fond of that fish. The kids could care less.
I thought I could make it without a Costco membership, but I lasted a couple days on that. The frozen yogurt got me in the end. (Although our Costco recently started selling only frozen yogurt and that's just not okay. So disappointed. I may be saying goodbye to Costco after all.)
Swimming at Aunt Camilla's pool before it closed for the season. It was an extremely hot week, so it felt so good!
Cousins on their way to a family holiday. It was so fun that we were just a few miles out of their way so we met up for lunch! The major pros of being close to family.
After school sometimes looks like this, with smiles. Sometimes not so much . . .
Work and play. Trying to do more and more of both.
More San Francisco. Trying out all the bakeries. This one--the Holmes Bakery--had a sublime churro croissant. Aricault bakery has a chocolate almond croissant that I cannot stop craving. So we're doing okay in the treat department.
More snapshots, just because. It's not technically good, it's not really pretty but it is as authentic as can be--I can still hear those giggles.
Getting in all the sides of the Golden Gate Bridge. This one above, with the rock maze, is at Land's End on the west side. Below is on the east side at a place called the Wave Organ.
I enjoyed a middle-grade book called "The Book Scavenger" and a sequel "The Unbreakable Code" that take place in San Francisco. I can recommend them. Davy read at least the first one and enjoyed it. Anyway, I found out about a few odd places in the city that may not have come up on my radar from the books, like the Wave Organ. It's created from old cemetery structures and has pipes that go down into the organ. When you put your ear next to one you hear the waves lapping against the pipes rhythmically. Strange and one of a kind.
I've really got to practice this harsh sunlight thing California does. I've been so used to my beloved overcast and diffused light settings for too long!
Always draining the cup. Trying to keep up our afternoon tea habit about once a week.
Library run, Cub Scout hike. All the glorious everyday stuff.
School assignments.
Eliza trying so hard to do the monkey bars. She has a ways to go yet, but I have faith in her. Although I often have to step away to not micromanage.
All my sisters. I couldn't stop humming the Full House song. I also backed into a car on this hill as I was trying to come out of our parking place. Not my finest move. It's-It are another discovery from those books. They are oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches dipped in chocolate. They sell at convenience store freezer boxes, or there is this outlet shop on the way home.
Putting the kids to work wherever I can. They raked . . . I mean swept . . . leaves in the backyard a couple times. Didn't really know they were working they were having so much fun. They don't know how good they have life. But I do, and I'm so grateful.
