Jiu Jitsu

E had his first Jiu Jitsu tournament 2 weeks ago. He did awesome! He took his opponent down pretty quickly and dominated the whole time, but in the end he got 4th place. We were so proud of him that he worked hard and didn't give up. The most important part was he had a great time and learned how to be a good sport.

First Day of School 2010

Today was E's first day of first grade! He was so excited. About 3 weeks ago he told me that he missed school, he missed Andrew and lunch and recess and Science class.His new teacher is Miss Macdonald and lucky for him Andrew is in his class again this year!

Here's my handsome boy:

Big Bear 2010

We took our first family destination trip this August. We went up to Big Bear for three days and had a super time. I found a house that was in Sugarloaf which is just outside of Big Bear Lake City. It cost $50/night with a $50 flat cleaning fee. It was perfect, a little bit in the woods, it had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room and kitchen, so I was able to bring food for meals and not have to eat out for every meal. We did eat at the really yummy hamburger restaurant called Get the Burger, it's basically In-n-Out on steriods. Locally owned, and cash only. The owner actually made our milk shakes for us. It was worth the calories.

The first day we went to the Alpine Slide and went down it 3 times, we all loved it. It's a bit pricey and addicting, so it could be very expensive if you got out of control.

M isn't tall enough to go down by himself, but he still loved it.

The chair lift ride up was almost as fun as the slide itself. On the way up M and I saw that someone had lost a shoe, M said, "That's okay, Buzz Lightyear will save it."

It rained the first afternoon we were there but the boys had a great time playing in it anyway. It was very reminscent of the monsoon in AZ, reminded me of home, without the heat.

The second day we were there we took a little hike in the woods and M picked up some souvenirs. He has always loved rocks, specificially, throwing rocks. They were all effectively discarded by the time we got to the end of the trail. We saw probably 30 lizards all over the place on our little walk.

I know, white shorts, hiking? What was I thinking?

We went to the Moonridge Zoo. It's a tiny zoo, but well worth the admission price. They have 6 bears, a wolf pack, a snow leopard, and this mountain lion, as well as several other animals. M is being a mountain lion as well.

E's favorite animal was the bald eagle. You can't tell by the expression on his face but he loved looking at these birds.

We took the boys to a petting zoo/pony rides. Both boys were grinning ear to ear the entire time they were on the pony (named Tiger).

M shocked me that he actually pet the goats and pigs, I thought for sure he would run screaming, but we has super brave. (I'm holding the cup up high because there was one goat that was exceptionally tall and would snatch anything out of your hands if given the opportunity).

Our last day there we went up to the top of the ski slopes to do some exploring. E loves to climb rocks. When he takes a break from jiu jitsu we're going to put him in a rock climbing class. He is a pro.

11 Years

11 Years ago I married my very favorite person in the wide world. I would do it again without question. I've been happier than ever, learned more than ever, and experience true joy being with him. He's pretty much perfect.

I love you A.

Concert in the Park

On Thursdays in July at Mile Square Park they have concerts in the park. We don't go to them often, but when family was in town we want and had a great time.

Just Another Day At The Beach

When A's aunt and uncle Jolena & Steve and their kids were in town, we went to the beach for a few hours, here are the picutres.

Adventure Playground

E and I went with our friends the Orgill's to Adventure Playground in the Huntington Beach Central Park. It costs $3 per child and adults are free. They have a building area where you rent a hammer or saw and are able to build things. They boys did that for at least 45 minutes, it was way simple fun. They also had a mud waterslide, a rope bridge and a pond and raft area. It is a worth your while inexpensive way to spend a few ours during the summer.

E's face says it all.

Beach Days

A's goal is to make sure our family goes to the beach once a week, we've pretty much hit the mark for the most part, and my legs are greatly tanned to proove it.

This pretty much sums up how M feels about the water:

A in his field worker hat, it provides great coverage and is exceptionally stylish to boot: