She's Home!

My daughter returned from camp today! I am very excited to have her home. She is currently in bed resting from her long trip home. I had a fun drive down with Alex's parents and brother. We stayed at a hotel close to camp and ventured over this morning to meet the girls. I couldn't believe how I started crying when I saw her at camp. Good thing I was wearing my sunglasses! After the hugs and catching up we went up to the rec room for their awards ceremony. My daughter and her friend cleaned up! Tay got alot of ribbons and certificates and her best ones were "all around girls" camper and 1st place in animal care and horsemanship. Her friend got a ton of awards too but her favorite was the "all around" camper. That was fantastic. She thought taylor was going to get that one too but she pulled it out and it made her very happy. She lost grand champion horse by 1/2 a point so the plaque she got for the all around made up for it. The girls had a great time and taylor can't wait to go back next year. She's already informed me that she wants to go back for 3 weeks next year!

Now it's time to get ready for school! We're getting a hair cut and some new uniforms and shoes during the next week and then off to school after labor day. Hope everyone had a great summer. I look forward to this year and the challenges that 5th grade will hold for my daughter.

I've discovered the Bay Area...and I like it!

This past weekend I had a friend from out of town come in to visit. Plans were made and I was to be a tour guide of the SF Bay Area. Now I don't know about you, but I haven't really toured around the bay area. Growing up here you really take advantage of the amazing places we have to offer. That said, here's the run down of my tour guide abilities!
We started off by going straight to the Apple campus in Cupertino. I'm not an apple fan but my friend was and wanted to see the "mothership". Additionally, they have a company store there that sells items only available at the company store. It really wasn't all that exciting and in the end even the apple freak wasn't that impressed. BUT we took pictures and got some "available only" souveniers. After that we headed to my favorite local restaurant, Lark Creek, and had a great meal. I love the meatloaf there and their Lemon Drops are outstanding.
The next day we headed to Alcatraz and SF. Again, haven't been there in years but off we went. It was very cool. They have an audio tour that is included in your ticket price and it was very interesting. Then we walked down to Pier 39 and the wharf. We walked all over. Looking at the crazy souveniers. Down to Ghiradelli square and back to pier 39. We saw the sea lions..they were cute. I had planned on walking the Golden Gate bridge but we spent so much time at the wharf that we just went up to Coit Tower, Down lombard and then over to ocean beach, where Brian went into the Pacific ocean for the first time! I know it was only feet, but it counts. After that we headed over to Oakland to see the A's play the 1st place white sox (Bris hometown team). After the white sox had developed a lead, I am proud to say that our hometown team pulled ahead with a walk off home run in the bottom of the 9th to win it. Someone was bummed about the loss, but don't worry the White Sox came back and won the next 2 games on saturday and sunday. Saturday we headed down to monterey. I have to say that was the most boring part for me. It was cloudy and cold. Not so much to see. We went to the aquarium, which saved the day. It was really neat. Lots of otters! After that we headed to Santa Cruz and luckily saw some sea lions just milling about on a pier. We stopped and took some pics and then travelled on. The Boardwalk was crowded with lots of people. We rode the Giant Dipper and then the Carousel which was fun. Like riding it with a 4 year old! Then got free tickets to a new ride. Some shoot out computer generated one. It was fun. I came in 2nd, Brian came in first. Someone gloated over that for a while.


Sunday we headed over to Marin. It was foggy and cold but we went over to the Golden Gate bridge. I took a wrong turn, which ended up being a right turn and discovered an overlook I had no idea existed. Beautiful views of the bridge, city etc on the pacific and the bay side. We then headed down and parked and walked out a 1/3 of the way. I haven't done that for 20 years. It was very interesting. I wouldn't take the kid out there cause it's scary being up so high, but it'll be fun one day. The weekend is over..time to start getting back into the real world. Work and picking up tay from camp this weekend. Soon enough school will start and 5th grade will bring on a whole new challenge!
Hope everyone had a great summer.

Our first sleepaway camp!

Sunday morning we got up and got ready for Taylors first time at sleepaway camp. She was going with her BFF alex for two weeks and Jacinda and Hannah are going to be there for one week. It was very emotional for ME! Not my child she was all...ok mom cya while I wanted to hug her and unpack and stay there for hours. Her camp is down in So cal right across from the beach. Well night right across but you up in the hills. A beautiful view driving down.








We took some pictures, got her registered and settled and then I left.




I headed back up to nor cal on the long drive home. 6 hours later I arrived at my house and gave my cat some attention, took a nap and finished this blog. I hope taytay has fun at camp! I'll miss her, but I have an exciting week coming up..more to come.


Tay and Sad mommy Alex and Steph

Birthdays and Bull Riding?!?

Saturday we had a lazy morning and waited for the rest of our crew to join us. Heather, Cameron, Lori, Tim, Kristen, Emily, Marr, Jacinda, Dom, Aaron and his daughter Hannah we all expected to arrive after 10am. Heather and Cam arrived first followed by my partner in crime Lori and family which included taylors BFF from the cruise Kristen. Marr and clan didn't make it to Bubbas before leaving for lunch but they were going to meet us at the restaurant. It was a big birthday party for Dom (5), Emily and Brooke (both 6) at a local pizza place. The kids played video games, ate pizza and impatiently waited for marr and clan to show up. Luckily she made it just before we were going to cut the cake without them. The birthday kids had a great time and happily opened their presents.
Thanks for the cake BandV! It was great. After lunch we headed over to the beach to park and take the shuttle to the Ventura County Fair. This is where the fun began. Carnie food and lots of it. I was not feeling so great from all the crap I had eaten over the weekend, but I had to have funnel cake. We all split up and hit different parts of the fair. Lori and I took Kristen and taylor to the big rides first. Then we found tim and emily and went off to find the livestock. I went to my very first rodeo and saw the bull riders.
I was impressed. My first rodeo...so many people who would be impressed by that! After the rodeo we finally found the livestock. I took pictures of the grand champion heifer and swine and we walked around and saw all of the other animals. Then Lori took emily to use the last of her tickets. Tim and I and the kids found everyone else sitting down and we got my funnel cake, corn dog and beer and relaxed. We all decided it was time to leave and headed back on our special yellow bus shuttle to the beach. We took some time at the beach to let the kids run around and play in the sand. It was a beautiful evening and the kids had a great time. Then we headed back to the house to start our evening of reminising of vacations past. Of course it included drinking and plans for our next vacation. Repo anyone!? Summer 2010! We had to say goodbye to heather, cam, lori, tim, kristen and emily as they were just down for the day.
Taylor, kristen and emily. too cute!

It was sad to see them go but it was great to see them! Our night ended a little later than the previous night but we were all tore up and tired and bed was calling our names!

Friday Fun day: A Magical Reunion!

Friday was the first day of the big cruise reunion. All of us from our magical panama cruise were meeting up in Oxnard at Bubba and V's house. Gaylean and Jon got there first with their kids and my kid. I arrived around noon. Bubba had to work but V took the day off to meet up with us. We got our stuff all settled in and headed to "lunch". Although most of us had eaten my skeletal child wanted mozzarella sticks. So off to chili's for us. I ordered food (big mistake) and they were no longer selling mozzarella sticks so taylor got a quesadilla. Gaylean and Jon had chips and salsa and the "big" beers. We all had our version of Drinks of the Day. After our lunch we headed back to the house to wait for bubba to get home. Then off to dinner at their favorite mexican place and back to the house for tequilla sunrises. We started playing poker and my daughter joined us and cleaned up the place. Too bad we weren't playing for cash! An early night for me as I got up at 5am to drive down there. So off to bed at midnight.

Heading to Camp

This past weekend it was time for taylor to head to camp. She was in So. Cal. with her dad for the week and we coordinated a place to pass her from one to the other down there. So I had a nice relaxing drive down to Oxnard, CA by myself. My favorite part of the drive down 101 is arriving at Pismo beach (and all the clams you can eat!). The mountains just open up and there's the Pacific Ocean. It's beautiful although friday it was foggy and my fanatastic view was obstructed! The ocean goes away for a while and then comes back out again at Gaviota and you have this beautiful scenery all the way down to oxnard. There's something about driving with the Ocean on your side that is so relaxing and makes the long drive better. Arriving in Santa Barbara is always nice.


Some day I plan to actually stop at all these places and spend some time visiting. Sounds like a nice mellow vacation to me. A week at the beach in califorina all down the state!

**all pictures taken with my IPHONE, I apolgize for my car being in them. I haven't mastered the camera yet!