Back to Posting -Back to Work -Back to the Rat Race

Hi Everyone. I'm posting for the first time since April. Guess I took a little break. Sometimes posting felt like a chore for me, and I know many of my family and friends enjoyed them...but I decided that I only want to post if it feels FUN. And by that I mean that I, as well as you, get some joy out of my posts!

In 2 days I return to work. A job I feel so blessed to have in the current recession. I had an awesome summer vacation with my family. So hard to believe it's over. Since ya'll would rather look at pictures than "listen" to my ranting...here is a sampling of some of the things we've been doing since April:

Brian acquired a new (used) boat and a new hobby.
She's called "The Slack Off".

A visit to the Lefty store for our southpaws.

In June we took a fabulous vacation to Isla Mujeres, Mexico!

Had a fun reunion of Pepperdine friends in San Ramon, CA.

Sent my son, Zach, off on a week of adventure aboard houseboats on Lake Shasta.

Celebrated my baby girl's 13th birthday.
She waited all year for that cellphone!

Spent a week with my kids
helping out with Vacation Bible School.
They made great crew leaders!

Now, as I write this, my son is in San Luis Obispo, CA
riding quadrunners with his friend.
One last weekend of fun before he starts school as a junior in high school.

My daughter is vegging out, watching tv...2 more weeks before she
has to go back to school. Lucky girl!

Brian, my husband is working on "the Slack Off"
hoping to take us out for a ride later...
and me, I'm just trying to get myself organized.

Hope y'all are having a wonderful summer! Thanks for visiting!

December 2009 Round-Up

Seems I've been MIA for the month of December,
but I didn't want to move on into the new year without
filling ya'll in on some of the things we did.

We started out December with a new pet:
meet Yoshi, the bearded dragon.

Just so you know, it wasn't MY idea. It was my
daughter... and my husband, who couldn't say, "No."
after days of begging and pleading from my daughter.

The first Christmas party I attended was my
work party at the Diehl's home.
It was attended by one the 3 Wise Men (Royce) and his
assistant, Crystal. Too funny!

I got to see an old friend from highschool days-
Mark Troutner. His wife, Theresa works
at my school!

Here's my daughter, Summer, starring in the 7th
grade Christmas skit at Vineyard Christian Middle School. She's the girl on the right kneeling down and praying.

Christmas Eve celebration at my in-laws home.
Zach, Summer and their cousins Courtney, Brittney and Kalie.

Christmas morning at our home.

Christmas afternoon at my parents home.
The Louie cousins: Amanda, Tara, Chad and Carson.

Summer and Paulina decorate cakes.

Ta-da!!!


It was a fun and very blessed month.


My son passed his written driver's test a couple of days before Christmas. So now we are teaching him to drive. Scary! Please keep us in your prayers! Thanks!!!

Our Own Cake Boss

My daughter loves watching the CAKE BOSS show.

He is SO talented.
He makes works of art like this...

...and these. Amazing.

One day my daughter got inspired to do some cake baking of her own. We had a cake mix, but no frosting so she turned to the handy-dandy internet and found a recipe!

What a smart girl!

She mixed, baked, and frosted the entire cake all by HERSELF!

It's her PEACE sign creation.

Preeeetty cute!

And it didn't taste bad either!

(She also won that cute cake stand from a raffle. See, she was destined to bake cakes!)

How You Know Your Teenager Has Been Gone

You know that your teenage son has been away from home for a few days...

If his room looks clean...well, picked up anyway.

And his bathroom is spotless....

The kitchen cup cabinet is FULL...
(man, I need to get me some
matching coffee mugs!)

And I don't have to wait in line to use the computer!!!

{Perhaps that's why I've been able to get so much blogging done lately!}

It's been too quiet and too clean around here...
{I'm so glad he's coming home tonight!}

A Rare Moment in Time...

AGAIN, life has been too busy...too busy to post...to busy to read blogs
but I am EXCITED 'cause it's 2 weeks until summer vacation!
I will be OFF for 2 months- YEAH!

That means I will then have LOADS of time to waste-oops, I mean spend on the
computer. Lately, any free computer time I get
is spent in mindless time-sucking on FACEBOOK...(but you have to
admit it's fun to reconnect with old friends!)

Here is a picture of a rare moment in time when my precious
boy and girl were getting along nicely.
Of course they were playing Playstation...but they weren't arguing
and I just had to grab my camera to record this moment in time!

I had to delete about 5 photos 'cause Zach would turn his
head everytime I snapped the photo- STINKER!

Finally I got them...See them trying NOT to smile!