Butterfly

Today I am creating a better version of myself. Thank you Oprah and Deepak for the slap upside the head this morning (I received their meditation experience email this morning with these very words).
I am not the same person I was yesterday. I am better than before. As I embark on a big change in my life, changing jobs, I have to keep reminding myself of this. I believe, but I have to practice it. Thankfully, I have found a symbol that represents and reminds me of this, the BUTTERFLY. About 6 years ago, when I was working for Merit, my team was having a hard time adapting to change, so I wrote this quote on the white board in my office, "If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies". What's interesting is that, at the time, I was searching for a quote that other people could relate to, but really what I got was the acknowledgement from the universe that it was OK for me to change. It appeared to me as subtle reminders. I wasn't purposefully seeking out butterflies and I surely wasn't collecting them, but what did start happening is that I spoke the quote and they started to appear. After I gave notice at WLB I was freaking out, what did I just do? Wrapping my head around this change has been a constant battle in my brain. I know that what I am moving to is the next step in creating a better version of myself, but leaving WLB makes me very sad, I am leaving special friends behind. A good friend of mine told me that it is only natural for me to feel this way and tried to give me some perspective, he said, "you jumped and now you are just waiting to land". I understood what he meant, it made sense, of course, I am just waiting to see how this all plays out. It does make me wonder though, if we truly are changing from one moment to the next, then maybe we aren't waiting to land at all. Maybe we are meant to be more like the butterfly and flutter about, creating moments, rather than days, weeks, years, after all - it is the moments we remember.

Here are some ways the butterfly has appeared to me (none intentional, but all purposeful):

These were gifts from my friends at WLB.

I photographed this butterfly being released from a neighbors yard. I thought it was so pretty, I used it on the cover of my 365 days on Instagram book.

 

 

 After I left WLB, I was sitting in my room trying to make sense of the emotions I was feeling, and as I often do, I looked to my "happy place" photo on the wall and wouldn't you know it... there was a butterfly waiting for me.

I will leave you with a quote given to me by Zack, written by Winston Churchill.

To improve is to change,

to be perfect is to change often.

10,000 Steps

I have tried a little experiment for the last couple of days... I have been wearing Gary's FitBit to track my sleep and movement patterns. For those of you not familiar with a FitBit it is basically a rubberized bracelet that syncs to an APP on your phone that monitors your steps, sleep pattern, calories burned, etc.

Essentially it is an experiment in healthy living.
It turns out I am a great sleeper. No shocker there. I sleep like a log - no, REALLY. I have 8 hours a night of completely uninterrupted sleep - not a single movement! Now most of you probably think that is incredible, especially my husband because it seems he never has more than an hour or two of uninterrupted sleep(we're working on that - I see a sleep journal in someone's future), but I love to sleep and 10 hours is my goal!
In addition to finding out what an expert sleeper I am, I also found out that I take less steps on an ordinary day than my son who was home sick in bed. Not sure how that is possible, but it has now become a challenge. Day 1 - I walked approximately 3,500 steps all day - pathetic, I know (I work hard, but apparently my ass is glued to my chair - occupational hazard). Day 2 had to be better - when you know better, you do better! After many detours around the office and extra trips up and down the stairs I was able to add an extra 1,000 steps to my day. Thank goodness, because I may have my husband beat in the sleep department, but he has me beat in the step department. His average is 10,000 steps a day - incredible! Not sure how he does it, but a scene from the show PawnStars comes to mind in which one of the guys in the show attaches the FitBit to a paint can in a hardware store while it is being shook up. Hmmm....
Anyway, it is a little bit addicting to check your progress each day and of course I am my best competitor - I hate to lose!

Disney CEO

When Zack was a toddler we would frequent Disneyland Park two and three times a week. Before he was speaking in full sentences he would ask "go park?" and it meant can we go to Disney. Going to Disneyland WAS like going to the park for him. We would go for a couple of hours, he would run around, see the characters and maybe ride a couple of rides. He loved Toon Town; if Minnie Mouse could speak she would have called him by his first name - we were regulars!

Last night I had a totally different experience with that once little kid. As we stood in line for rides it was quite apparent that he has become much taller than me and in fact when we got to the front of the line at Mr. Toad's (Oh yes, it's a must for me!) the ride operator had told the mom and her son in front of us, "smallest rider first"....I'm sure you can see where I am going with this. Zack had a field day with it...Mom, that means you need to get in first! HA, the joke is on him because now I am the one who gets to sit behind the steering wheel! That hasn't happened for 16 years!

Anyway, as you can imagine the conversation was quite different from 14 years ago. Back then we discussed which character to see, potty breaks and trashcans (he was obsessed; he knew where every trashcan in the Park was). Now, we discussed what changes he would implement and the kind of staff training required to run the Park (when HE becomes CEO of Disney, of course).

It was such a special night, just spending time with my bid kid.
It truly is the Happiest Place on Earth.

Stop the Clock

Who has time for a blog? NO, REALLY! Who?! I set out with the best intentions and then life gets in the way. What else is new?!
I thought I would update you on the events of last week. You know it must have made an impact on me because I haven't bothered to write a post in well...years!

Daniel  My baby went off to 6th grade outdoor science camp! (Is 12 too young to call a baby?)
A short four years ago I sent Zack off to the same camp. Some of you will remember the mental breakdown I had with that one; afterall I was sending MY BABY off to 6th grade outdoor science camp. I have been accused of not knowing when to cut the cord...

Anyway, I was nervous to send him just for the fact that he hasn't been away from home for a full week before. Then God decided to have a little fun with me...

Incident One - Fatal bus crash on the main route into camp (the road was closed for 24 hours). Break failure led to the worst bus crash authorities have seen in 23 years. At 7am the morning he is supposed to leave we got a call from the school saying "sorry folks, no camp today". That is when the tears started. (Daniel was hysterical that camp was postponed and I was hysterical that I got to keep him with me another day) The next morning all systems were go; I shipped him off to the mountains. The next couple of days were spent just trying to stay busy. It helped that Gary and Zack bought me a new laptop - they know when a distraction is needed!

Incident Two - Sweeping manhunt (in vicinity of camp) for lunatic ex-LAPD who has shot and killed multiple people. That was a bad afternoon; that was Thursday. Let's see, hysterical mom has to pull off the side of the road because she is crying so hard she can't see the lanes. I attempt to go to design class and leave half way through due to panic attack. Luckily my mom and husband are able to talk some reason into my head or I would have been driving up the mountain to get him.

Incident Three - Snow and rain the morning of the departure from camp. Of course at this time my thoughts went back to incident one...

Something Gary said to me while Daniel was away is that he is not going to come home from camp and thank me for worrying about him. It's not something he would want me to be doing (lucky for me it's just in my nature...)
I hate it when he is right!

Daniel had the best time at camp. He had such great stories, such great memories and was even talking about going to sleep away camp this summer. That will be an entirely different post....
All that worrying and he had the time of his life; and you know what? He never once asked me if I worried about him!
So glad we are all under the same roof! I am one happy mom.

From the Johnson Archives

Remember that list of fairies I posted the other day? Well, another fairy that will be visiting our house soon is the tooth fairy. Zack will have six teeth extracted on March 31st. Which brings me to the "archive":

Zachary had seven teeth pulled in 2004. I know what you are thinking...how many teeth is he going to have left? Let's just say he has a very overcrowded mouth...kind of like a shark.

Zack post extractions in 2005.

Anyway, Gary and I took Zack to the oral surgeon in June of 2004. I sat with him while they put the IV in his arm and watched him fall asleep (this, by the way, is Zack's worst memory of the whole ordeal; the needle poke of the IV). The nurse ushered me back to the waiting room where Gary was thumbing through a magazine. An anxious and excruciatingly long half hour later it was all over. The nurse came out and said we could come back to the operating room and see him. Well, anyone who knows Gary knows that he can't stomach that type of thing. So I said I would go, he could wait there. I walked into the extremely bright operating room to see my little eight year old lying on the operating table; barely awake with bloody gauze in his mouth. Is it getting hot in here or is it just me??? He mumbles, "Hhhhii, mmmmmm". Well, that is all it took to put me over the edge. Now, I know it is getting hot in here! I think I am just going to take off my jacket....all of a sudden the nurse is running over yelling "she is going down, get a chair". I think I will just rest my head on the table for a minute. Where is the oxygen?!? Next thing I know I am being wheeled into the recovery room (yes, hooked to the oxygen tank), where Zack is already waiting for me.(when did they move him?!?) So there I sat, in the recovery chair with Zack looking across the room at me from the "visitor" chair. This is about the time that the nurse went to the waiting room to proclaim to Gary, "Well, they are both doing better now!" You can imagine Gary's shock when he saw the two of us.... his son sporting a mouthful of gauze and his wife sniffing oxygen.


We both recovered from the event, but it will forever be apart of Johnson history!

Wish us luck for round two!

Office Fairies

Office Fairies are the people in my office; who I rarely see (they are magical like that); who make my life easier while at work.

I started thinking about that this morning when I noticed my paper supply had been magically re-stocked.

I need to look into fairy service at home:

The paper fairy: I would never have to run out at 8:00pm to buy a ream of paper because one of the boys used the last sheet and has a 10 page paper due the next day. Thank you for reloading the printer, paper fairy!

The trash fairy: I would never have to kick the bathroom trash out of the way to get to the toilet OR come home to the smell of stinky kitchen trash. Thank you, trash fairy, for keeping the trash bins emptied (and void of rotting food).

The bathroom fairy: I would never have to look at drips and dribbles (I’m in a house of boys…you get the drift). Thank you, bathroom fairy, for cleaning the toilet and sink 4 times a day (even if it is at the very time I have to go…without fail).

The breakroom fairy (aka the coffee fairy): This is more of a convenience for Gary since I don’t drink coffee, but the fairy does restock the tea so I can see a use for him. Gary would never again have to run out to Starbucks because he ran out of coffee in the early am hours. Thank you, coffee fairy, for supplying us with multiple varieties of teas and coffees...especially the caffeinated ones for Gary :)

The vacuum fairy: I would never have to nag Gary to vacuum the house again (imagine that)! Thank you, vacuum fairy, for sucking up all the paper punches I almost always spill on the rug while emptying the electric hole punch.

The computer fairy: I would never have to worry about fixing my computer, loading software, or killing viruses again! Thank you, computer fairy, for loading all of the most up to date software and never causing me a moment of down time.

I think I need to update the chore charts for my boys...I'm sure these services can be negotiated for the right dollar amount!

Time to catch up

I know...I missed you too! It has been 4 months since I last posted a blog.
I have some major catching up to do. How about I give you a few of the highlights from the last few months and we just move on...agreed?! Great!

1. The Kindle is the best invention since the ipod! No joke, I am addicted to it. Since December I have read: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, 10 facts about Disneyworld by Jeremy Schultz, The Confession by John Grisham, Room by Emma Donoghue, Day after Night by Anita Diamant, Leaving Home by Jodi Picoult, and Alone by Lisa Gardner. Let's not skim over the fact that I have also set many high scores on EveryWord, Word Search, Shuffled Row, and Mine Sweeper. Oh yes, I am kicking butt on EveryWord!

2. Zachary achieved double honor roll for his grades at the Middle School and his Geometry class at the High School; he accomplished this while having 2 toe surgeries and beginning the orthodontia process. Not bad at all!!! He will have some teeth removed later this month and gets the rest of his braces on in early April. In late November he decided to have a Bar Mitzvah so, he has learned the Hebrew alpha bet and is now reading and chanting Hebrew prayers. I am so proud of him.

3. Daniel has had more homework in 4th grade than Zack has had in 8th grade. The poor child has slaved over the books for hours every night. I have hopefully put an end to it with a (persuasive?!)conversation I had with his teacher. I guess she (reconsidered?!) her homework policy over the last two weeks and Daniel has been able to finish in under an hour (tear free I might add)! As always, Daniel is a constant source of entertainment around our house.

4. Gary has been deliberating on the next car he should buy. There has been serious talk (on his end) of getting a Westfalia. What's that you say??? Why would he want to get a Westfalia? Because there is a sink AND a refrigerator right on board AND wouldn't that be AWESOME for all of the (maybe 2) camping trips we take every year?!?! Of course it would be! (If we lived in the backwoods!) It's OK ladies, you can calm down now, I have convinced him to look at other cars as well. (Jane, that doesn't mean he is getting a big ASS truck!) He is being mindful that I don't want to be seen pushing a car up a hill (I think that is why he got a AAA membership)!



5. My sister is having a little girl. This IS one of the highlights of the last 4 months because you all know my family has been swimming in a sea of blue for the past 14 years.

6. I am a full-time working woman. The best part of this is that Gary has been doing most of the cooking. I come home just in time for dinner. The other great benefit of working is that Gary hired a gardner. Yep, I guess he figures since he is doing all the cooking he doesn't have time to mow the lawn. We live quite the life of luxury!

All in all it has been a great 4 months!
Talk soon,
Julie

It's All About the Party

It's true you know, It IS all about the party. At least in Daniel's world.

This fact scares me because I know the fun (trouble) his father had when he was a teenager. If Daniel lives for the PARTY pre-teen years, what is he going to be like at 16? God help me.

Daniel plans his birthday parties out months in advance...sometimes even the day after a party. He always wants to know how he can make it bigger and better!

Today we attended the Bar Mitzvah of a close friend of ours. Daniel was in awe. The questions began...
1. If I have a Bar Mitzvah can I invite all of my friends to my party?
2. even if they aren't Jewish?
3. How about Great Grandpa Johnson...he will be 103 by then.
4. So, all I have to do is have my Bar Mitvah and I am assured of a giant party at 13?

Yes, Daniel, ALL you have to do is have your Bar Mitzvah and we will have a great big party for you. All your family and friends will be there to celebrate.(consider yourselves all invited)

And so the carrot dangles....

New Job

Crazy week...

I started my new job at Merit Association Services on Monday. For those of you who don't know, I am working full-time as administrative support for the MAS executive team.

I am loving it. The people and atmosphere are great!

Monday was my first day and in typical Johnson fashion I woke up with a full blooming cold. Not a good way to start my first day, but I made it through. I ran on pure adrenaline all day and literally crashed when I got home; I was asleep by 8:00pm.

Tuesday morning was one of those mornings when you ask god "REALLY"? My cold was worse; runny nose like a faucet, Daniel woke up sick(coughing, stuffy nose)he ended up staying home from school, and we had pee leaking out of our kitchen ceiling. Yup, you heard me correctly. Yellow water leaking out of the molding around the spice cabinet. Now that I am a working woman I kissed Gary goodbye and said "Have a good day". Ha

Wednesday feeling a little better and we got good news on the leaky pee pee ceiling. It turns out the seal around our master bathroom toilet had corroded and was leaking down into the space between the floor of the bathroom and the ceiling of the kitchen. It was an easy fix and we didn't end up having to claim it on our insurance. Hooray.

Thursday; I have almost made it through the whole week! Still loving the job and looking forward to going in tomorrow. I am starting to feel better so I am not quite as exhausted tonight. Gary on the other hand is looking downright frazzled. He has been picking up all the slack this week; cooking meals, taking care of sick kids(me and Daniel), attending to plumbing issues, carpooling...I am going to start calling him Mr. Mom.

I will try to write more this weekend and give you details of the office and my coworkers.
Night Night!
Julie

Busy Week

Where has the time gone? One minute I am attempting 500 steps(and failing miserably) and the next I am sprinting through my week.

I started the week with a speech evaluation at a private speech pathologist for Daniel and a podiatrist appointment for Zachary, both on the same day.

Daniel's appointment confirmed the longtime diagnosis of Apraxia of speech and gave us some good insight into the supplemental speech therapy he could benefit from. I will save the details for a longer, in depth post sometime in the future.

I will also spare you the gruesome details of Zack's visit to the podiatrist. He had a growth on his toe that had to be removed. Just know that I am a very proud mother; I have a very brave BIG boy. If I was in his "shoes" I would be crying like a little baby. In fact, I might have shed a tear while holding his hand.(If asked, I will deny it)

On Wednesday, I had an interview with Merit Property Management, their MAS division. I thought the interview went well; it seemed like a very good fit for me. So, I waited, and waited, to hear back from them....

Back to the doctor with Zack on Thursday. The toe did not look like it was healing well and it was painful to walk on. The Doc thought it looked good. If he thinks that looks good... (It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine and Jerry see their friend's hideous baby and everyone else thinks it is gorgeous)

Here is Kramer's reaction to seeing the baby... (very similar to my reaction when I first saw Zack's post-surgery toe)(wait for it)


Anyway, we go back next Tuesday for another check of the toe.

Which brings me to Friday. I planned on doing laundry, cleaning house, maybe catching up on some DVRd shows...and then I got the call....

I am really excited to announce that I was offered the position at MAS! (and I am going to accept it!) I did a little dance (Addy thought I was crazy), made some calls and began freak out mode.
OMG, I GOT A JOB!

Life is about to change for the Johnson household...in a good way.

I can't wait to share this new beginning with you.

Have a nice weekend.

500 Steps

One of my favorite shows is The Biggest Loser. The season opener was on last week.

In the opener, contestants were challenged to compete against two other contestants to make it to the ranch; their spot at the ranch had not yet been secured. Their challenge was this: using a step board take 500 steps faster than the other two contestants.

It does seem like a pretty easy task, especially when you are sitting on the couch eating an ice cream cone; no bother that the contestants are drowning in their own sweat...what's the big deal? 500 steps...piece of cake. Oh yum, cake...

I decided I MUST take this challenge! If 400 pound people can haul their weight off the ground mere inches, so can I!

100 steps in 4 minutes that equals about 2.4 seconds a step, a step is measured by BOTH feet up on the board...that was as far as I made it today.

Did I mention I hate to sweat? AND I don't buy into the whole "No Pain No Gain" mantra? My knees were hurting :(

OK, I do feel bad that I stopped without completing the challenge, so I will try it again tomorrow, with plenty of stretching before hand!

Good thing I have "skinny" genes! Thanks Mom and Dad, you're the best!

Can you put down that ice cream cone and take 500 steps?

A Mother's Proud Moment

My boys are the light of my life. There are moments that I look at them with awe and think you have raised two intelligent, well-mannered, handsome young boys;

then, there are moments like today...

Daniel had a Doctors visit to discuss some issues he has been having.
The Doctor looks at his chart and says, "Daniel what grade are you in now?"
Daniel says, "4th".
The Doctor says, "My son is going to be in 4th grade next year, what can I tell him you do in 4th grade?
Daniel says, "stuff". (he is so descriptive!)
The Doctor says, "What kind of stuff do you do?" (The Dr is being very light hearted about his first answer, I am holding my breath)
Daniel says, "fun stuff". (The Doctor laughs it off, he is a good man)

This is the moment I am referring to:

The one where your gifted child comes across mentally challenged. Good thing he is so darn cute!

Scared of Bees

Last month, while packing up after a delightfully relaxing day at the beach, I was stung by a bee.

The nasty little honey sucker landed on my arm and stung me. I had no idea he was even there until I felt the stinging pain. I quickly brushed him off, removed the stinger and licked my wound(just kidding). I did pour cold water over it to take the "sting" away. I paused just briefly, long enough to cry my eyes out. We finished packing up our things and headed for the car.
About 5 minutes had passed at this point. As I was walking, I started to feel woozy; nausea, dizzines, headache...I thought I was going to pass out. I sat down in the shade behind the lifeguard tower. I needed to pull myself together. My mind started racing...was I, in fact, going to pass out?, throw up?, stop breathing?...oh yes, I went there.
The feeling passed, so we began our trek up to the car.
By the next day the sting site had swollen up to the size of a golf ball. The day after that, the swelling had spread and I had little bumps all around it.
I went to the Dr. because I was sure they would have to amputate.
"That's nothing" the Dr. said, "you should have seen the patient who came in earlier today...his elbow was the size of a baseball". Was that supposed to make me feel better?
Diagonosis: Allegic reaction...It's a miracle...I would live!

Yes, I would live, but with a conditioned response to bee sightings. (PTSD, self diagnosed)
Now, when I see a bee, I run for the hills (imagine Phoebe from Friends, a run like that would surely scare the bee away).
I must find a way for myself and bees, everywhere, to coexist. Any suggestions?

4th Grade Homework

So, it has begun.

The 4th grade year is a rude awakening for students and parents EVERYWHERE! I went through it 4 years ago with my oldest son and last night was reminded of it when my youngest son was assigned homework in every subject. REALLY?!

I knew it was coming and yet it was still a shock to my system, and everyone else in the household.

I think it was around 6:00pm last night that we found ourselves in a pow wow discussing a 4th grade word problem. Now, I think of myself as a reasonably intelligent person (OK, exceptionally intelligent, but don't let the cat out of the bag); so, why is it that I can't for the life of me figure out a basic 4th grade division word problem?

I sat by my son's side in case he had questions on any of his homework. I answered all of his questions with the utmost of confidence. Then it was time for math...

He shows me the problem and I say, "Why don't we have Dad help you with your math". He replies, "so, you will help me with all my other subjects and since you aren't very good at math (the nerve) Dad will help me with math"? "NO", I say. "I can help you with math too, Dad just LIKES to help you with math" (lie, no one likes to do 4th grade math).

I've got my dunce hat on for at least another year; are you smarter than a 4th grader?

Holes

Is there anything better than digging a hole at the beach; when you are a 9 year old boy?



Maybe, it's digging with friends...



OR...Letting the big kids do all the work and sneaking in when they aren't looking!





OR...taking a break in a tiny lounging hole.





OR...getting buried in a hole.





Actually, the only thing better than digging a hole, with my friends, is relaxing in it when I'm done!



Enjoy your Labor Day!

Cutting the Cord

There have been a series of events in the last few days that have left me wondering when is the right time to "cut the cord"?

I am guilty of it...I baby my boys. I do everything for them. Isn't that what a mother is supposed to do? Make their life easier and so comfortable they never want to leave home?

I should clarify a few things:

First, I don't run around with a pillow in front of them in case they fall (I bubble wrap the neighborhood); Second, I don't load their toothbrushes for them (I will on occasion brush their teeth if I see too much slime); Third, I don't do their homework for them (I have been know to pull out an awesome posterboard at midnight, and get an A)

So, what is my roll if I am not to make life easier?

Do I say anything when they come out of their room in a mis-matching plaid outfit?
Do I brush their hair for them when they decide to leave the house without even a thought of a comb or brush?
Do I cut their food for them when otherwise we will be sitting at the table for hours waiting for them to finish cutting their butter-soft filet?

Apparently, 13 is too late to cut the cord. Now I have a lot of make-up work to do. Beginning with how to apply sunscreen so as not to get a blistering burn. Did I mention I still apply sunscreen?

When do YOU think is the right time to "cut the cord"?

My New John

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the John Mayer concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Gary and I were invited to go with our good friends Cheryl and Phil.
We tailgated in the parking lot and felt like underage teenagers sneaking beers behind our car.







I was skeptical that a ballad boy could keep the crowd entertained for the evening.

I was so wrong about him. He is so much more than a ballad boy; he has MAD guitar skills and a very entertaining wit.



JM covered a song by Jimi Hendrix that blew us away. He pulled out all the tricks; played the guitar up in the air, on the ground, behind his back. It was awesome. (He may have lost his young crowd who were waiting to hear his pop hits, but we loved it)



JM interwove his music with funny antedotes of his life and did a good job of relating to his young audience. (and even the old audience, not that I would know anything about that)

Some artists don't translate well from radio to the stage, but JM is even better on the stage. I highly recommend seeing him in concert.

Now, of course, no one compares to my other John; the energy he gives to the crowd just can't be matched.



But, all in all, it was an amazing evening.

Beach Etiquette

As you all know by now, I LOVE THE BEACH!



We tried a new beach today, just for the heck of it. I will tell you all about our secret beach(if was fantastic), if you promise to follow some simple "beach guidelines".

1. If you plan on coming to the beach with your extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins...you get the picture) AND you plan on bringing a canopy, a grill, a playpen, folding chairs rented from a party store, and a collapsible table...
you don't belong at our secret beach:


YOU belong at this beach:


2. When choosing a spot on the beach look around you and determine if you are blocking the ocean view of the person directly (1 foot) in front of you, if you are, it is best to find a more appropriate spot.
This was not appropriate (the hole she is balancing on is where Daniel was digging):



3. Speaking of personal space...if you have to squeeze your family into a spot on the beach...YOU ARE TOO DAMN CLOSE!

4. Please determine which way the wind is blowing before you rambunctiously spray yourself (and everyone sitting within 1 foot away from you) with sunscreen.

5. Throw caution to the wind and jump off every sand embankment you can find.


6. Explore the tide pools.



7. Watch for seals.


8. Frolic in the surf.



9. Enjoy the view.



10. Give us a call next time you go....

I have kept you hanging on long enough...our secret destination beach is...
at the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. It is definitely worth the trek down there; you will not be disappointed. There is pay parking on Wesley Dr. or free parking on PCH.
See you there!

Summer Review

Hi, I haven't abandoned my post...my hard drive crashed and it has taken me a couple of weeks to get back up and running. I finally have almost everything restored; minus itunes and a couple of pictures.

Our summer is almost over. 2 more weeks until school starts. I'm not ready, I'm still in relaxation mode. I don't want to think about school supplies, new clothes, backpacks, new schedules. How long can I prolong the inevitable?

So, let's recap the last month, just so I don't have to think about 2 weeks from now. I won't bore you with all of the details of our truly relaxing summer vacation, but here are a few of my favorite pics from August:


Naughty girl


Catching some rays


Zack & Spencer riding the waves


Enjoying the view


Good friends; just hanging out


Ice cream at the Angels game

I love summer fun. I am going to have to cram more fun into the next 2 weeks. Wish me luck!