YIKES!

       This was the most sobering press conference I've ever seen. Seriously, it is like out of a movie. John and I have just spent the last hour or so watching coverage of the south as they prepare for this upcoming storm.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7590336.stm

It is so sad to think of all of those people, entire CITIES having to leave their homes, knowing they may come back to nothing. We will be thinking of all those people in the next couple of days. I feel so grateful that I've never had to experience that type of weather!

no no no no NO.... well ok - maybe

I hate to break it to you all, but summer as you've known it, is coming to an end! This past week has been spent frantically trying to squeeze in every last thing I wanted to do before school began. You know, harvest the garden, hike to Bertha Falls, one last trip to Glacier, go fishing, Walleys Beach... yadda yadda yadda. Something tells me most of those things will have to wait until next year. Luckily, my Brother Chad and his wife came down for the weekend. We spent a few days playing with them, eating at Jewel's, watching movies, and pickling! Heather, Jewel, and I did pickels AND beets! It was such fun to work alongside the two of them. As we chatted, laughed and stuffed jar after jar...it hardly seemed like work at all.


Before Chad and Heather went home they took us to Writing on Stone for the day. Neither John or I had ever been there before. It really was an amazing little place, full of hoodoos and fun things to climb on. I couldn't help but think of a few of John's nephews who would have LOVED it there. Our kids played and climbed and would have done so for hours if we'd let them. We enjoyed a great picnic together, played down at the beach and basically tried NOT to think about the fact that summer was almost over. HA!

That was yesturday.     This morning we got up early, and John got ready for work. Even though the students don't begin classes until Tuesday, John had to start work today.      All morning I kept begging him to just call in sick.      Don't go.      If he truly loved me....he wouldn't go to work ...that kinda thing.        I know- I'm not needy or anything eh?:)         I am not ready to say good bye to the convenience of having him around all the time.      It's been so nice.  Perhaps I just know too well this time around what we are in for.    Hours of lesson prep...late night marking....coaching.... Arrgghhhh!             So that is how today went.    John went to work, and I took the kids grocery shopping alone, harvested the onions, baked 8 loaves of zuchini bread and cleaned out my fridge.     The entire time however, I was lamenting the fact that we were not out enjoying these fleeting summer days!

However, I couldn't help but notice some nice and perhaps welcome changes. For example I actually cooked a meal tonight, and we ate alone as a family for the first time in a long time.   We enjoyed a nice family walk as the sun set.     The kids were in their beds by 8:30 as opposed to the summer routine of you know -  no earlier then 11:00!   I forgot how nice routine is.

So what started out to be a sad goodbye to a really great summer, has almost become a welcome to the new season.     I really do think I'm looking forward to the change.     Someone remind me of that when the first snow falls eh!



            

Family

John's sister got married this past weekend. We had such a fun time visiting with family, playing in waterton and celebrating Rachel's marriage to Brent. What a beautiful day that was. Now that everyone has left, we are only wishing we'd spent more time with each of them. The week flew by - much too fast!!!

Thanks Rach for giving us a reason to get together. You were a beautiful Bride!!!

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Happy Birthday

I just wanted to wish my sister Jewel a Happy Birthday. I feel so blessed to have the sisters that I do. Crystal, Jewel, and Heather are probably my dearest friends. Since it is Jewel's birthday, this post is going to be all about her! Jewel is so many things to me. Since I was little she's filled so many different shoes. She's been a babysitter, a mother, a nurse, a sister, but most of all ...a friend! She's an example to me of the kind of mom I want to be, and at times, she's helped keep me focused on what is most important in life. Family.

She's always so willing to open up her home, give of her time, and help whenever needed. She's more like my mom then anyone I know. You might recall how on my birthday, Jewel threw me a surprise party. I wish I could do more today to celebrate you Jewel! We sure love ya.

What's BEAN going on!

You know, no matter how much I fight it, the summer is flying by. Have any of you noticed that? It was as if one moment we had tonnes of time to spare, and now we are scrambling to squeeze everything we had planned into our last couple of weeks. Abby received a letter in the mail this week, from her kindergarten teacher, "Mrs. Bennett" John has begun the discouraging process of preparing his course outlines prepping some of his future lessons. The evenings are getting cooler. The sun is going down sooner, and yesterday I noticed that our pumpkins are really starting to take off and grow. I'm not ready for this. Well I am, ...and I'm not. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fall, I think it is my favorite time of year, but I"m so not ready for summer to be over.



We've enjoyed many afternoons this week watching the kids play on the trampoline. It's caused some headaches, but for the most part it's been fun! I've even enjoyed a jump or two once the kids have gone to bed. :)

Sam's birthday was on Thursday. Three!! I am so glad the whole "terrible two" phase is past. In true SAM fashion, we spent a large portion of his birthday sitting in the emergency room getting x-rays. Sam hurt his elbow on ...you guessed it...the TRAMPOLINE! It was a little sad to see him blowing out candles with a hospital wrist band on. We're off to a good start!



We've harvested BEANS this week. Now, they aren't beans from my garden, because the beans in MY garden didn't take very well, the cursed things! Fortunately, my Father in law gave us a large portion of his crop. Sure it was more work then we'd bargained for, but oh so worth it. We stayed up until two in the morning blanching and freezing. 82 bags later though, I'm back to loving the whole garden thing!

This picture of John is definitely one for the books. One of my favorite things about having a garden this year has been the time that John and I have spent side by side, late at night when the kids are asleep. He makes even shelling, and blanching fun.


Oh summer- just slow down a bit, so we can enjoy you for a little while longer!

3 pics of a THREE year old!

It is hard to believe that Sam is three years old now! You know people always tell me to enjoy being a mom because it "goes by so fast." I usually just nod my head, inwardly not believing there has been anything fast about it so far. But it really does seem a little bit scary to me as I think about when he was born, that three years have indeed rushed by.

Out of all my kids, Sam is the one who truly makes me work for my money! Ok, since I don't get paid to be a mom- he just makes me WORK! One moment he can have me fuming mad over something he has done, and the next minute he is wrapping his sweet little arms around my neck, making my heart melt in the process. I love this kid, and I hope time slows down...just a little, so I can really enjoy this time with him.


Happy Birthday Sam!

"Pimp" my Trailer!

No I'm not talking about the latest reality TV show. Just thought it was noteworthy to comment on some of the work we've been doing on the good ole' home this past week. First, we got a nifty little picnic bench that isn't really little at all! These tables were built for the three surrounding stakes to use at Moroni's quest this year. After the events were over the tables were sold to whomever wanted one. We snatched one up and have enjoyed many afternoons and evenings here. The hanging baskets are a nice touch if I may say so myself. Sure it may make the place look like a couple of 80 year olds live hear, but whatev... I like em!





We've spent several days working on this:


I've been touch up painting all the walls in our house, and John has been installing the baseboards everywhere. This was one of those things that really should have been done ...oh a YEAR ago. We decided to give it prompt attention as you can tell. That is a project that we are glad is finished.



Our newest addition to our home is this baby:


14 feet of jumping goodness. Don't worry Jessica has already fallen off head first. Thankfully that was BEFORE we set up the enclosure, so we are hoping that from this point on the kids will enjoy it. ....accident free!

The most exciting addition to our home has not yet arrived though. It makes my heart warm just thinking about it. A STORM DOOR! Yup that's right people. We soon will have a screen door at our front entrance.

I guess there's just no stopping us now! What's next? The mind reels at the possibilities ...weather stripping probably!




On a side note - we took a break today from work and went to Frank Slide, just outside of pincher creek. The kids had the FUNNEST time climbing on the rocks, exploring old ruins, and getting scraped up good! It's a beautiful place with an amazing story! A fun little day trip!

A WINNING week all around!

On Thursday, my sister-in-law Rachel had a wedding shower. She's getting married in just a couple of weeks! It was fun to see so many mothers, friends and neighbors from the community come out to support her. Abby came with me and seeing as she was the only 5 year old there she got to be the "helper" throughout the evening which she enjoyed:) The night got even better for her when they announced that she'd won the jelly bean jar because she'd guessed correctly how many were in it. This officially marks the first prize Abby has ever won. Lucky!




On Friday morning we went to a pancake breakfast held at the local IGA! Nothing beats pancakes and sausages first thing in the morning. Oh wait...the only thing better then that is knowing that my house won't smell of meat for the rest of the day. We enjoyed some lively country music while we ate. It was a great way to kick off our fabulous weekend.


Later that afternoon we drove out to Waterton for a few hours. We brought two of our nephews with us and the kids were content to play in the water, building barges and stashing it with all of their weapons. I couldn't help but marvel at how their imaginations took over. Sam's dollar store gun was set against a tree for the rest of the afternoon as he followed the boys around in search of any branches that might resemble a weapon of any sort. I loved how the plastic toy just didn't seem to fit in with the natural environment:) They played hard, and got all nice and wet, just in time for us to meet up with the boys' mom. John's sister Sarah plays the piano at the Prince of Whales hotel every day during high tea. Try and picture what we looked like - two adults, 5 kids, ...all DRIPPING wet, 2 machine guns, 1 sword, and one bow and arrow. (k only some of them tried to bring in the weapons) :) Hey, we've never claimed to be a classy bunch ok?


Friday evening, John and I took Abby to see the local production of Beauty and the Beast. Crystal and Jeremy babysat for us, but only after feeding us an amazing meal. Abby loved the show, and John and I were as impressed as ever with the talent this town seems to find. It was great entertainment, a little different from the movie (which we were grateful for), and nice to spend some alone time with Abby. She even won the draw during intermission. Seriously, this kid is two for two right now. I'm seriously thinking of purchasing a lottery ticket and letting her pick the numbers. I suppose if my next post is written from some beach in Hawaii , you'll know how we did;)






Saturday was equally fun. ...and jam packed. Parade day! The parade was fine, but I have to say, I have a real pet peeve when it comes to parades. I can't stand how parents let their kids run all the way down a row, brushing past other kids, swooping in here, grabbing there, watching to see where the candy will fall. I'm not talking about kids just running out gathering candy. I'm talking about the kids that run so far down that they are a block away from their parents and their just scanning the row to fill their pillow cases. Yup. Bugs me. I worked pretty darn hard to make sure my three stayed close to our spot and didn't follow all the others, which meant I didn't see much of the actually parade itself, but whatever.


After that we caught the tail end of the Ranchers Rodeo. A friend of ours was just taking his horse Sadie back to it's trailer but he paused long enough to give us rides. My kids LOVE riding horses, and I want one SOOO bad. I'm about THIS close to selling our van in for one. But oh, where would we park it?




The mud bogg was a fun event to watch as well. Aside from the fact that we got caught out during a vicious thunderstorm, we really enjoyed this one. They had dug a deep and long trench that had become a pit of mud. The competition required drivers to run their trucks straight through this bogg. Prizes were awarded to who got through it the quickest, or who went the furthest before getting stuck. We only ever saw 1 truck make it all the way through. Way cool!
John and I had so much fun out at the agridome that day with the kids. I've said it before, but I truly believe that John was meant to be a cowboy.



Last night, Luci threw a surprise party for Jordan (John's brother) who turned 27! She's been planning it and working out the details for weeks. We all went out to Sarah's cabin and waited for Luci to show up with Jordan. She brought him blindfolded, and it was really funny to see his reaction. Dang, Luce can cook Mexican food like no one else! (except maybe like mexicans themselves:) It was delicious! My favorite part of the party though was when Jordan and John flew the remote control airplanes. I can't express how much I love it when they go flying. I just think it is the coolest thing in the world!!! In fact, I can't think of a better hobby! ;)




After dinner and games, Rach was kind enough to watch our kids so that jordan, luci, john and I could go see Dark Knight. It was such fun to get out with John and them... sans children. A date? A movie? When was the last time that had happened? It was an okay movie. Kinda Dark. I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to look at a clown again but ... it was nice to sit and hold John's hand for a couple of hours.

It was a great weekend. One of those weekends where I just love life. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I'd just spent a couple of hours watching madness run through Gotham city and I was just glad I wasn't THERE! Maybe it was a combination of the great things we'd done this week. Whatever the reason, as I fell asleep I felt a renewed gratitude for the fact that we live in such a place as this, and so close to so many loved ones.

WOW

For the past few days, the neighboring reserve and our Town Council have hosted a First Nations Pow Wow. Basically, there was a three day long jamboree of sorts in which various Natives from North America travel here to compete in dance, dress, and pageant style categories. This is the first year that this annual event has been held within the boundary of our town rather than the reserve, and many were hopeful that both communities would be able to work together to make this a success. We live down the street from where this has been occurring, and many times as I've been weeding, or as we've been eating dinner outside at our picnic table, the sound of drums and singing has faintly drifted through the evening air. There is such a feeling of celebration that accompanies the drums and it has been fun to watch the drummers ...and listen to! Abby was so excited at first she kept exclaiming, "The indians are here! the indians are here!" Don't worry... we've since tried to teach her how to be a little more politically correct. We happen to live by one of the largest - if not the largest - Native reserve in Canada, and if it weren't for many of those children choosing to attend the public school system, John would not likely have a job here. At any rate, it was fun to see the intricate costumes, hear the music, and see a little bit of the Native culture.

We could not believe how majestic some of these people looked when they were all dressed up! John got to assist with the Grand Entry ceremonies yesterday by receiving one of the flags carried by the honor guard while exchanging some cigarettes. Apparently it is tradition to exchange tobacco at a pow wow, and John found it humorous yet interesting that he may have been caught on camera holding a pack of cigarettes in a public arena.

After spending so much time in my Uncle's tipi last weekend, Abby was more then willing to explore all of these. Many were decorated beautifully.


Aside from the Pow Wow, there has been another exciting happening around here which deserves mentioning. John has built a fence for some neighbors down the street. John is a skilled fencer (? is that what they're called?). In fact, he's good at anything he does, but specifically he's great with paving stone, backyard designing and as mentioned, fences. This is the first time he's built one almost entirely on his own. Finally, after years of watching him work for others, he has taken some steps to building a small business of his own. It would never be anything big, just a summer thing, but he's begun the task of aquiring a few of the many tools and equipment needed to do what he does. He's also come up with a name for his business: Calibre Landscaping. (I think that is the way he wants to spell it) Calibre seems to fit perfectly, as John's work always is of that type! It is exciting to think that this could be something bigger next summer. John enjoys it, and finally he's getting some credit where credit is due!



I'm so proud of him!

Beazer Blast

We had the BEST weekend.  My Uncle George and Aunt Karen invited any family who wanted to come to their little piece of heaven out by Beazer AB.    Initially this date on the calendar was reserved for a larger and much anticipated Toone Reunion.  However do to some unfortunate circumstances and other conflicts, many in the family couldn't make it this year, but all who were close enough came.  It was such fun! 

My Uncle & Aunt have done so much to make this property of theirs a great place.  They built an outhouse, an outdoor hot tub, a dining area and fire pit area which could accommodate large numbers.    There was a huge sand pile for the little kids, an authentic native tipi with a blazing campfire inside, horses standing at the hitching post, and a jeep for people to use at their leisure to explore the hills with.      The backdrop was breathtaking with old chief on the horizon, rolling hills and vibrant wildflowers dotting the land as far as we could see in some places.   Lee's Creek cuts through the property which provided Sam with one of his favorite pass times - throwing rocks in the river.         (I took several photos that I plan to paint sometime soon.)      It was great to see some of my cousins whom we don't see often enough, and to visit with so many loved ones.       George and Karen kept us fed with the most amazing campfire, dutch oven cooking ever!          Jewel coordinated a fun little game that was played after dinner around the cosy campfire. It was great to be outdoors so much and enjoy the beautiful weather and awesome company.       I love these people so much and the only thing that dampened my mood was the often reoccurring thought that there were many who were not there.     We hope all of our cousins and family who could not make it know how much we missed seeing them.  We can't wait until next year.    Uncle George and Aunt Karen -  Thank you BOTH!  

John and I opted not to camp out there with everyone on Friday night, not that we didn't want to.     Here's a little confession for you.  ...our kids have NEVER slept in a tent!       A little pathetic you might think?  Don't worry- my brother has already stated that it isn't pathetic,  more like, "poor parenting."  :)    In our defense we both LOVE camping, we just happen to be Mr. and Mrs.  "All talk and no action".    We decided we'd better do a test run in a tent in our back yard in case the kids didn't like the cold much.  Sam and Jess developed a little cough though so John offered to stay in for the night with those two.      So it was just Abby and I.  Me and my bud in a tent! Abby was so excited.         She hurriedly got ready for bed, put her hat on, grabbed a flashlight, AND some books and practically pulled me out the door.  

We had a fun time the two of us, looking at the stars, reading, and talking together until she drifted off in her sleeping bag.  She loved it.    

I wish I could say that we stayed out there all night, but...      In my defense, I'd read a very creepy and disturbing story in the newspaper which left me convinced that the world is full of psychos and on this particular night I was equally convinced that one of those said psychos was lurking outside of our tent.        As I laid there in that Diego sleeping bag, listening to Abby breathe I tried to stay calm and not let my imagination take over.      Really I did.       But when a neighbors cat brushed up against the tent - that did me in.       I couldn't get in our front door fast enough.    I sent John out to get Abby.     I assured John that when Abby woke up in the morning disappointed to find herself in her bed and not the tent, I'd just tell her I got cold.     "Cold FEET maybe,"  John said to that. 

You know what -  don't judge me!  I could have very well saved us from a deadly encounter with a roaming maniac ok?  

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Here is a montage of pictures from our weekend!  I recently acquired a snazzy dazzy new lens for my camera.  I really like some of the shots I took using it.  

Here are just a few pictures of the past couple of days.   I've enjoyed the garden and yard so much.  Abigail, Sam and Jess are settling back into a bit of a routine.    Do you ever find that after you travel it takes a week or so to adjust to normal life?    

Back in the old days...

Yesterday was my high school reunion. It was 10 years ago that I graduated from the good old WCCHS. We drove to Claresholm with the kids and attended the family portion of the event, at the newly built splash park. The kids had fun getting wet. At one point it started pouring rain as the kids continued to play in all the sprinklers. Can't get any wetter then that I guess! I really enjoyed getting re-acquainted with some of my former classmates and introducing John to them. Ten years ago, these were not necessarily people I would have considered great friends. No fault of theirs,it's just that we had so little in common. Visiting with them yesterday though, I felt like the division that once existed, had through the years, dissolved. It didn't matter who of us were on "teams" or who was "cool or not". We all had kids. Jobs. Partners/ Spouses. If I could have known back then how insignificant my high school life would be compared to the rest of my lifes experiences I perhaps would not have stressed so much throughout it:)

We enjoyed talking about some of our old teachers, and reminiscing about the styles, fads and music of that day. I couldn't help but laugh when I was reminded of some of the songs us "girls" used to sing in the locker room! Our grad theme song was "Won't back down", but that only became the song of choice after a long drawn out debate. Half the class wanted it to be "Raise a little Hell"! Can you imagine that? (Actually that probably describes a lot of my old classmates pretty well:).


John and I had to leave from the park for home, as we didn't have childcare, but it was nice to have a brief moment to reflect on a bit of my past. So much has changed since 1998. Back then I was this tall, scrawny, awkward girl with braces



Now? ... well, I don't have braces anymore!

a fresh idea

Fresh Garden Vegetables served in a basic white sauce has got to be one of my favorite things about this time of year!

New Potatoes
Fresh carrots sliced
Onions chopped
Freshly shelled peas

Boil these vegetables until tender. Drain water, and add this to the white sauce.

White Sauce

2-3 tbsp margarine
2-3 tbsp flour
4 cups (or more if needed) milk or cream
salt and pepper

Melt margarine and stir in flour. Add the milk and whisk together over medium heat until the milk thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the fresh produce. Serve this as a side dish to practically anything - but be sure to eat it out on your front deck on a beautiful summer eve. (that's part of what makes it so good!)

Enjoy!

Anyone else have any favorite summer recipes?

Writing from home!

Well we are home! The kids have been traveling on and off for three days, but they’ve been great! We opted to take the scenic route home through the mountains instead of using the interstate. It was an absolutely breathtaking drive. We drove through places with names such as Devil’s Mountains, Heaven's Gate, and Hell's Canyon. Doesn't that sound like a scary place? It was gorgeous! At one point I metioned to John that “we can now officially say, we’ve been to Hell and back., and that it really wasn’t all that bad!” ☺ ..I was just kidding though.

What a trip this was for us! I know I probably bored half of you with all my accounts along the way, but even those could never really describe how much we really experienced. Until this trip I’d only been to the US a few times. In the last two and a half weeks, we’ve driven through and seen 6 states: Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, and Oregon! We’ve seen the mountains, the desert, the ocean, and amazing farmland. Seriously, we were amazed at all the orchards we saw, and especially seeing cornfields way taller then JOHN! Everything we’ve seen has been beautiful and stunning in its own way.

More importantly than that, we’ve enjoyed seeing so much of our families home life. I remember a few months back we decided to drive down to Bozeman to see John’s sister and her family. I was so amazed at their lovely home and lifestyle and I remember thinking that I could get used to a place like that. I’ve since said the same thing to Gina, and again to Sarah H. I’m beginning to see a pattern here as I visit other family. Seeing how they live, and where they live and what they do has been so enjoyable for us. Each member of our family lives a life that is so charming in it’s own way, much like the geography in which they reside. I could have pictured John and I living in any one of those places and loving it!

That said, there were moments when my mind would wander off to a little mobile home located right in between both Glacier and Waterton. It has been happily sitting on its own for almost three weeks now. It doesn't seem as beautiful, or spacious, or impressive in any particular way…but it’s mine. As ordinary as it is - I’ve missed it.

I’m looking forward to working in my little garden again, to seeing my sisters and John’s more “local” siblings. I’m excited to see my friends, and to begin Abby and Sam’s swim lessons. I’ve got big plans for the rest of the summer. (Yes LUCE I’ve been thinking of my list) I want to go fishing, harvest my produce, hike to Iceberg Lake, see Bertha Falls, paint one more picture this summer, and enjoy the company of all our relatives that will be visiting..

Thanks to all the family we visited and also to all of our family that took care of our home while we were away. We are so lucky to have such awesome people in our lives.

Here is a slideshow of some of our favorite events over the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

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Well our trip is officially nearing it's end. We will leave Reno sometime tomorrow and begin making our way back up to Canada. So much has happened in the past two and a half weeks and I feel like I need to dedicate this post to Aaron and Gina and their family. They've hosted us for over half a month- and they must be EXHAUSTED! What a lot of work that must have been. Gina has never let on to how busy she has been by us being here, but I'm aware of the efforts it takes to cook, clean, prepare and entertain. Gina THANK YOU! I'm so grateful for your thoughtfulness to our kids. They adore you. Kaden, Ethan and Trevor- thanks for giving up your beds for us. Little Luke thanks for sleeping in a closet so that Jess could have your crib! You are all such great boys and we had fun playing with you.

A huge thank you to Aaron who made this happen for us. When he mentioned this trip months and months ago I never really thought we'd actually do it. Aaron made ALL the preparations, rented and drove the van, took us everywhere we needed to be and gave my family the trip of a lifetime!

We love you guys and hope you've survived the past two weeks with us. We sure enjoyed being with you!

Goofy, Fast passes and a trip to the Beach!

Wednesday and Thursday were pretty packed with fun. Wednesday morning, Aaron had made arrangements for us to have breakfast in "Goofy's Kitchen." It is a fun restaurant located in the Disney hotel. Amazing buffet style food is served where the kids can choose whatever they want to eat. (believe me they had EVERYTHING from mickey mouse waffles to chicken enchiladas to smoked salmon) As we ate Disney Characters would walk the room and mingle with us. On two occasions Goofy created a situation in which the kids had to get up and interact with him. They once started a band, using kitchen supplies as their instruments, and another time goofy had all the kids on the floor doing morning exercises with him. It was so entertaining. We got lots of great pictures of Chip, Alice, Jasmine, Baloo, Pluto, and Goofy. I will save the bulk of these pictures to show when I get back but trust me the kids loved this, and I think it was a highlight for everyone. Other highlights on Wednesday included California adventure. This park contained some of our favorite rides. Abigail has surprised us and has turned into quite to little "roller coaster...er" When we first arrived here she was scared easily. Now our little angel has been accustomed to it all including California screaming. (The biggest roller coaster in the park) I was literally terrified on this roller coaster. At one point I was reaching over tried to squeeze Abby's hand and console her...hold her head back against the chair for her...you know. All the sudden I hear her scream "Mom I'm fine. Leave me alone!" Mind you, the Tower of Terror, is a little bit much for her...and me too. Yowsers.

Thursday we spent the first part of the morning in the Disneyland park again. We were entertaining the littlest kids in Toon Town, when a park administrator handed me and the 4 kids with me DREAM FASTPASSES! Now the thing about disnyeland and california adventure is that fast passes are the ONLY way to avoid the sometimes ` hour rides. You swipe your gate ticket to receive a fast pass for the big ride of your choice. Here is the hitch. You can only hold one fast pass at a time. Often you are told to return in 4 or 5 hours so in reality you can only "Fast Pass" a couple of times a day. A lot of time is spent in line ups. That is....unless you are us! We received these dream passes which basically worked as an automatic fast pass for 12 of the biggest rides in the park. We took the little kids back to the hotel and a couple of us got to business doing some serious riding and park hopping. It was a whole new experience to not have to wait in line. What fun.

In the evening Aaron took us all to Newport Beach so that we could see the ocean. It was incredible! Sure it was probably a bit stressful to try and pull off, but it was so worth it. I'm glad Aaron was willing to take us on that drive. For some of us it was a first time experience! It was a cooler evening, and the kids got down right filthy but that is ok. We saw the sun set, played in the water, the kids chased the waves and then at one point as we looked out we could see two or three dolphins playing or feeding together. I tried and tried to get pictures but those little stinkers would emerge and disappear without any warning. It was beautiful!
Doesn't this picture remind you of old Baywatch episodes. I kept waiting for this guy to yell SHARK! (I blame that on the fact that Jewels family watched Jaws the day before I left on this trip)



I drew this in the sand hoping that John would stumble across it, and you know, know of my undying love for him and all that. (sigh) The waves washed it away soon after I took this photo.
It's probably for the better though, since I already have a general idea of what John would have said. He would have looked at it and said something like, "Who the heck is TJ?"