holidays with the utah gerbers

i've neglected this blog for so long and i really really want to get back at it

because it is one thing i enjoy and find true value in.  time is just harder to come
by these days, especially with the recent changes in my life and with a tween and a teen.
things were much slower when the boys were younger, but that is as it should be.
those early years are the foundation years...when our kiddos need us the most, when we
create tight bond and yes, when we take family naps. oh how i miss those family naps.

i have a mental list of some milestones and special events i need to capture on this blog,

but it will take time. since i just pulled some photos together of my niece maya and her
friend during their visit over new years weekend, this was a good place to start. 

the cali gerbers hadn't seen the utah gerbers for a while, so we were delighted to they
were able to come down for new years. we had a full house with maya's friend in tow
which made it all the more fun. isaac slept in finn and scout's room, we set up an air
mattress in the library for the girls, and shannon and trevor stayed in the guest room.
we were cozy, but it worked well. over the years, we've hosted and vacationed with
lots of family and friends and when we are with the utah gerbers, it's effortless.

during their visit, lots of activities were squeeze in - tennis, bike rides and a walk along the
bay, a beach day, a hike at torrey pines, a new years eve party and a photo shoot! the boys
and i had been under the weather just before christmas and we were finally feeling well and
welcomed all this play time. we alla needed it! 

one of the highlights for me was watching two very determined teenage girls brave southern
california's surf. the ocean temperatures here might reach 72 during the summer, but in the winter,
water temps are usually in the 50s. this didn't deter the girls - they really wanted to surf.
one suited up in an old wetsuit of c's, and one wore a wetsuit that belonged to my sister, jen
when she lived here. it sure comes in handy when we have female guests. uncle c worked with
the girls on land before he took them out and the girls stayed with it. after a good hour or so, they were able to stand up.

watching them brought back memories of my learning to surf. i was tenacious in my 20s,
that's what my friend marty called me because i'd stay out in the water...even though my hands
were blue and my toes were numb. the sun would already be down, but i wanted to catch one last
wave before heading home. maya and olivia were ljust ike this - there were Determined
and they were Fierce! the adults, other than brave Mr. G, the rest of the adults
stayed on dry land and  enjoyed the sunshine. {uncle t even even got in a little cat nap}. 

a few photos from our weekend together:

valentine's day 2015

this valentine's day this unique.

unlike past valentine's days, we weren't home.
we were in utah with the lovely utah gerbers.

though us adults celebrated the following week,
my very thoughtful s-i-l purchased valentine goodies for the kids before we arrived.
she put together cute little baggies and placed them strategically on the stairs so the
kids would see them as came running upstairs valentine morning.

oh how the kids loved this.

we spent the day together playing board games, me, trying to make a little progress
in my reading for bookclub and playing pickleball. we learned and played alot in
mexico during a few years ago and loved it.  apparently, it's all the rage in utah.
i understand why...it's a perfect physical game for a family of all ages - from young children
to grandparents...much easier to play than tennis. we played some pretty competitive games....
with a  few being super competitive.

the highlight of the day was having dinner made by the children. 
it was my sweet niece's maya's idea {of course} and she tasked the boys with things
to do and oversaw it all. we all enjoyed a delicious spaghetti and meatball dinner, which included
garlic bread, veggies and wine for us adults.  the kids were so proud of themselves,
and us of them.

it's a valentine's day that won't be forgotten.

our chefs: finn {12}, scout {8}, maya {12}, Isaac {10}

 

~ the following week, scout reminded me we were supposed to make
rice krispy treats for our first time ever.  i can't believe i've been a mom for 12 years
and i had never made these for my children.

scout loved helping...he stood on a stool at the stove stirring he butter
and marshmallows as they melted. i added the rice krispys and VOILA - we had a sugary
and sticky treat to enjoy all week. scout announced they were way better than the packaged
one he had at a friend's home.  i agreed. i'd rather not have one at all than eat a packaged one. =/

brianhead or bust

tonight's post will be short as i am up late washing clothes and packing.

the boys and i are heading to utah to hang with the utah gerbers to play in
the snow.  we couldn't be more excited...we love this family and it's a rare
treat to play in the snow.

trevor tells us brianhead got dumped on last weekend so the timing
couldn't have been better. there's fresh powder and the sun will be
shining. oh how i love spring conditions.

though the boys came out last year, it's been 2 years since i've been in the snow.
i literally dreamed i was going down the runs the other night. I'm overdue.
c pulled all our snow gear down from storage and we rummaged through bins
gathering what we could. scout's gear still fits, but finn's completely outgrown his.
auntie shannon assured us there's something at the cabin that will work for him.

in the meantime, i pulled up this image of the runs at brianhead to get reacquainted:























i was thinking that this year the boys are probably old enough to go down the
mountain together or with their cousins {without us parents at their side}.

this resort is perfectly set up for families...it's not too big and there's one lodge. 
the only thing i'm not quite ok with is letting scout ride the chair lifts without
an adult.  he's only 7 for goodness sakes. {c doesn't get a choice on this one}

i don't fear kidnapping or him getting hurt while coming down the mountain.
what i fear is him falling out of the chair lift from high above the trails. he might
get careless and lean forward or rough house with his brother or cousin and fall
from hundreds of feet.  a bit crazy right?  maybe i'm projecting...i do have a slight
fear of these open chair lifts AND a slight fear of heights.

i hope to make it through the next few days without breaking something. 
i'm a boarder but am going to try skiing one day so i can see them in action. 
it's easier to stick together if we are all on the same equipment. 

i shared my concerns about skiing and scout reviewed the basics of skiing with me
using the terms 'french fries' {for speeding up}, and 'pizza' {for slowing down}.
i think i've got it, but friday will be my real test.

have a wonderful week/weekend friends!

xo

thanksgiving 2014 (cont.)

i'm so far behind on posts and before any more times passes,
i had to share a few highlights of our time in utah.

the utah gerbers are active and kept us and the kids moving which we love.
{i told c they are one of the few families we could do adventure vacations with}.
we have similar lifestyles and with kids the same age, it works out well.

when we weren't eating or watching the wildcats, we were playing ping pong,
tennis or hiking. the boys were outside almost from morning to dusk on turkey
day exploring and playing with the dozens of kids that live in the neighborhood.

i grew up in a neighborhood full of kids, but nothing like this neighborhood.
kids were everywhere and they played outside all day it seemed - it was fabulous!
shannon reminded me that there are lots of mormons in utah and many still have
large families, so it's no uncommon for her neighbors to have 4 kids.

with every street being a cul-de-sac and no thru-traffic, parents felt safe to let their kids
roam and play. i forgot to mention the huge park with trees and lots of open area, tennis courts
and bikes trails a short walk away. I can see why they moved here.  c and i let our boys go and
didn't call them in until it was time to eat.

it was refreshing to see these types of neighborhoods still exist, and to know there are
still parents around today who are comfortable letting their kids out of their sight to play.
kids need an opportunity to put all that teaching they've been given since they were toddlers to practice.
it fosters growth, confidence and helps 'em  prepare for the world. 
shannon and trevor fully understand this.

one morning, we all went hiking to a place trevor's family calls the 'vortex'.
the drive get to the park was gorgeous but once we parked, the real fun began.
the boys ran and explored red rock mountains, boulders and trails until we came upon
the 'vortex' which is literally a giant hole in the earth that one can hike down into.
the kids were in heaven! {and it was the perfect amount of physical and mental challenge}

the vortex

 
 
 
 












the afternoon before we got on the road, i did a little photo shoot of maya and her bestie callie.
the girls were so excited, it made me excited {no bribing them like i have to do with my two}.
i drove the girls to two great locales that maya had picked out and the girls spent an hour being
my models.  oh it's so much fun to have a niece! 



















~ i'm missing the utah gerbers already and beautiful st. george. 
the red rock there is truly spectacular. fortunately, we will get to see this sweet
family again in the spring.  trevor is planning to do this ironman,
and the san diego gerbers will be on the sidelines to cheer him on!

thankgiving 2014

silent gratitude isn't very much to anyone.
- gertrude

the boys and I returned to san diego with our hearts full of
gratitude for the utah gerbers and for all the blessings that we have.

i love that thanksgiving allows me to reflect on the life i've been given and
the people who share my world.  years ago, my parents started a tradition during
this holiday where each guest shared what they were thankful for. 
it's such a simple thing but it carries so much meaning.

since getting married, the tradition continues and i've found over the years many
families have the same tradition.  those who don't are always happy to as expressing
gratitude is what the holiday is about. my eyes lite up when my brother in law suggested
we do the same before our meal.

i was so touched listening to everyone's words of gratitude.

i hope to post more about our time in utah,
but for now, i'll just share a photo of the lovely thanksgiving table.
my sweet niece, maya created the gratitude centerpiece. so cute!

my maya

while uncle trevor was swimming at the la jolla cove
{he's in training for a half marathon here san diego next spring},
my sweet niece maya and i pranced around paradise point hotel.
she was my model for an hour as i played photographer.

as parents had warned me, the thousands of photos that we take
of our children when they are small wanes.  the novelty simply
wears off and their milestones decrease, and most often with boys,
they start to moan and run when you get near them with the camera. 

it was a real treat to be with maya because she enjoys it.
she is a trooper when i ask her to stand here, there, turn, walk,
look into the camera, away from the camera, do a 3/4 turn, smile, etc.
she did it all with a smile and even a skip in her step.

she even suggested a patterned umbrella for a fun prop.
{afterwards, we visited a neighborhood coffee shop to view
look through the photos and have a healthy treat.
here's my maya girl.

miss maya gerber, age 10

~ i've had these photos since last week, but wanted to be sure maya
received the cd with the images before i posted.  we've already planned
our next shoot - in minnesota this october when we are there for a family
wedding. yay!

SUMMER - it's passing so fast and all the emails from explorer about
hot lunch, special programs, after care, etc. are flooding my inbox and
reminding me summer is almost over. *sigh* 

i've squeezed in some fun, but the boys are having the most fun. 
they alternate between playdates/surfing with dad and summer camps.
{no need to hire a this summer with the flexibility c has in his job}.

c has the phone numbers of all of the boys' friend's parents in his cell
{and they his}, for all the beach dates and playdate planning.
just don't ask them how many times they eat at taco surf a week.
if you do, just don't tell me their response. =/
cooking is not something he likes to do....ever.

summer fun with the utah gerbers

 

we had such a wonderful time with the utah gerbers

last weekend. as usual, we packed a lot into our days.

the highlights: a day at the uss midway museum,
an all-day beach day, a random summer rainstorm
and boogie boarding down the gutters. it didn't last
but 2 hours but that was enough for the boys to have fun.
the cousins zip-lined, swam and launched rockets and
i took some photos of miss maya.

i didn't have my camera in hand for all of the activities,

but here's a sampling of our time together:

utah gerbers, july 2014
 





cousins isaac {8} and finn {10}