the great american solar eclipse

this is really cool mom. here take my glasses and see for yourself.
- scout, age 10




for several months leading up to the solar eclipse, i had been hearing a bit of talk.
unlike my firstborn who follows NASA daily and what's going on in the universe,
i only knew that on august 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse would be visible within a
band across the united states - from the pacific to the atlantic. from here in san diego,
we would be able to see about 60% of it. that's really the gist of what i knew.  


finn had mentioned it a few times, as well as some of my coworkers {engineers of course},
and the most excitement actually came from a retired gentlemen who is in my body pump
class on saturday mornings. he's a huge space enthusiast and loves to hear what finn is into
or what he is reading. at some point i will get the two of them together - they'll enjoy each
other's company.  so this gentlemen told me how he was driving to oregon  so he would have
an opportunity to be directly in the path to see the TOTAL solar eclipse.  he was so excited
and even asked if our family was interested in joining him. oh how i would have loved to.
oregon is at the top of my places to visit, but c's work projects are at critical stages and
it's not the best time to travel. {we have a trip to tucson in october we are excited about}.


since the last eclipses was visable across the total united states was in 1918, i thought we
should take advantage of this rare occasion. i took the morning off from work and took my two,
as well as the garrett boys, who had spent the last 3 nights with us, and we drove to kate sessions
park since it sits higher than our street at home. though there was some cloud coverage, the sun
broke through and we were able to get a good view of it around 10:15am. we only had four
pairs of glasses so i waited until scout offered his so i could see how "cool" this eclipse
was. and yes, it was pretty cool.

4th of July 2017

since we moved into our mid-century home almost 4 years ago, we have decided
not to fight the crowds at the beach, and stay home and invite friends who also don't
want to fight the beach crowds, to join us in the backyard for a  BBQ/pool party.

every year has been easy and so much fun, so we have kept up this tradition. 


this 4th, we had a nice turnout, with a mix of neighbors and our long-time pb friends.
the kids that came ranged in age from 3 to 15, and only one of those had to wear arm floaties
which made it really nice for the adults. the kids and adults played on a crazy slide
that mr. g built with finn when scout and i were away on spring break. {he knew i
would never approve of it}. we are only half joking when we call it the Slip n Die.
if someone did fall from the top of it onto the pavement, they would very likely die
or be disabled for life. it's about 10' high and well, after several weekends of playing,
i've insisted it be put away. it's too much of a liability. we considered having guests
sign waivers to go down it, but really, it's not worth it. i have encouraged him to build
something a bit less steep or even buying a good old diving board for heavens sake. 
sure diving boards come with risk as well, but i'm not that much of a worrier.
{remember i want a trampoline}.

we had a great day swimming, diving, sliding {those who are fearless}, eating and
drinking too much. some photo highlights of the day:





father's day: 2017

father's day was extra special this year as we had grandpa gerber and grandma sheila
visiting from minnesota. it had been a while since they had been and they were kind
enough to fly to the west coast to visit for a long weekend. 


some highlights: dinner at casa guadalajara in old town, lots of pool time, two backyard barbecues
and one that included uncle tommy, a day at the uss midway {just grandparents and grandsons},
and breakfast at tidal restaurant at paradise point hotel right on the bay. it was so wonderful spending time with them and for the boys to get some genuine quality time.  there's nothing more enjoyable
i think for grandparents than getting one-on-one time with their grandchildren.
finn and scout thoroughly enjoyed it.

3 generations of gerbers

in keeping with tradition, the boys responded to questions about their dad.
this year, they preferred to type them instead of writing them, so i've copied and paste and am inserting
{of course i saved a printed copy as well}.
i think i enjoy seeing their responses as much as c does.


scout gerber, age 9:

1.     What is something dad always says to you?  he snuggles and jokes around

2.     What makes dad happy?  chocolate and hanging out with family
3.     What makes dad sad?  when he watches very sad movies – typically ones that have to do with children or being a father

4.     How does your dad make you laugh?  He tickles me and tells jokes

5.     What was your dad like as a child? he was a big reader (he even won an award), he played sports like ice hockey and he was a great student in school

6.     How old is your dad? 46

7.     How tall is your dad?  5-6” – I don’t really know

8.     What is his favorite thing to do? Surf or play tennis

9.     What does your dad do when you’re not around? work

10.   If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for?  for building crazy things like the giant slide he just built

11.  What is your dad really good at?  tennis, surfing and building

12.   What is your dad not very good at? singing (?)

13.   What does your dad do for a job?  he currently works for HP (Hewlett Packard). He is an Architect/Project Manager

14.   What is your dad’s favorite food? Taco Surf – breakfast burrito

15.  What makes your dad proud? when us boys accomplish something or when we are responsible

16.   If your dad were a character who would he be? Mike Brady from The Brady Bunch
17.   What do you and your dad do together?  Swim and build things together

18.    How are you and your dad the same?  we both care about education and fitness

19.   How are you and your dad different?  Dad likes building and designing things and I don’t really

20.  How do you know your dad loves you? he tickles me, snuggles and jokes with me, and comes to all my soccer games.

21.  What does your mom love most about your dad?  When he spends time with her, gives her romantic cards and cuddles with her

22.  What is your dad’s favorite place to go? The beach and Mexico

23.  How old was your Dad when you were born?  37

finn gerber, age 13:

1.     What is something dad always says to you?  i love you
2.   What makes dad happy?  spending time with us,  getting time to do some things he likes to do
3.     What makes dad sad? a stressful day at work (?)

4.     How does your dad make you laugh? comedic shows or something scout and i do that is funny

5.     What was your dad like as a child? he was one of 5 boys and it was probably crazy
6.     How old is your dad? 46

7.     How tall is your dad?  5'7 - i don't know

8.     What is his favorite thing to do? spend time with family

9.     What does your dad do when you’re not around? he plays tennis

10.   If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for?  best do it yourself Architect

11.  What is your dad really good at? building things

12.   What is your dad not very good at? singing

13.   What does your dad do for a job? he manages people and projects

14.   What is your dad’s favorite food? chicken mole

15.  What makes your dad proud? achieving his goals and watching us succeed in ours

16.   If your dad were a character who would he be? i don't know. he is a unique person.
17.   What do you and your dad do together?  build things, we surf and go to lunch together

18.   How are you and your dad the same?  we both like to make crazy contraptions

19.   How are you and your dad different?  dad takes a more deep approach when we design of things.

20.  How do you know your dad loves you? he is affectionate and we spend time together

21.  What does your mom love most about your dad? that he loves us and takes care of us and our home

22.  What is your dad’s favorite place to go? Mexico

23.  How old was your Dad when you were born? 33

family vacation: tulum

i had to post this video because it makes me smile.
scout was so happy to find a playground tucked away in the
corner of la zebra hotel.

and one of scout ziplining across a cenote:

family vacation: tulum

vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it.
- robert orben
this post is long overdue and because my memory isn't what it used to be,
i figured i better not wait any longer...i'm not getting any younger.


i'll begin by sharing tulum has been on my bucket list since i was in my teens.
it wasn't on my top 5 list because of it's beautiful beaches, although they are probably
the most beautiful i've EVER seen...to date.  it was the mayan ruins surrounding tulum
that i had been wanting to visit since my high school spanish teacher shared about her
adventures trekking all over the yucatán. i was fascinated with the mayan culture and their
pyramids, and knew i had to visit someday.

as many times as c and i have visited mexico, many were surprised we had never been to this
part of mexico. the real reason is because tulum is on the caribbean side of the country,
which means there  is no surf. this is tragic for active boys who like to surf, specifically the
biggest boy in the family where vacation is synonymous with surfing. with a trip planned to florida to visit family over thanksgiving, we figured it was the perfect time to see this part of mexico since it's just a short flight to florida from there.


we started our trip by flying out of tijuana, mexico to cancun on volaris airlines, and we left cancun as quickly as we could after renting a car. we headed to tulum, a quainter and quieter and much more beautiful town 2 hours south of cancun. tulum was built up more a tiny bit more than i had imagined, but there are wasn't a single building over 2 stories and the town was an perfect mix of budget hostels and boutique hotels, and simple cafes to restaurants with chefs trained in paris.  the town still had the bohemian charm i was hoping for.
the boys and i  checked into our hotel, La Zebra, which was truly a bit of heaven on earth.
it was everything a mega hotel isn't....low slung, no more than 15 rooms, and all rooms opened
directly on the beach which meant we could walk right off our little room's deck and sink our toes into the sand. it didn't have a pool, and didn't need one because the ocean was less than 30 yards away. we could see and hear the crashing waves from our room - a luxury i enjoy even more than a warm bath {the warm bath comes in right behind it}.


it was clear, an architect and landscape designer were used at this property because the attention to details was seen from everywhere - from the materials to the vegetation that was used for the landscape. the employees were warm, and because it was a small hotel, we learned many of the staff's names and they ours.  the best surprise for me was that the beaches in tulum weren't giant lakes like most caribbean beaches - flat and still.  those couldn't be more boring.  the way the currents and wind move, the beaches do get some small crashing wave which made it so much more enjoyable. finn and scout were able to check out the hotel's boogie boards and play for hours in ocean. the weren't surfing waves, but again, we knew this going in. c kept himself busy boogie boarding, playing paddle ball and soccer with scout.  i almost forgot, there was an elderly man whose job at the hotel was to stamp La Zebra in the sand all throughout the property. he used a mold and a bucket of water and would meticulously work on these stamps throughout the day.
when scout would find one that was stepped on, he would get upset and look for the culprit.
he was determined to catch someone in the act and call him out, but he never did. {i was kind of hoping he would}.
















































we did venture out of our hotel to explore the little town of tulum,
and to eat at various restaurants we even found a fantastic italian restaurant in 'old tulum' that received great reviews on yelp. we ordered a few pizzas and they didn't disappoint.


we spent two days visiting mayan ruins, the biggest being
chichen itza. because we had our own car and and had the flexibility
to avoid arriving with loads of tour buses, we were able to plan on trip to beat the tour buses to the park.
because chichen itza covered such a large area, we decided to get a guide to help us appreciate what we were seeing and how the mayan people lived. we shared the cost of the guide with a kind german couple. for 3 hours, we explored the park and various sites and learned so much! the boys enjoyed seeing where the mayan warriors held games and contests and were fascinated to learn that humans who were sacrificed, were probably drugged before they were thrown into cenotes. {more to come on cenotes further in my post}. though the mayan believed those sacrificed would go straight to their heaven, it's still human nature to resist death. *of course* i should note that tourists are no
longer allowed to climb on the famous iconic pyramid at chichen itza.
yeas back, an older woman fell down it, and died and it's been closed since.

the second ruin we visited was coba. it was smaller than chichen itza,
but the favorite for all of us. the reason being most of the ruins are not
fully excavated and unlike chichen itza, the jungle hasn't been cleared away.
the ruins are tucked back in the jungle which makes it feel more authentic.
in order to see the largest pyramid, visitors either have to hike a mile in to see
it, or they can ride bikes {or for the disabled or elderly - a pedicab is available}.
typically, I'd hike, but the boys and i had gotten up early and got on the road so we
could be at the gate when the park opened because we didn't want to deal with crowds.
to get to the main pyramid quickly, we opted to rent bikes for a few dollars each
and we ended up having a blast. there were probably a hundred bikes to chose from -
all different sizes.  we each selected one and we were off. we were the second ones
at the site and quickly climbed to the top. yes, this one tourists are still allowed to climb.
as i hiked with the boys, i asked the boys to "tread lightly" explaining how bad it was for
us to be climbing on the structure. in a few years, i am sure coba too, will be closed for
climbing. 

we also enjoyed swimming and exploring a few cenotes, which are
basically sinkholes that contain freshwater which the mayans used
for fresh water. today, they are used for recreation, and they are spectacular!  maybe not all, but so many of them are truly breathtaking and the good news is there are literally dozens throughout the region. we had no trouble finding them, and avoided the ones that were frequented by tour buses and tourists from cancun's  hotels.  there was only one time i regretted not bringing
my digital SLR camera and it was when visiting the cenotes.  my
iphone simply couldn't capture their beauty...the water color and my favorite cenote was one that had caverns to swim into. the boys enjoyed this
one too, but their favorite was the one that had a zipline over it.
we would get a running start from a deck and glide over the swimming hole and drop about 20'. i thought perhaps the thrill of ziplining for the boys was over since they've been doing it since
they were little {they did the real deal when scout was just 4 and finn 7}, but this was a different
experience because of the freefall. 

this vacation was a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure and

one that all of us will remember forever. if you haven't been to tulum, i highly recommend you visit. just don't tell all your friends so it doesn't become the next cancun. *wink*



easter: 2017

the boys no longer believe in the easter bunny. i think scout stopped believing at age 7. i think it's near impossible, even for the most dedicated and diligent parents to keep up the magic of the easter bunny. I mean a bunny that hides eggs is a tough sell...even for a child who wants to believe.


regardless, finn and scout still enjoy the traditions that we have created over the years. we dye eggs the day before. finn joined me this year, but with less enthusiasm than last year. scout still fully enjoyed it.  the following morning, they waited in their rooms patiently until i called them to come out. this allowed me time to hide any last minute eggs, grab my camera and get that all important cup of coffee. the boys, run to their baskets which are always set on the kitchen counter with nametags on them or something to identify who's is who. like last year, scout's basket was soccer/german themed and finn's was space themed.

this year, scout asked for a 'scavenger hunt' as well as a traditional hunt. auntie jen spoiled him with one a few years ago and he is hooked. i had no energy or the time to come up with a dozen clues off the top of my head, and was thrilled to learn that someone has already done this and shared them on the internet. i happily 'borrowed' them for the boys' eggs. 

in the end, the kids got their scavenger hunt AND did a traditional hunt which led them literally ALL over the house, backyard. kitchen, garage, C's car, plants in the front yard, the library, living room, bathroom (working one and the gutted one), and the treehouse. whew!  it was exhausting to hide them, but they wanted the eggs hidden "really hard" and i took my job seriously. so seriously, there is still a silver egg missing. yes, it's plastic. i learned NOT to hide real eggs when finn was a toddler...that story is for another time. i assured the boys it will turn up eventually.

we had a wonderful day - hiding and finding eggs, eating lots of candy, skyping with grandma and auntie jen and having a picnic on the beach. finn and scout braved the cold water temps and boogie boarded, while c and i sat in the warm sand catching up with each other. it was a perfect spring day - sunny and 78 degrees and with the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, i had time to relax, reflect and to appreciate. i have so much to be grateful for and though our family doesn't attend church, on the way back from the beach, we talked about easter being a symbol of so much more than eggs and baskets - it's really about hope and renewal.



new bebes

2016 was a year that brought a few more babies into our family's life!

unfortunately, none of these babies are here in san diego, but spread out
all over the country.




first, my sweet sister in law, heidi and her husband gregor, welcomed
their 2nd child, duke john into the world. duke was born on july 2nd,
just a few weeks after the boys and I were in phoenix for a visit.
{just my luck}. this little guy joined his 2 1/2 year old sister, anoka,
and he's just adorable as ever. we are planning to meet his this summer.





second, my brother and his wife heather's baby GIRL, ashlyn Elizabeth
arrived on october 27th. after 2 boys they were hoping for a girl and their
dream came true. she is absolutely an angel and i know this for a fact because
her sweet parents let me hold their precious baby in my arms for a good 2 hours
while she napped. it had been a year since i had held a newborn and it was truly
a bit of heaven. 



















the last baby to be born on december 20th, just before christmas, was my sister
leslie's baby girl ella.  she is a little doll and looks just like her big sister, aria.
with 2 boys, a 2 1/2 year old and a newborn, my sis is  beyond busy juggling all
that comes with 2 school aged kids and 2 at home. i hope to meet the newest
addition this summer or fall! 

christmas time

"If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actualy is all around." 
- prime minster, love actually (the film)

christmas comes and goes so fast and before i head back to work tomorrow,
i wanted to be sure to capture a few moments from our day.  it was a beautiful morning here...sunny,
cool and crisp outside.

the boys were up at the crack of dawn {yet again}. i keep wondering when the sleeping in will start but it hasn't yet. this year i took an idea i read about and implemented a new tradition.  i taped wrapping paper over our library door to keep the boys from coming out of the back part of the house before we were up which meant no peeking and it allowed c and i time to prepare the camera
on the tripod to catch video of the morning.

at 7am, we let them go and they ran through the wrapped door, making their way
to the tree in the living room to open his gifts. finn was thrilled to find a star wars lego
set he asked for, some new books and the #1 thing on this list, quantum, a space strategy
game had discovered months back and was dying to get.  

scout was happy santa brought him a new soccer net, keeper gloves, a star wars lego set
and two boxed sets of chapter books, one series he's already completed. *sigh*.  we truly can't keep enough books on hand for him which is why we are heading to the library this afternoon. grandma gerber sent him the book Scat and we are having a blast reading it before bed. finn, our tween, even comes and sits on the bed to listen....that's a testament to carl hiassen's writing.  he's absolutely amazing!

c and i exchanged small gifts, played quantum with the boys ALOT, and tried selecting tile for our master bathroom remodel. it's not easy....especially when our tastes are higher than our budget.
we'll get there....

Scout's Fall Exhibition Night: 4th Grade

it's been a whirlwind two weeks. i'm ready for vacation now...i think we all are.
c is back from hawaii which is wonderful!  i think i may have been more excited than
the boys when he walked through the door with his signature whistle indicating he was home.
{he's been doing this since we were newlyweds}.  anyway, he was missed...ALOT!!
he shared all about his trip, showing us beautiful photos of island and several of trevor
competing in the xterra triathlon. since it was an off road race, spectators were limited
to transition areas.  i'll try to post later and share some when c gets them on the home server.



while c was away, scout was busy preparing for his class Exhibition Night.
tonight, the family all met at the school and got to see the fruits of all his labor.
this included seeing the physical skateboard that he built in class, and all the writing
and documentation surrounding it. at the end of the evening, all the kids put on all their
safety gear, grabbed their skateboards and went out on the school's blacktop.
the kids skated while their parents watched and tried to take video and photos which
didn't turn out as there wasn't enough light. scout has grown exponentially in his abilities
and it's been really fun to watch.  he's working on 'dropping in' to bowls and would
love to be able to perform an ollie someday.


i found a sweet poem in scout's notebook that he wrote at the beginning of the school year.
it has nothing to do with his skateboarding project, but it has everything to do with who he is.
it shows one of the most beautiful qualities i find in him...how loyal of a friend he is, his ability
to be vulnerable and to be introspective. he clarified some things in the poem to me later about his fears and my heart melted.

as a mother, one of my many jobs is to help my children see their strengths and their weaknesses,
and for them to be comfortable with them. at 9, scout has this confidence and my hope is as he
grows, he won't lose this. if he can hold on to it, his future wife will be one very lucky lady.

 

a princess is on her way

a new baby is like the beginning of all things...
wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.
- eda j. leshan


my brother todd and his wife heather are expecting a baby girl
at the end of this month. heather lovingly refers to her as princess,
as she's been anxiously awaiting her arrival.


they are already the proud parents of 2 sweet and active boys,
and this little girl will complete their family.
i am excited my niece is expected in late October, which means
i get to meet her when the boys and i visit next month.  she will be so new! 
gosh, there's something special about holding a newborn....
their smell, their smallness, and the endless possibilities they bring.



my brother shared this photo and i got the 'ok' to share here. 
this photo is recent...and shows my sis in full bloom and glowing.
we're all ready to welcome this baby girl to the world.

heather, 9 months

auntie jen's visit to san diego

as a birthday gift to herself, auntie jen flew back to san diego
to relax and visit family and friends!  she visited with friends
and old coworkers during the week and spent the weekend with
our family watching an outdoor movie {pele}, attending scout's
soccer game, visiting sea world, celebrating her birthday with
krispy kreme donuts, and visiting belmont park the night before
she flew back to florida.


i didn't get near as much time as i would have like
{the boys either} but we were grateful for the time we had.
the day after she left, out of the blue, scout said "i wish aunt
jen hadn't moved away. i like hanging out with her and i miss
the sleepovers we used to have".


it's only been 2 years since she has lived here, and though it
doesn't seem like that much to an adult, to a kid, it can seem
like a lifetime.


i reminded him that auntie jen loves him LOTS... no matter
how far away she lives.  i also reminded him that we will be
seeing her very soon, along with grandma and grandpa, auntie
and uncles, and cousins!  we are overdue and are all excited.

father's day 2016: part 2

the boys and spent a long weekend in sunny and hot arizona
over father's day weekend!  c needed to be there to check on one of
his projects that had just finished construction, and since the hotel was covered
by his company, and we have lovely family members in phoenix and were long
over due in seeing them, the boys and i tagged along with c.



it was HOT...118 degrees to be exact!


still we had a wonderful visit...some much needed downtime for me.
we stayed at the hilton squaw peak hotel, our regular place....because it caters to families
so well.  we've been coming here with the boys since they were toddlers and they know the
property well....very well and we let them run around on their own now they're older. 


to beat the heat, we went to the pool early to find the chairs with the best shade,
then we'd play a competitive game of miniature golf {c and s were the reigning champs}.
afterwards, we'd float along the lazy river,  staying together as a family by linking our feet
around each other. i remember looking at my boys from underneath my giant floppy hat
thinking there was no where else i'd rather be. we were all so relaxed and happy.


after our floating morning, we swam in the pool and waterfalls and the boys went down the
water slides for hours....until they complained of hunger. we drank smoothies and had a snack,
and were back in our air-conditioned room by noon. 

c went to his jobsite and the boys and i snuggled into the comfy king-sized bed and read
peter pan.  scout thoroughly enjoyed it, but finn found it difficult to relate to. perhaps it's for
children who aren't tweens, then again, this is finn oliver.  the thought of living in
neverland forever, just having fun and never growing up sounded awful to him. "who would
want that" he asked?  {i think scout however, would love to be a little boy forever}.


on father's day, we met grammy gerber {GG}, heidi and her sweet family.  oh how i've missed
them!  we got to see their beautiful home, and spend some time with anoka, who is almost 2. 
what a beautiful child she is!  she is deliberate with what she does and says and i was amazed
how clearly she spoke. i could understand every word she said. 
{i know 3+ year olds that aren't as clear.}

i was in awe watching heidi and gregor in the role of parents....they are so good at it.


they introduced us to one of their favorite casual restaurants, hopdoddys which offered
a dozen different types of burgers AND a variety of amazing fries.  it was delicious!
we ate, drank, and caught up with each other. our time together was much too short.
we parted with me wanting more of them.  oh how i love and miss my phoenix family.


the boys and i look forward to going back to AZ to meet duke sometime this fall.
{it will be much more tolerable}. *wink*

look who's 2: aria

my niece aria celebrated her 2nd birthday on april 16th. 
{yes, i'm just a little behind on my blog and trying to catch up}.
i haven't seen this little one since she was about 9 months old.
since then, she is walking and talking up a storm. *sigh*
why does this happen so quickly?
here she is in all her 2 year old cuteness!
she looks so much like her mommy at that age...
big brown eyes, rosy cheeks and strawberry blond hair.
it makes me smile to see all those features of my sister's
reconfigured on her daughter.
i'm so looking forward to loving on her this summer!!

new niece coming this fall

last friday the shappard family received a text from
my brother todd announcing that he and his wife, heather,
are expecting a baby this fall!


i responded with, "i'm crossing my fingers for a GIRL",
as they are already proud parents of 2 little boys.
my brother followed up with a second text saying
"no need to cross your fingers, it's a GIRL".
they had already found out the sex and this adorable
photo collage was attached. such happy news!!

easter: 2016

easter came so early this year and it almost caught me by surprise!
i had tucked away a few items for baskets weeks in advance but had
forgotten the date.  c reminded me by pulling out the easter bin from the
garage rafters.  a few days before, i picked up a 3 dozen eggs and dye.
scout and i love eggs, so i wasn't worried what we would do with so many. *grin*
i decided on the same theme as their christmas ornaments this past year
since the boys' interests are still the same.  star trek for finn oliver, and
soccer for scout. once i have a theme, the rest comes easy.


since i don't do a lot of candy in the boys' baskets, i try to be creative
with what i put inside. since aunt jen wasn't with us this year, i used
her easter basket for my biggest boy, filling it with chocolate and wine.
if ice cream didn't melt, i would have included a pint of moose tracks in it.


this year, we celebrated a friend's birthday over easter brunch so we missed
the hut at the hilton. scout participated in the hunt at the tennis club the day
before which seemed to make up for it.  finn opted to stay home, reminding us
that he was 12 and in middle school. he said he would hunt eggs at home. 
whether he enjoys hunting eggs or he knows his mother enjoys hiding and
watching him hunt egg, made him say this, i couldn't say.
{either way, i'll take it}


both boys asked that the eggs be hidden 'really' well, although there was
no creative scavenger hunt like year's past with auntie jen. they received just
ONE clue to find the golden egg. overall, i believe they were satisfied with my
hiding skills. {scout doesn't even believe anymore....a bunny is even a harder sell
than santa}. as typical with scoutie, he had me hide eggs several times around the
house after the initial hunt for fun, and he insisted on hiding eggs for me too.   

family field trip to JPL

far better it is to dare mighty things,
to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure....
thank to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much,
because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
- theodore roosevelt


after making a reservation 6 months earlier to tour the jet propulsion lab
located in pasadena, california, the day arrived. the whole family took off work
and school and headed a few hours north to visit a place that has been on finn's
'wish list' for a few years. 



he checked off kennedy space center after his visit there a few years ago with
the shappard men, and the three other places on his wish list to visit were: JPL,
mission control in houston and at the very top of his list is spaceX.
{they don't offer tours at the moment but i'll keep searching}.
he's always dreamed big and c and i do our best to encourage his dreams.
and this trip was one way to do this.


the day was amazing...we got to see the clean room where curiosity was assembled.
{finn's named his stuffed dog after this rover}. we also got to see mission control,
the main communication hub where jpl communicates to spacecrafts.
finn was in his happy place and the rest of us tried to take it all in.
{finn filled us in on what we were unclear about on our way home}.

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. =/

feet on the dash

the boys and i will be road tripping tomorrow to visit the utah gerbers!

we are giddy with excitement and the car is packed with bikes, snowboards,
the few snow clothes we have, and lots and lots of books.
i told c i feel sorry for him....that he has to drive and can't read.
{he said it's ok...he listens to podcasts...or make conference calls}

while he reads, my feet will be up on the dashboard of his car
{he allows this as long as they are clean}.

i can't be the only one who does this. *grin*

riptide rocked it

this past weekend was one for the books!

scout played in the president's cup soccer tournament and the
family was out in full force to support him.  this tourney was a
bit different than the past, as riptide has changed up the team structure.    

they are now organized by birth year so scout's team is now has boys
all born in 2007.  his new team lost some of last year's players and picked up a few.
it's really a better arrangement for scout, as he is now right in the middle of the pack
having a july birthday instead of being one of the youngest on the team.
and even better, his bestie, spencer is still on his team. 

so in a nutshell, riptide won and tied their games on saturday, which brought them
to the final on sunday - their FIRST time ever since the season started.
in their final game, they tied and and they played 7 minutes of overtime.
no one scored, so it went into penalty kicks which means each team got to take
5 shots on the goal. {such pressure on little boys}

it was a Nailbiter!!

even finn, who usually has his head in a book and barely looks up during scout's

games, was out of his chair cheering on his lil' brother. in the end, riptide lost in

penalty kicks 3-4. whew....tough break.  

scout shed a few tears and my heart broke for him. to be so close and miss it was painful, 

but he pulled himself together for the award ceremony.

some photo highlights:

that night c and i talked about how scout's grown so much emotionally.

two years ago, he would have gotten angry, sad and verbal about that loss,

and i'd be reminding him not to say the team lost because {insert teammate's name} 

missed a penalty kick. admittedly, this was something he did during his younger years.  

now, he wouldn't consider it.  he quietly sheds a few tears, accepts hugs from his family,
high fives from his teammates, and praise from his coach.

when i see boys skipping and smiling from ear to ear after a loss, it reminds me that scout
is different. he's true competitor....and this confirms why we are ok spending our weekends
at the soccer field right now. {if he was laughing after a loss, he'd still be playing rec soccer
and c and i would have our weekends more open}.

~ at the end of last year, i resurrected mom and son 'date nights'.  finn discovered sushi
with me and loves it, and scout and i have gone rollerskating recently.  i think my next date
with scout will be a sockers game.  that would be so much fun!  

Happy New Year