family pics

this is the life

Dillon & LE

My brother, Bryan & his wife Susan

Last month, we went home for a family reunion, which was "good fun" (LE's new word). After the reunion we went to a ranch outside of Bandera, my uncle had rented for leftovers, watermelon, Popsicles, and washers. This is my Granny's side of the family. June would have been my Nana's (Gran's mom) 100th birthday, I know she would have loved to seen all of her children sitting around together, 4 generations were gathered on this porch.

1st movie theater experience

I took the girls to their 1st movie this a.m. - Veggie Tales - The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. LE sat and watched the entire thing, but she wanted me to hold her leg tight (some "scary" parts). Bell was done about 20 minutes into it. The music kept her attention, but she was ready to "go home, Momma." It was fun, but Daddy and LE will get to go next time and Bell and I will wait for the DVD release.

Way to go, Cameron!

http://web.dailytimes.com/story.lasso?ewcd=b015017398a58d67
One of my former students and children I babysat for many years! Very cool honor, highest for a high school singer.

i won i won

I won the Blue Yonder's How I Spent My Summer Vacation Essay. I am so excited, I cannot remember the last time I won anything. It was so fun to write and reminisce about spending the summers at my Granny's house growing up. Thanks Stefani!

Each of my summers were very similar, I spent them at my Granny's, who lived on several acres of land. My great-aunt lived "up the hill" behind her and my Me-Maw lived a few hundred yards back "in the pasture". I spent most mornings at Granny's eating scrambled egss made by Paw-Paw and watching Granny's stories (Young and the Restless - quite happy to see after 25 years Botox has worked so well for Victor,quick glimpse at the gym last week). Afternoons were spent in my aunt's air conditioned Ceramic Shop sweeping, unloading kilns, pouring molds or painting knick knacks for relatives. Early evenings were spent calling up the deer by shaking a metal bucket of corn while calling them by name, Apple Jaw is the only name that comes to mind. Then, my mom would come pick me up to get a bath, eat dinner and start all over the next day. I am pretty sure a summer day can be accredited for learning to read a Simplicity pattern, use a sewing machine or peel plums for plum jelly. I also learned to do crossword puzzles, bait a hook with PawPaw, and check a trot line in the Guadalupe River. Granny and PawPaw owned a fireworks stand, so 2 weeks of every summer was spent with sparklers in hand and blackcats popping in the not so far distant. Thanks for the walk down Memory Lane.

4th of July weekend

We had a great 4th of July weekend. Ben had off on Friday, which I just assumed everyone in America did, until I talked to 2 friends who did not! I was so thankful he got to spend the day with us. We went to downtown RR for the 4th of July parade and met our friends, Natalie and her kiddos, David and Blythe. The girls discovered all kinds of new candy, up until this weekend they had only known of jelly beans and they were so excited that people were just throwing it at them! LE saw one of her fave adults in the parade, Miss April. She used to be our neighbor. The parade was incredibly hot, so we had to go home shower and nap so we could go to our friends, the Chavez's that evening. LE was so excited b/c Annelise and A.J. (the Tangumas also joined us for the festivities) are two of her fave friends. Andrew grilled burgers, hot dogs and sausage and I "made" an apple pie (thanks to HEB). I was so bummed b/c I forgot to charge my camera batteries after our trip so these are the only pics I took of the night. Then, on Saturday we went to another BBQ at our friends, the Richards, Bizarro Ben and Julie. There were lots of older kids and the girls were a little more apprehensive about playing, but we had great food and fellowship, just no pics! Thanks everyone for the freedom from cooking this Independence Day!!

day 5

Day 5 started off the same as all of our mornings in San Fran - bagels and cream cheese, red apple, oj for me, coffee for Ben. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 2, so we went back to the room to pack. There was one last thing that I absolutly wanted to see. I missed it last time I came to San Fran and I was not sure when we would be back - Lombard Street, "the world's crookedest street". So, once again bus ride and then trek uphill to the actual street. We had to walk uphills three blocks to get to Lombard Street, up what is probably the steepest hill I have ever seen in a city. The cars had to park 90 degrees to the curb for fear they would roll down the hill, it was crazy. I could not take a pic that justified the intense climb of this hill except to take a pic of Ben standing up right in it. Just take my word- it was steep! Lombard Street was gorgeous, I cannot believe how landscaped a metro area could be. It was beautiful, I just we could have driven it, instead of walking it. Then, off to the airport to come home and see my baby girls! We had a delay in San Diego and Southwest was gracious enough to wait for us (and 20 others), was so thankful b/c I would have had to wait another day to get home to get my girls!

day 4

Day 4 was all about AM BBQ. We started the day by hitting Starbucks for coffee and hot chocolate and then some much needed shopping at the Gap. Then, we trekked 2 miles to the BBQ right on the Pacific Ocean. It was so cold, but the best views of the bridge and the city skyline. Ben met some great people including the president/founder of the school (last silly pic), Bobby Beck, credentials include Toy Story 2, Incredibles and Nemo. Carlos Baena - Nemo, Cars, Wall-E and Jim Brown, lead animator of Enchanted. Jim Brown was Ben's mentor from class 2. He also met two of his fellow classmates from last term, Yvonne (NYC) and Yusun (Bay area) - a Sims animator. They had a meet/greet game to meet as many classmates as you could and then a drawing, Ben won - a collection of Star Wars DVD b/c he did not already have 3 copies.

After the BBQ we walked yet again, to the Presidio, home of ILM (Industrial, Light and Magic), headquarters of George Lucas. We also met Matt Garward, an animator for Lucas Arts. Another class mate told Ben of the ubercool statue that Ben wanted to take home as a souvenir.

my super cool chicks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VfGtdbOUlE&feature=related
This is Landry's fave song. If you have ever ridden anywhere in a car this is what she is asking for. She now has Bell singing it. They throw their hands in the air, kick their feet and bob their heads. My kids are cooler than me! The lead singer was Ryan Riojas' (keyboardist at church) roomate.

day 3

We went to Golden Gate Park on Friday. It is the equivalent of Central Park in NYC. We did not get to see all of it b/c of the Open House that evening, but we walked a big part of it. We went to the DeLong Museum and the Japanese Tea Gardens. After the park we took the BART to Emeryville where Ben's school is located. There was an Open House/meet and greet. Then, everyone went to Fuddruckers and then to AMC to see Wall-E. Watching an animated movie with a theater full of animators is very interesting, they laugh at things you would not know to laugh at and they stay for every last credit. After the movie one of Ben's fellow students offered to drop us off at the Bart terminal and on the way we took a detour to see it - Pixar Studios, the ahhhh of the animating world. In the theater pic it is the Where's Ben game?

day 2

Day 2 was my favorite day of the trip. We rented a car and drove to the Sequoias on the recommendation of the Calfys. We spent the morning on a hike through one of the most beautiful areas I have ever been. The trees were ginormous and the folliage was so luscious and green. It was amazing, how creative God is. We got there before the area had even officially opened, so there was only 3 or 4 other families there for a big part of our hike. After our hike we drove to Sonaoma Valley to see the vineyards, this was so worth drive. It reminded me alot of Fredericksburg, but with better weather. We had lunch on the town square and walked the shops. The pics did not turn out very good of the vineyards b/c of the fog, but in this one pic those are grapevines going up the side of the hills. After lunch we drove to Bodega Bay to see the Pacific Ocean, so Ben would finally believe me about how cold it really is. We only got to rent a car one day as gas prices were insane.