What happened to California Sunshine????

All week long last week we were planning and preparing for Sophie's first camping trip to beautiful Bass lake by Yosemite. We were giddy with the anticipation of having the time of our LIVES! Bass lake is rumoured to be a warm lake great for swimming with local hiking trails and of course Yosemite just up the road. Imagine the depth of our despair (I just read Anne of Green Gables) when it rained ALL WEEKEND. It never rains here in the summer. EVER. The city designates watering lawn days for houses and outdoor water 'waste' is prohibited through our summer months. But on the one weekend of supposed camping bliss, we have a freaking downpour. Are we bitter? Well, it's already Wednesday and I'm still venting about it on this blog, so I guess we are. Sigh. Fortunately for us Indiana Jones opened the very same weekend that we were in need of some high quality entertainment. Who needs the great outdoors when Cinemax is just down the street? And I definitely would choose theater popcorn over blackened hot dogs ANY DAY! Since we have no adorable pictures of Sophie's first campout, you'll have to settle with this old clip I took about a month or 2 ago! It's cute to see how she gives kisses. On a more exciting note- only 52 more days until Sophie and I fly home!!!!! HUUURRRRAAYYYYY!!!!!!! (only 64 more days until Griff gets there too!)

Stayin cool in 104*F

Sophie is wishing that she had rich parents who had a pool. Poor parents explained to her that we did have a pool but it came with a 2 bedroom apartment (in the Ghetto). Sophie is happy with taking cold baths in the tub for now.

It's been awhile ...

I't been a whole week and we haven't posted any new pictures (probably because we haven't taken any), so we quickly took these to please YOU PEOPLE. And for a rare bonus - Jess and myself are actually in one. PS - we normally put clothes on our child but since it's 40 degrees out right now we'll let it slide. PPS - consider yourselves VERY LUCKY that I am clothed in my picture. If this heat wave continues you may not be so lucky next time.

To all you MOTHER'S out there ....

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

As a mother of two myself, I know firsthand and appreciate what we all go thru on a typical day. As we celebrate this day, I hope we realize and know just how special we are. Have a GREAT ONE. Here's a picture of my kids.

(just kidding - this is not Jess, but Griff - all the above is true though). Love you all.

Disappearing Act - REVEALED

So we found out how our dog did it. Believe it or not, she would lie on the ground and ARMY crawl under this little space under the fence. It doesn't look physically possible. Had I not seen it with my own eyes (and caught her in the act) I would have to conclude that either she can jump over 6 foot fences or she can APARATE (for all you Harry Potter fans out there). And here's Paul Harvey with the rest of the story...

Bonnie has had quite the week. The black eye was just the start. Yesterday she was put out in the backyard and once again disappeared. I drove around the neighborhood looking for her but had no luck. Jess and Sophie walked around the block jingling her collar. (that's right, she was naked). Strike two. We received a call from the POUND (good thing Bonz is microchipped) stating Bonnie had been picked up by a nice lady and brought there cause she was walking in the middle of the road (the dog, not the lady). This nice lady lives about a block away from us. This nice lady told me that she'd bring Bonnie back to her house so we didn't have to pay a FINE at the pound. We picked her up and she was HAPPY to see us. She's grounded for a month. And on top of that, we FIXED her escape route (she doesn't look too happy in the last picture). Remember folks (in the words of Bob Barker), help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or neutered. I'm Paul Harvey, Good day.

Sophie's got FOUR

Here's a picture I just took. No, I'm not showing you my daughter's double chin (maybe another time). I wanted to show off Sophie's two front teeth. Very cute, very adorable and very SHARP! I speak from experience.

Bonnie .... aka SQUINTS!!!

The other day Jess put Bonnie out in our backyard. Later on Jess went to go get her and she was gone. How did our little Houdini do it?? (we will show you in our next posting - stay tuned). But back to the story. Eventually Bonnie came back to the yard but this time she was sporting a shiner, that's right ... a BLACK EYE. I'd hate to see the other dog (or dogs). Who knows, maybe it wasn't a dog, but a pack of wild BADGERS she took on. She's THAT tough. We can only imagine what happened to our Bonz, and that is what I'd like to imagine. It is the ONLY logical reason.

I wish we had a pool

Summer is definitely here and we are enjoying the 80's this week! Sophie and I are lovin it during the day... but then daddy comes home from work and turns the AC off and yabbers about how having a fan on is just the same. Yeah. Hence, the pool dream. Thank goodness for sprinklers! I had to laugh yesterday I was scolded because I had forgotten that I had left a screen door open with the Air on. I keep looking over my shoulder today expecting to be taught a lesson by the one arm man. (and that's why you always leave a note)

note- if you come and stay with us I promise we will keep the Air conditioning on. Although sprinklers really aren't that bad of an option, especially when Sophie makes them look so dang fun.

For FHE last night we got a big group together for bowling! Woo hoo! Now I remember why I haven't been in like 4 years. My total for 2 games was 74. A four year old beat the pants off me and his average bowling ball speed was 2 mph. Such is life and it was still quality family time even if the shoes were funny.

Here Daddy and Sophie are spinning the bowling prize wheel!