San Diego

We just got back from San Diego. It was fun to see Shamu (or Shamu's tricky replacement), the zoo and the beach. I think the kids had the most fun at the beach. I basically took a nap while allowing the kids to do what they thought would be fun. We ended taking back more than our fair share of the sand and a bit too much sun, but it was a lot of fun. My favorite part was going for a run on the coastal highway. I have always wanted to take a road trip up the entire coastal highway, but running a few miles of it has satisfied me for a while.

It also happened to be the San Diego county fair, so we were able to watch some great fireworks on the fourth, something we just happened in to.

We were able to meet up with Matthew's Aunt and Uncle, who live in California, for breakfast and meet Uncle Alfred's cousins. They are some very nice people and we had a nice breakfast.

However, what is usually the best part of any trip turned out to be a nightmare (literally) for me. I always like the first night home, sleeping in my own bed. But last night was awful. I couldn't sleep, my creepy legs were back, and my head felt like I had been drinking for hours (I am assuming that is what it would feel like.) Hopefully, tonight I will get that perfect night back in my own bed because on Thursday, I get to sleep in a tent again at girls camp. I am sure that will be worthy of a blog on it's own.

I am finally getting around to blogging about our Moab trip. We had a great time. (though Emilia won't admit it, she hates hiking). Below is a picture of Landscape arch. The arches are amazing to see in person.Our favorite arch was Delicate arch. What you don't see, is the big basin at the base of this arch. The arch looked, to me, like an alter at the top of a natural amphitheater. It is a pretty good hike to get there, but we made good time because Elliot ran the whole thing. Did I mention it is a fairly steep hill the whole way up? Needless to say, I fell way behind and felt a little ridiculous.
We totally recommend staying in Moab for a vacation. Great hikes, some decent places to eat, though we also recommend camping, but we don't recommend the river rafting. The Colorado river ends up being a very mellow and not exciting river to float down.

Finally a good book

I have been in a slump as far as books go lately. Every author I tried wasn't up to par. Until Monday. I quickly picked out a book at the library, totally expecting to never finish it like the rest of the books I had checked out lately. I was in luck. It was a great book. Louise Schaffer is a great storyteller, and not like the bubblegum authors of this great state. Her story continues to taste great after every single bite. "The Three Margaret's" is well worth reading. For the first time in years, I was surprised by the plot twists, how pleasant. The bad part is, I spent three hours last night reading it instead of doing something productive. Oh well.

A new recipe for all the "veggiemites"!

Barley and Bean Salad
1 ¼ C Chicken Broth or water
½ can garbanzo beans
1 C frozen peas
½ red pepper sliced
½ C cucumber
¼ C sliced green onions
1 tsp dried rosemary
¼ C Italian Vinaigrette

In saucepan combine broth or water and barley. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover for 10 – 12 minutes or till liquid is absorbed. In a bowl combine barley, beans, peas, pepper, cucumber, gr. Onions and rosemary. Add cooked barley and vinaigrette. Chill 4 – 24 hours.

I doubled this recipe and served it for dinner. Everyone loved it. Just thought I would pass it along. Happy dinner.

Running with Katherine

Last night Katherine asked if she could go running with me in the morning. I thought it would be alright. Although I slept in this morning, we still got out around 7. It was lightly raining but K still wanted to go. Man, I thought she was going to kick my butt. She runs way faster than me. My only saving grace was my stamina. Katherine had to stop several times to walk. Because of that I was still able to beat her home. However, I am sure that after a few more runs, she will beat me home by several minutes. I may not even catch a glimpse of her after the first five minutes. Way to go K!!

My latest Hobby

So, Lately I have loved taking pictures of things growing in my yard. This year I was excited to see that my rhododendron bloomed. (top picture) We have waited for three years for this to happen. I think it may have something to do with the great, cool, wet weather we have had this year. A clematis vine I planted late last year is doing great as well. I really love the coloring of this particular flower. (middle picture) Finally, last picture, who doesn't love a rose. The orange color of this plant wasn't my favorite when we moved in, but I have grown to love it.

I planted several flats of ground cover a couple of weeks ago. This weather has been perfect for allowing the plants to take root. I look forward to seeing how they all do next year. Hopefully I will get lots of great pictures out of them.

The Last Day of School

I love the last day of school. Not only does it mean no more homework, projects and spelling tests, but it also reminds me of the feeling I always had on that last day, what a great memory. Today Matthew and I went to the awards assembly. Elliot was given an award for perfect attendance and for "math fact mastery" (Only one kid in each class gets this). Emilia also got "math fact mastery" and the nationaly physical fitness award. Katherine got the presidential physical fitness award, the presidents gold award for educational excellence and a certificate for student council. It was fun to see all the kids rewarded for their hard work this year.

Now I have a 7th grader, a 5th grader and a 2nd grader. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. I couldn't be more proud of the kiddo's.