The Parker Family

the pumpkin patch

2011-10-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin, pumpkin sitting on a wall

Pumpkin, pumpkin, tip and fall

Pumpkin, pumpkin rolling down the street

Pumpkin, pumpkin, good to eat!

turning 5: a darth vader birthday party!

2011-10-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

This year Gavin requested a Star Wars birthday party, but it quickly became apperant that all he wanted was Darth Vader. No Luke Skywalker, no CP3O, just Darth Vader. And so the black and red Darth Vader party was born. These colors also happen to be his favorite at the moment so this party had Gavin written all over it. Add a few close friends and one awesome Darth Vader cake and we had ourselves a pretty good time.

Lots of streamers and balloons. I'm sure deep down Darth Vader loves a balloon or two.

Darth Vader Masks and inflatable light sabers were the must-have party favors.

Cameron and Gavin, two very big Darth Vader fans.

All Gavin wanted for his birthday this year was a light saber.

A red Darth Vader light saber.

He's been begging for one all year.

This one lights up super bright with LEDs and makes all kinds of cool authentic sounds. As you can guess, Gavin is in love. Let's just say this baby has a place on his pillow at night.

Homemade chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream + Curtis' amazing artistic abilities =

The coolest and tastiest Darth Vader Cake around!

The birthday boy!

The Party Guests:

Kelly wtih Nick and Alie.

Sandra and her husband Alex. Rashna and little Jasper.

Princess Zoey.

All out in the battlefield I think.
*

*

*
So it was a pretty awesome day.
The kids had a blast.
The parents got to chat.
And the house wasn't too worse for the wear.

So thanks guys for coming out our way and helping to make it such a fun day for Gavin!

Oh, and you guys are some of the best gift-givers around! The house is still full of excitement, laughter, and new sounds from Hot Wheels tracks and Tron guys!

Thanks again!

looking good

2011-10-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

Sporting his new tie!

a day on the water: the san diego harbor

2011-09-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

goodbye summer

2011-09-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

lazy days by the pool

playing at the beach

staying up late

sleeping in

eating way too much ice cream

road trips

camping

warm evenings

the smell of sunscreen

these are the things i will miss most about summer.

even though the weather may stay warm and sunny here in california, there is just something different about the summer months. maybe with the back-to-school schedule upon us i feel a restriction that was not here last month. carefree days are the essence of summer.

but i am so happy to welcome fall....and golden leaves and pumpkin pie and chilly evenings and sweaters and the fast approaching holidays.

so goodbye summer

hello fall

now let's go make some pumpkin bread

.gavin's first day of kindergarten.

2011-09-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

Well, this day finally arrived.

A day you think about when they're still just tiny newborn babes. You think it is so far off. That it will never happen. Surely your little bundle will be the exception and never grow into a big school aged kid. You innocently think they'll be little forever.

Then one day it's suddenly here.

They did grow.

They are big.

And you are enrolling them in Kindergarten.

But they are so excited.

They feel so big.

And they are ready....and really you are ready too.

Ready for them to learn and grow and do great things.

And so off they go to this big new world called school

and excitedly wave and kiss you goodbye.

They march right in and immediately make a friend.

Proving to you that they are indeed ready for this.

Then they come home full of wonderful stories and quickly begin to surprise you with all the amazing things they can do.

And you proudly display it on the fridge.

And you look forward to another day.
You know that this sweet child is being prepared to take on the world.

One letter at a time.

And you begin to think about another day.
*
*
*

High school graduation.

Oh, but they are still so little.

Surely your kindergartner will never grow that big....

happy birthday to me!

2011-09-28T02:00:00.000-07:00

This year brought with it another birthday.

32 years old.

It was spent doing all my favorite things....

Like eating chocolate coconut cake.

Shopping at the farmer's market.

And some more shopping....for a new dress and some cereal bowls.

And spending the whole day with my lovely family.

Thank you everyone for such a wonderful day!

seattle summer: the food

2011-09-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

From the Burien farmer's market.

Molly Moon's icecream....

Lavendar Honey and Salted Carmel.

This is a must try!!!

So many amazing and unique flavors you won't be able to decide!

Bakery Nouveau.

If you are ever in Seattle and can only eat at one place, this should be it.

Crazy delicious!

For lunch at Bakery Nouveau: prosciutto and fig pizza.

Seriously the best pizza I've ever had!

Then we went crazy with dessert...

(Don't worry, I shared these with lots of people...in a take-home box :-))

Some sort of raspberry mousse cake.

Yum.

Then the BEST chocolate cake in the world!

And I don't normally care much for this kind of cake, but this was by far my favorite!

Some sort of carmel cake....divine!

Finally, I couldn't resist this adorable little cupcake for Gavin from the cupcake place down the street.

Lots of good eating on this trip!

seattle summer: the people

2011-09-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa Higbee

Aunt Tammy

Grandma and Grandpa Wallwork

Linda, Whitney, and I...finally having a girls night out.

We miss everyone already!

seattle summer: the space needle

2011-09-24T00:22:00.000-07:00

seattle summer: ferry rides and small towns

2011-09-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

poulsbo, wa

also known as 'little norway'

port gamble, wa

new england style logging town

seattle summer: camping on the hood canal

2011-09-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

seattle summer: snowqualmie falls

2011-09-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

saying goodbye to pacific ave

2011-08-23T08:44:00.001-07:00

A letter to our old house...

Dear Pacific Ave,

We had some good times there within your walls, three floors up above the crazy world. We spent many hours there playing cars, cooking crepes, and lounging on the bed. We celebrated birthdays, saw Gavin off to his first year at preschool, and recooperated from a couple of surgeries. You were good to us during these times. You were the nicest house we'd ever lived in.....oh how we'll miss your ten foot ceilings and pretty wallpaper; your gorgeous curtains and sleek new kitchen.

But alas, we could not look past your gritty streets and noisy traffic. Sirens at midnight, and 1 am, and 3 am, and 5 am (or sometimes more). Bums fighting in the alley below. We also could not ignore the neighbors downstairs who thought we 'sounded like a herd of elephants.' Trying quiet four year old feet is not easy. Yes, we will miss your hip vibe and modern fixtures, but we just couldn't stand the chaos any longer. Or risk our car getting broken into again. Please don't take it personally.....it's not just you, but the whole city. Fun and exciting, but crowded and chaotic. We were craving something more.....relaxed. Suburban even.

So, we are heading to greener pastures and more wide open spaces where all we will hear are the sounds of birds chirping and my son playing safely outside. We are sad to go (kinda), but we'll see you around. We'll drive by every now and then and wave hello, but we will gladly wave goodbye!

Yours Truly,

The Parkers xoxo

And just for fun I thought I'd share a few pics of the place.

The living room and dining room.

Oh how I loved all the built-ins and the grasscloth wallpaper.

And this kitchen was to die for. Modern and NEW!

Complete with dirty dishes :-0

Unfortunately this is the only pic I have of our Master bedroom (before we changed our bedding around and brought in our rug and dresser). But oh how I loved that wallpaper and floor to ceiling curtains. Someday...

The office, right off our bedroom.

Even the hallway was nice.

Our master bath....I already miss the shower there.

The view below.

Gavin could watch all the cars and firetrucks he wanted here.

From the outside.

Modern, sleek, cool, but the ONLY nice place on the block.

So long Pacific Ave. It's been nice knowing ya!

PRESCHOOL GRADUATION!!!

2011-08-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has come that I no longer have a preschooler, but a big, grown up, grade school kid. Gavin graduated preschool this last June and is now just weeks away from KINDERGARTEN!!!

How did this happen?

When did he get so big. And so old. Old enough to be going to KINDERGARTEN!!!

But back to preschool.

Gavin had attended Pine St. Preschool this last year and we fell in love with it immediately. Not only was it affordable (truly a rare find in Santa Monica), but his teachers were superb, the playground was adorable, and all the parents there were so great. We made many friends, both mother and son alike, and we were so sad to see the school year come to an end.

Attending this little graduation ceremony was the sweetest event I think I've ever been to. What could be cuter than all these little munchkins singing and dancing and proudly showing their parents what they had learned?!

Gavin proudly receiving his 'diploma.'

Looks like it's official!

Gavin is now a preschool graduate!

Here are all of Gavin's wonderful teachers. Teacher Nehal, Teacher Leo, and Teacher Sofia.

We will always be so grateful to them for providing such a wonderful school experience for Gavin. They really did form an amazing foundation for learning for years to come.

Teach Sofia was Gavin's main teacher and just the loveliest woman you will ever meet. Sweet, kind, PATIENT, and very hard working.

We will miss you Teacher Sofia!

The graduation was bitter-sweet for me.

Bitter, for it marked the end of my 'baby' years with Gavin....those sweet care-free days with loose schedules and time together at home. It signified that he was in deed growing up and now entering those grade school years where only big kids are allowed. He was no longer a toddler watching Blues Clues on the couch with pretzels and a sippy cup, but a big boy ready for a back pack, skinny jeans, and recess. He was graduating from little boy to big boy.

This event also marked the end of our time there in Santa Monica, since we were moving (actually, we had already moved) to a new home an hour away. With the distance, we knew we would probably not see most of our friends again and used the graduation to say our final goodbyes to everyone and the neighborhood. We were not just leaving the preschool, but the regular play dates, familiar parks, and outings to the beach with friends. We were leaving a vibrant and fun city with familiar faces and a modern condo that had been called home.

BUT...

This day was also sweet, for it represented the beginning of a new chapter for our little family. A new school, a new home, a new neighborhood and friends and church. A new suburban life on a tree lined street that was quiet and safe. Where our family could actually go for walks and play in the grass without driving to a park. A better life was waiting for us in Orange County and we couldn't wait for it to begin.

So anyways, congratulations to the class of 2011.

So proud of you, Gavin!

TAMING THE MESS....ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

2011-08-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Do your kid's rooms ever look like this?

Please say yes.

I am not a happy camper when the room gets this out of control, so with an hour's work the two of us had it whipped into shape once again.

I would love to say that it stayed perfectly clean for weeks or even days, but that would be a lie. Messes are just a way of life with kids.....although I think I have finally found a system that works for our family in keeping the toy mess at bay. Luckily, these kind of messes don't happen too often anymore AND Gavin is doing almost all the cleaning by himself! Yay!

BEFORE

AFTER!

Then sadly, it was soon time for us to pack it all up in moving boxes and the mess became a whole new monster.

AN AWESOME DAY AT THE LAX AIR MUSEUM

2011-08-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know that LAX has an air museum?

And it's FREE!

We spent the afternoon looking at awesome vintage flight attendant uniforms (tons of them!) and even got to go inside this old airplane (Curtis could tell you what it's called, but I can't remember now). And as luck would have it, there was a Virgin America 737 jet parked out front waiting for a later flight and they let us go out and walk around underneath it! Who ever gets to do that?! It was very cool and super impressive....you don't realize how big those things really are just sitting inside of them.

So just another awesome day in L.A. I guess.

EXPLORING LA....WELL, HOLLYWOOD ACTUALLY

2011-08-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

We've lived in L.A. for eleven years!

And we still haven't even stratched the surface at seeing all the sights.

So we decided to start exploring more and set out over a couple of weekends to see what we could see...starting in Hollywood. Since that is where all the action is at.

The LACMA grounds are a must see and we went back here many times. The light installation is obviously iconic, but it is such a sight to see in person.

Especially at night.

Also on the LACMA grounds....this red and gray wall had me camera happy.

Kickin' it at LACMA still.

Had to make another stop at The Grove/Farmer's Market....love that place.

Then we drove around till we got a little lost looking for this gem.

The Greystone Mansion in the Hollywood Hills is so amazing. You can walk all around the grounds and even up next to the 'house' and it's all FREE!

Amazing views from here too.

The La Brea Tar Pits....one of Gavin's favorite places now.

He keeps talking about this Wholly Mammoth.

Ahhh, this was just too funny not to share.

You gotta love a Giant Sloth impersonation.

So I had it in my brain that I had to see the Hollywood sign up close, but we weren't exactly sure where to go for a good view of it (even after some googling).

So we drove around, and around, and around....till we found this pretty view, but still no luck.

Even though the sun had set I was optomistic that we'd find it.

And lo and behold, we stumbled upon the road that lead to the trail that you can easily take this picture....in the dark.

But, we found it!

And now that we know where it is we are sure to go back in the daylight for a proper picture.

You gotta love L.A.

HIS FAVORITE COLOR IS RED

2011-04-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

My boy is growing up fast. Already 4 1/2 and so full of personality and whit.

When he grows up he wants to be 'a police man, Batman, a super hero, and a lifeguard.' Last month he wanted to be a pilot and an astronaut.

He loves Nutella toast and chocolate milk and a 'suck yogurt' while we drive to preschool.

He can climb ANY rock or boulder he comes across and is starting to jump off things as tall as me. I predict in 15 years he will be scaling mountains. Seriously.

He loves Legos, space ships, robots, super heroes, and cars and is getting almost as good as Dad at building any of those things.....usually out of Legos.

He is sweet, cuddly, sensitive, determined, strong-willed, passionate, smart, and friendly. He is a good sharer and naturally artistic. He loves to sing and look at himself in the mirror. He has his mother's temper and nose. He has his father's musical ear and blond hair.

He is fiesty. He is a Scorpio. He is loved beyond measure.

And yes, his favorite color is red.

WHEN GRANDMA AND GRANDPA COME TO TOWN

2011-03-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

Showing Grandma and Grandpa Higbee and Aunt Tammy our old stomping grounds in Topanga Canyon. Topanga State Park is one of our favorite places to go hiking and to just enjoy the day. We miss you all!

WHEN AUNT TAMMY COMES TO TOWN

2011-03-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

These two have a special bond. They share a birthday afterall.

WHEN UNCLE BRENT COMES TO TOWN

2011-03-09T14:34:00.000-08:00

The three amigos.

THE DISNEY CONCERT HALL

2011-03-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

It was a rainy wet afternoon and I was still in full recovery mode from my surgery, but since my brother was in town for the holidays I was determined to get out of the house and show him the sights. My brother was really interested in seeing the Disney Concert Hall and we both thought it would be fun to check out another Frank Gehry building (he was also the architect for the Experience Music Project in Seattle). I had to walk all hunched over like an old lady, but I somehow kept up and had a nice time. Looks like all that walking in the hospital was paying off. I did, however, test out every seat/bench in the place and I can assure you they are all quite comfortable.

Nothing like standing in the rain to get your picture taken.

My Seattle roots must run real deep since I didn't even think to bring an umbrella with us this day. It's funny, Seattleites don't use umbrellas. Ever. It would be permanently affixed to their hand if they did.

Inside the concert hall itself. I'd love to come back someday and see a live performance. I'm sure that would be amazing.

We were taking the self-guided tour.

We got to listen to these little hand-held devices that would educate us on every detail of the concert hall. Very informative. Unfortunately Gavin kept hogging mine.

And no, the walls are not pink inside....just looks that way from my little point and shoot camera.

The city view from the garden.

Our budding musician.

Maybe someday he'll perform in this very concert hall.

It's an amazing building and I'm glad to say that I have finally seen it. If you're ever in town I think it's worth a stop. The gift shop here was fabulous too.

CHRISTMAS 2010...IN THE HOSPITAL

2011-03-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

The calm before the storm.

It was turning out to be the loveliest Christmas on record for our little family of three. I had done our shopping early, mailed all our packages on time, sent out the Christmas cards, and had decorated with many homemade festive creations. We even had plenty of room for a full size Christmas tree this year that filled the whole house with that magical evergreen fragrance. And as we counted down the days to Christmas with our advent calendar (and daily Christmas activities) I was feeling all warm and fuzzy inside with Christmas spirit. And I could tell Gavin was too.

The week of Christmas was in full swing and we had a busy Christmas party schedule laid out before us. That was until my stomach started to hurt. Really hurt. And three days later I found myself in the ER sipping red dye and getting an abdominal catscan.

I had appendicitis.

Actually, a ruptured appendix. And I needed surgery stat. So at 1:00 am December 23rd I was taken to the dark and empty surgery floor and wheeled into the only lit room I could see. I was thankful to finally be going into surgery, after hours of painfilled waiting in the ER, but nervous since I had never had surgery before. But I thought of my mom who had braved numerous brain surgeries with full confidence and my husband that I had just weeks ago convinced that he'd be 'just fine' going into his wrist surgery. With so many brave examples in my life how could I be nervous? So right then and there I stopped. I wasn't nervous any more. Just grateful.

But the reality was, I was spending Christmas in the hospital this year.

This may look like a typical Christmas morning, but this shot was actually taken on December 27th, which became our new Christmas day. Luckily Gavin was young enough that we were able to just pretend Christmas hadn't happened yet and decided that the day I came home from the hospital would be our Christmas Eve.

All Gavin wanted from Santa this year was a Bumble Bee Transformer. That was it. Looks like Santa thought Gavin was a pretty good boy this year because he got it and a few other pretty cool toys too.

Spending Christmas in the hospital was a pretty sobering experience. But as I completed my walk through the halls early Christmas morning I started realizing I was more fortunate than most. I had noticed from many previous walks that week that most elderly patients never had visitors and I knew that they would probably not have any today either, even though it was Christmas. My heart went out to them. And for the first time in my life I could honestly sympathize with them, for I knew first hand how lonely a hospital could be, even with constant visitors. And then I noticed all the nurses working and thought ' I wonder how many Christmas mornings they've spent away from their families, year after year'. It was a very humbling experience. I walked back to my room feeling grateful for all the blessings in my life, for my loving family, and for my relative health. It's an experience I'm grateful I had. In a way I think I was feeling more Christmas spirit/Christ-like love in that moment than I was the whole last month.

Hopefully next Christmas we'll remember this experience, but I hope we can spend the holiday together....at home.

GAVIN AND ALLIE.....A BUDDING ROMANCE, OR MAYBE JUST FRIENDS.

2011-03-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

Meet Gavin's new best friend, Allie.

Despite the fact that Allie lives over an hour and a half away these two have become the best of play-mates. This dynamic blonde duo is just cuteness overload in my book.

Two peas in a pod.

I believe this will go down in the record books as Gavin's first kiss.

So sweet. They really do love eachother!

Of course us parents all hear wedding bells in the distance.

TRYING OUR HAND AT ICESKATING

2011-03-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

So as part of our advent calendar/count down to Christmas ritual we included 'go iceskating' this year on our festive list. And especially with friends in town it seemed the perfect holiday activity. And although it was apparent that neither Gavin or I have a career in iceskating in our future, we still managed to have a great time bumbling about on the ice.

All geared up and ready to go.

Gavin was so excited to go iceskating that day, but I think he was a little surprised at how hard iceskating actually was. That darn ice is just so slippery. He was pretty unstable out there on his iceskates, but he still managed to enjoy himself.

TOE PICK!

We slowly completed several laps around the ice until our poor feet (and my back) couldn't take any more :-) It is a lot of work keeping a four year old from falling on the ice. But Gavin was so focused and determined to iceskate and kept trying and trying till the very end. He never got discouraged or gave up....so proud of him.

Our friends, Paul and Kelly, were in town for the day and joined us in our little iceskating adventure. Kelly is an excellent skater and I think her daughter Alie is a natural like her mom. As you can see, the guys are no where to be found out on the ice. Since Curtis had just healed up from a broken wrist and surgery, he was more than a little hesitant to try iceskating this time round. Wouldn't that be horrible to fall and break your other wrist? So I don't blame him, but he sure missed out on some tippy, slippy fun.

We managed to come off the ice without any falls or spills and our egos still intact, so I think we came out ahead on this one. Iceskating is just so invigorating that despite your aching feet and back you still have a smile plastered across your face. It is undeniably fun.

And so off we went to get a hot chocolate and enjoy the rest of our day with some friends.

HALLOWEEN 2010

2011-02-26T10:42:00.000-08:00

Looks like our SWAT team officer is taking a donut break!

The ward Trunk-or-Treat party.

He scored some awesome candy that night.

Gavin got a big kick out of Cleopatra and her Mummy. I think he went back for seconds and maybe even thirds just to watch the Mummy 'rise up' and hand him a treat. Very cool.

Helping Dad hand out/eat our candy from our very unfestive and boring car. We really need to step it up next year I think....at least some cob webs or something.

This year Gavin scored not only one, but two awesome Halloween costumes because we could not agree on which one to buy. We decided that they would both make awesome dress-up clothes for him after the holiday was over and so we walked out of Costco with two costumes. You see, Gavin FELL IN LOVE with the SWAT outfit because it came with all these little trinkets (binoculars, flashlight, walkie-talkie, handcuffs, watch, whistle, club, sunglasses, and an official badge) but both Curtis and I FELL IN LOVE with the fireman outfit because it was SO REAL looking and was very good quality, plus it was just super cute......too good to pass up. So the lucky kid scored both.

Kaila the mermaid hosted a fun little Halloween party at her house and they all had so much fun running around together in their cute costumes. What a pair.

In fact, Gavin had worn his SWAT outfit to so many different parties and events (and just for dress-up around the house) that he finally wanted to wear the fireman costume (that Curtis and I loved so dearly) on Halloween night for trick-or-treating. You can't tell in this picture, but he also is wearing his real fireman t-shirt that he got at the Pacific Palisades Firehouse from a real fireman. He was legit!

And so the trick-or-treating began...

The Santa Monica/Pearl St. area is awesome for trick-or-treating and we had a great time. We hope you all had a great Halloween too!

Still playing catch-up with all our pictures and posts. Stay tuned for more!

GAVIN TURNS FOUR!!!!

2011-02-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

For Gavin's fourth birthday we surprised him with a new kitchen set that he's always wanted. Curtis and I stayed up late, really late, assembling it so that he would find it first thing in the morning when he woke up. Pictured above is my six course breakfast he made me that morning. Such a good little chef!

He was so thrilled with this gift. It still just melts my heart when he goes to his kitchen and cooks something for us and visitors.

Since Gavin's birthday fell on a weekday I got to go to his preschool and help prepare a special birthday snack for the whole class. The kids enjoyed fresh popped popcorn, watermelon and yummy popsicles. I also got to read a book or two for the class and join in their little dance party. It was so much fun and I could tell that Gavin loved having me there!

A bunch of party animals!

It is such a sight to see that many four year olds bouncing around.

Happy Birthday Mr. Gavin.

A BIRTHDAY PARTY IN THE PARK FOR A CERTAIN FOUR YEAR OLD!

2011-02-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, Gavin's birthday is in October.

And yes, it is now February.

I blame it on the computer....it's been uncooperative lately.

We are slowly catching up around here. Stay tuned for more.

Anyways...

Gavin is now our big grown-up four year old and getting bigger every day. He'd never had an actual birthday party with friends before (usually just immediate family) so this year we invited lots of little friends and threw a big party at the park. It was simple, fun, and I think the kids all had a great time. Oh yeah, and it was really, really hot that day.

Like around 100 degrees!

We had pizza, fruit, veggies, caramel apples, and of course cupcakes! Yum!

I tried out some pumpkin cupcakes with brown sugar cream cheese frosting for the adults and they were awesome! I will definitely be making these again.

Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey was a must for his first birthday party with friends. Four year olds love this game! Gavin actually did pretty well and almost pinned the tail on the donkey, but someone else beat him......

A two year old little girl (who was there with her big brother) pinned her tail smack dab on the target without any help...even blindfolded! Gavin was a close third I think, but not quite close enough.

The kids decorated their own party hats as they arrived and some of them really got into it. Others, like Gavin, spent most of the time just playing at the playground.

We were lucky to have so many of our wonderful friends from all over come to his party.

Like my good friend Sierra and her two boys Asher and...

Tennyson, sporting our goofy glasses.

Kanan, our old neighbor from Topanga.

And the lovely Natalie and Kimberly, who we know from work.

And of course lots of our new preschool friends came for the event.

Some of their moms here just hanging out.

All-in-all I'd say it was a successful birthday for a very special four year old. I hope we have one just like it every year!

GAVIN'S FIRST TRIP TO MOAB AND SOME BROKEN BONES

2011-01-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

Curtis and I have been to Moab over a dozen times, but hadn't been since I was pregnant with Gavin. That meant that our little man had never been to one of our favorite places of all time. It was time to change that. A group of co-workers from VW/Audi were all going out for a long mountain biking/camping weekend and we had to join them. It turned out to be an even more memorable trip than we had expected :-)

The weather was amazing, Arches National Park was as impressive as ever, and our new campground was just beautiful, but it was the trip to the ER that really stood out this trip. Unfortunately, while the girls were hiking in Arches the boys were mountain biking and Curtis had a freak accident on his bike. The x-ray revealved a broken wrist that most likely needed surgery to fix (pins and a plate put in). Poor Curtis.

Luckily, Curtis wasn't hurt any worse than he was (or hadn't fallen off the nearby cliff), but we did immediately worry about him being able to work when we got home (and what his boss might say) and trying to get comfortable while camping and sleeping on a leaky airmattress is nearly impossible with a tender arm. We did have to shift gears with our itinerary for the weekend and the rest of the much anticipated bike rides were obviously cancelled, but we made the most of the trip considering the circumstances and we had some fun along the way. Since Curtis wasn't able to mountain bike for the rest of the trip we spent some extra time all together in Arches and around Moab showing Gavin the sights. Despite the change of plans we still enjoyed ourselves and the company of our friends. And we know that this trip will be unforgettable! Hey, at least we have a story to tell, right?

This was as close as we got to Delicate Arch this time around. Hiking with a broken arm and tired 4 year old, not so good. Maybe next time.

Gavin was completely in his element there in Moab: climbing rocks, running, collecting sticks, playing in the dirt. He would scramble up these gigantic walls of rock and sketchy ledges and pretty much try to climb anything that was in front of him, despite my best efforts to keep him alive. I was in a constant state of cardiac arrest! Man, that kid can climb!

This waterfall was in our campground!

Not only could we hike around the stream during the day, but we could hear the rushing water from our campsite. Who knew there was such a beautiful waterfall there in the desert.

Gavin feeling quite at home on the rocks.

Curtis and his little souveneir!

Just one of the many beautiful sights along the road in Arches.

Uncle Brent and Gavin playing around on some of the arches.

My brother Brent drove down from Orem and met us for this camping trip. It was so fun having him along.

The writing's on the wall

These petroglyphs are all over Moab and you can see them just driving down the street.

A dinosaur footprint fossil.

A very cool thing to show Gavin.

All in all it was a good trip, despite our medical setbacks, and we look forward to bringing Gavin back to this beautiful, almost magical, place again and again. Hopefully next time it will just be the scenery that will make the trip so memorable.

*** Note to self***

Urban living lesson #1: Do not leave your camping gear and road trip stuff in your car overnight. Someone will break into your secure garage and break your back window and steal that stuff. They don't care if they're taking your son's favorite movies or that you just broke your arm. They'll still steal it. Lesson learned........the hard way.

SITTIN' PRETTY

2011-01-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

All this sitting action in less than one hour. It was a jackpot in the pretend play department.

What a lucky kid.

A HARBOR CRUISE AND FUN IN LONG BEACH

2011-01-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

The Port of Long Beach hosted The Greenport Festival not too long ago and we made sure to scoot on down and enjoy all the free festivities including a harbor cruise/boat ride. We got to see the port up close and enjoy a beautiful day on the water.

Afterwards we spent some time in the park near the pier playing in the grass and taking pictures on the boardwalk. What a glorious day!

I think Gavin was a robot here.

Thanks Long Beach for the awesome day. Better believe we'll be back soon!

A. DAY. IN. MY. LIFE.

2011-01-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

For the final assignment in my photography class we were to document a day in our life. To tell the story of our day through pictures only. This is a pretty typical day for us. Although, there are many little detail pictures I wish I would have included, but there never is time for such things, especially with school deadlines. Anyone else's day look like this?

PHOTOGRAPHY 101. HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY FIRST SEMESTER.

2011-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

As some of you were aware I took a photography class this last fall semester at Santa Monica College.....and just happened to love it. So much so that I am going back for more (and maybe even a degree). February 14th will be the beginning of my next semester and many more photos to be taken. I thought maybe I would share some of the pictures I took over the last semester to change things up around here a bit. Heck, maybe I'll start including some posts with photography tips and little lessons that I learn along the way. What do you think? Well, for now here are just a few images from varying assignments in Photography 1 with Ms. Gregory.

Oh, and all of these images are straight out of camera--no editing allowed. Not even cropping. So keep that in mind. And it's hard to always get it right in camera.

For this assignment I photographed lots of different produce from the 3rd St. Farmers Market. It was pouring rain this day while we were on a field trip for the class and I was juggling holding both an umbrella and my camera. Not easy. But I thoroughly enjoyed myself walking around in the rain and looking at pretty vegtables.

Farmers Market assignment.

This particular assignment was called 'Urban Landscapes'.

It was such a challenge for me to run around town just looking for cool pictures, not knowing before hand where to go or where I'd park and having time restraints with Gavin. But I was so happy that I pushed myself outside my comfort zone and normal subject matter (ie. Gavin) for this assignment. Well, I guess I had to if I wanted a good grade in the class. It wasn't easy to do, but I think I was the most happy with these images out of all that I took that semester.

Urban Landscapes assignment.

Here's one image from my 'Depth of Field' assignment where we were trying to get just a little bit of the image sharp and the rest of it out of focus, or shallow depth of field. These squares are from the wall of a local deli.

Well, and here we have the 'Environmental Portraits' assignment where of course Gavin made his SMC debut. What teacher could resist this face and give me anything but an A, right? I did use other people besides Gavin for this assignment, but at least half of them contained the little guy. Doesn't he look like such a menace here?

Environmental Portrait assignment

Environmental Portrait assignment.

Next up for Spring semester.....Black and White film AND Digital Imaging. Can't wait!

Stay tuned for more!

WALKING WITH DINOSAURS

2011-01-25T13:48:00.000-08:00

THE. COOLEST. SHOW. EVER.

If you ever have a chance to go see it, please DO because you won't want to miss this one. Of course Gavin was messmerized, but even Curtis and I were so impressed. Life size dinasaurs are extremely entertaining, to say the least, and the show was even pretty educational. Two thumbs up from this family!

The grand finale was T-Rex and man was he ominous and scary. I wouldn't want to meet this guy face to face.

Oh, at this moment in the show T-Rex walked right up to the audience and got his face super close and then paused and all you could hear was him snorting/breathing loudly and then all of the sudden.......ROAR!!! It was so realistic it just gave me chills. I think Gavin covered his ears, but luckily no tears.

Oh yeah, here are the tears. The water works weren't from a scary dinosaur though, but from a mean Mommy monster insisting on taking a picture. Just one little picture was all I wanted. (And do you see him holding Pea Green dinosaur? He came along to the show too. This was Curtis' favorite stuffed animal as a kid and now it is Gavin's favorite as well. So sweet.)

GAVIN'S FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!

2011-01-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

SEPTEMBER 2010

Gavin's first day of preschool at Pine St. here in Santa Monica.

At our front door anxiously waiting to go to school for the first time!

Gavin was SUPER excited to go to school and couldn't wait to meet his new school friends and teacher.

He is getting to be such a big boy these days!

So proud of him!!!

Can you tell he's excited?

Gavin's teacher this year is Teacher Sofia and her assistants are Teacher Nehal and Teacher Leo. We just love them!!!

And then he just said 'Bye Mom' and gave me a hug and that was that.

No fussing. No crying.

My baby is in school now.

ELIZABETH MITCHELL IN CONCERT!

2010-11-15T10:46:00.000-08:00

The Getty Museum recently did a children's concert series and included in the line-up was our favorite of all time, Elizabeth Mitchell. If you are not familiar with her music you are missing out! Her songs have a lovely folk sound with mellow vocals and beautiful acoustic backgrounds....I listen to her music even when Gavin is not around. In fact, our whole family loves her music and we were so excited to see her live in concert. We got there early and got a front row seat. Beautiful weather and beautiful music made for the perfect afternoon.

Gavin LOVES her music and was so excited to meet her. Can you tell?

Here we are getting our new cd signed by Elizabeth and her daughter, Story. They were both so sweet. Her husband was also there and plays the guitar and sings along with her sometimes. Making music for them is a family affair.

Together as a family enjoying the concert on the lawn.

It was a good day.

OUR SCENIC ROAD TRIP AROUND THE OLYMPIC PENNINSULA

2010-11-12T20:26:00.000-08:00

Our most photograhic trip yet!

During our visit home to Seattle we took a two day road trip with

Grandma and Grandpa Higbee on a scenic loop around the Olympic Penninsula. I couldn't believe what we saw in only two days. Prepare yourselves for photo overload....as I've posted a lot this time!

Our cute little cabin that we stayed in while in Westport/Grayland. So charming and cheap too!

The beaches in Grayland were HUGE. Just miles and miles of wide open sand. We turned Gavin and the dog loose and almost lost them. They quickly became little specks.

After we finally caught up with them a mile away.

The lighthouse in Westport.

Kalaloch Beach.

After breakfast and exploring the town of Westport we headed up the coast and into the Olympic Rainforest. Such a pretty drive. We stayed the night at the Kalaloch Lodge, the only hotel in the rainforest, and enjoyed some amazing food, views and beach combing.

Gavin found this dead crab on the beach and immediately started calling him 'My Crabby Pet'. He wouldn't part with him no matter how many little legs fell off. Crabby Pet traveled in a paper hotel cup for the rest of the trip until at one point he got crushed. Gavin finally had to say goodbye to his little Crabby Pet. So sad.

Up the coast we drove some more until we came to my absolute favorite place in the world, Ruby Beach. I've been here a few times in the past with Curtis, but it had been years. It felt good to be back. I think my Northwest roots must stem from here for I haven't felt so at home in a long time. Hands down, this place is a must see for everyone. Well the whole penninsula is, but especially Ruby Beach.

Gavin with Grandma and Grandpa Higbee and little Buddy.

I think Ruby Beach must have been Gavin's favorite place in the world too because he seemed like he was in Gavin Heaven. We could not get him to leave.

One view of Ruby Beach.

Me and my boy.

Gavin LOVES to collect both sticks and rocks so you can imagine how many treasures we came home with. I think my suitcase had 10 lbs of just beach combing finds.

The whole crew.

After leaving Ruby Beach we drove northward some more till we came to the town of Forks, had a late breakfast, and then drove all the way up to Hurricane Ridge way up in the mountains. I had never been to this particular spot and it gave us some amazing views and wildlife sightings.

Gavin burning off some extra energy.

Just feet away.

Then after ALL THAT we also drove up to the town of Port Townsend and had a lovely dinner next to the water. Such a quaint and adorable town. Another must see for anyone.

A little dessert.

Our view from the restaurant.

And then TWO ferry boat rides home to connect our roadtrip loop.

All that in only two days.

Thanks Susan and Boyd for such a lovely trip and all the wonderful memories. Next time we will have to get Curtis up there to do it with us.

Listen to drpredheads Playlist

2010-10-19T20:14:00.001-07:00

OH CAN-A-DA! VANCOUVER, B.C.

2010-10-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

The last time I was in Canada I was sporting a red cummerbund and bow-tie and singing with a bunch of other awkward pre-teens in my junior high choir. While watching the Olympics this past January I starting thinking how fun it would be to go back for a visit and really enjoy the city as an adult. I have been day-dreaming of unique food and culture and totem poles ever since. I thought my trip home to Seattle this summer was the perfect chance to sneak away for a few days to our friendly neighbor up north. One of my bestest friends, Linda, and her daughter, Leah, came along and the four of us were off on a mom-and-kid adventure.

Some sections of town were just so charming.

The Vancouver Aquarium was a must see on our mom-and-kid adventure.

These baluga whales were just so endearing and really melted my heart. My favorite part of the aquarium by far.

It was a VERY hot day, so don't feel too bad for the poor unexpecting girl. Although, I'm glad it wasn't me.

Verde Tortuga.

He was a close second on my favorite's list. I have a thing for turtles anyways, but he was just as cute and charming as turtles come. We watched him for a long, long time.

All that effort just to try to get us to buy an animal balloon. Gavin and all the other kids thought he was hilarious though. Actually, this is what I almost look like sometimes trying to get Gavin to take a picture for me. How low we stoop.

Moms-and-kids out and about in Vancouver.

Canadian money.

Gavin liked that it was blue and had shiny spots on it.

Aaaahhh, my Japadog.

Now this was the culinary highlight of my trip. The best four bucks that I spent. They are all the rage and worth every word of hype I heard before hand. Combine a sushi roll with a hot dog and you have my lunch. And yes, that is seaweed on top. And it was GOOD. Oh and I'm still obsessing about the mint mojito smoothie we also had a few times while we were there.

Oh, Vancouver, how I miss you already. But it was good to get back to the States.

Us moms with a couple of kids had a fantastic time, despite a few melt-downs (well, dozens actually) and some border crossing stress and traffic. The rest of the trip was almost magical and I cannot wait to go back. Next time the dads are invited.

PIKE PLACE MARKET AND OLYMPIC SCULPTURE GARDEN. SEATTLE 2010.

2010-09-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

BUTTERFLIES, DINOSAURS, AND OTHER FUN THINGS AT THE SEATTLE SCIENCE CENTER

2010-09-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

CUTIE-PATOOTIE

2010-09-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous light. Gorgeous kid. Mom with a camera. The end.

ASLEEP

2010-07-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is how I found Gavin last week after a long day of HARD playing, asking for a snack upon returning home and then sitting down to eat it. Fast asleep, face down, with his hand still in the bowl of cereal. Poor little kiddo.

URBAN GARDENING

2010-07-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Since moving to our new 3rd floor condo we no longer have a yard to play, hang out, or garden in, but we have quickly learned to love our little patio way up high. We feel like little birds in our nest looking down on the world below us and have found many ways to enjoy it. One of those has been growing an herb/container garden. We planted rosemary, cilantro, tyme, basil, italian parsley, mint, and some strawberries. Gavin loves watering the plants with me and asks everyday to 'go pick strawberries' even when they are just green little buds. This was our first strawberry harvest and he couldn't wait to pick them....and eat them! And yes, they were very tasty.

DAY OUT WITH THOMAS

2010-07-22T16:27:00.001-07:00

Our move back to California happened very quickly and with only five days notice. Within a week we had found temporary housing, filled both our cars with the bare necessities, and driven back to sunny So Cal. For the last four months our family has been living with what we could pack into two cars. And trust me, it isn't much. Finally Gavin and I made a trip back to Utah to pack up what was left behind and drive it all here to our new home in California. While there, I made sure to take Gavin to the much anticipated Day Out With Thomas, which happens only once a year in Utah.

This consisted of a train engine completely covered with an exact replica of Thomas the Tank Engine. (See the next paragraph for why there is no picture of this). Then board Thomas' train for a short jaunt, play with Thomas train sets, watch Thomas movies, listen to music, play games, and get your picture taken several dozen times and you have Day Out With Thomas. Gavin was practically a celebrity too since he wore his Thomas Halloween costume to the event. EVERYWHERE we went someone was commenting about the awesome/cute/adorable/insert another adjetive costume. He was a rock star that day and by far the cutest Thomas fan around.

Unfortunately, 98% of the photos I took became corrupted on my memory card and only download as 'blanks'. These four shots are about all I have from the day. I am still trying to come to terms with this loss, since there were many adorable photos of the day, but I am just grateful to have these four. So just envision a beaming smiley boy, lots of trains, and family sharing the day with us.

MY FUTURE'S SO BRIGHT.....

2010-07-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

Gavin seems to have developed a fetish for sunglasses lately. We finally got him these James Dean inspired shades after he kept raiding our 'stash' on a daily basis.

The 3-D variety

A little alien boy visiting for an Icee

This is how Gavin keeps himself entertained while I'm getting ready in the bathroom

FATHER'S DAY 2010

2010-07-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

Couldn't ask for a better father. Gavin adores him and I am thankful everyday to have him. Here are a few of my favorite shots of father and son over the last year.

MOTHER'S DAY 2010

2010-06-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was lovely this year. Sweet and simple and spent together as a family. Gavin is such an amazing boy and I am so lucky to be called his momma.

Gavin potted this pretty little flower in primary and gave it to me with such pride and excitement. His grin reached from ear to ear. It was definitely the highlight of my day.

THE LITTLEST FIREFIGHTER

2010-06-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

The firestations here did an open house for the public a while back and we just had to bring Gavin. A few days earlier I had locked my keys in the car and the firemen down the street quickly came to our rescue and had our keys back in my little hand within minutes (and told us about the open house). Gavin was just thrilled to see the firetruck and all the fireman 'working' on our car. I knew he would flip out to see the firetrucks again and sit inside. And he did.

He's been practicing for this moment his whole life!

The rear steering wheel way up high.

They let everyone climb all over the trucks and walk along the ladders on top to go sit way in the back at the rear steering wheel. It was like a jungle-gym for the young and old. I don't know how many times Gavin walked across it.

They even had a dalmation, who of course was named Smokey.

Checking out the gear.

Just finishing his hot dog lunch grilled by the fireman themselves.

DISNEYLAND MAY 2010....WITH DAD!

2010-06-15T17:20:00.001-07:00

This was my third time to Disneyland with Gavin and finally poor Curtis got to come! We were so excited to go together as a family! Despite Gavin throwing up from a chocolate milk overdose and it being pretty hot outside that day we had a fabulous time!

No, the tea cups had nothing to do with Gavin getting sick.

Although Curtis and I both got totally motion-sick from the Star Tours ride and weren't the same the rest of the day. Curtis was so bad off that he sat out all the rides afterwards, even Dumbo! Too bad Star Tours was Gavin's favorite ride of the day because I will NEVER do that one again.

Gavin with his new Woody doll he just bought. Poor Woody didn't make out too well in the throwing-up incident. He was only about an hour old when he got 'initiated' into Gavin's toy world. They both cleaned up pretty well though.

A TRIP TO COLORADO

2010-06-12T09:55:00.001-07:00

Ever since our good friends Debbie and Dave moved to Colorado Springs eight years ago Curtis and I have been meaning to go visit. Finally just Gavin and I were able to make a trip there and spend a week hanging out with them and their two cute boys, Dallin and Dawson. It was a jam packed week filled with lots of outings and a few meltdowns, but we had so much fun! So thank you guys for having us and showing us around your neck of the woods! We can't wait to do it again!

The boys.

Aren't they so cute together?

Two peas in a pod.

Sporting the lion suit.

Garden of the Gods.

Another view of the Garden of the Gods park.

Although we took the boys out for a little hike earlier in the week Debbie and I decided it would be nice if just the two of us could get out and hike together. This was by far the highlight of my trip. I really could have spent all week there and I can't wait to go back and show Curtis.

More from our hike in Garden of the Gods.

This place was just incredible and overwhelmingly beautiful. Very much like Sedona or Moab, but just 20 minutes from their house. I couldn't stop taking pictures.

Another highlight of the trip was a tour of the Olympic Training Center. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a little obsessed about the Olympics. So I was just thrilled that we were able to take a tour and see where all the hard work and training takes place. It was awesome to see athletes walking around in their USA gear and see some of them actually training. A very inspiring place filled with lots of talent. Sigh. I can't wait to watch London 2012.

During the Vancouver Winter Olympics we watched all the various events every night and occasionally Gavin would stop playing and sit and watch with us. We started realizing that the event he kept stopping to watch was the bobsled competition. He commented on how fast they went and the sharp turns in the track and he even pretended to be a bobsledder in a cardboard box. So when he saw this bobsled on display at the training center he was all over it. He actually climbed up there and smiled and said 'Mom, take my picture!' Trust me, those words have never come out of his mouth before (or since). The boy really likes bobsledding. Who knows, maybe we will have an Olympian in the family some day.

Another stop on the tour of Colorado was the Airforce Academy. This place was also so amazing. Just a beautiful setting with modern achitecture, some cool planes, and lots of talented young people as well. We let the boys out to run around this B-52 bomber before heading to the chapel and giftshop.

This is the chapel. Isn't it so cool looking? It has three different levels of worship so that everyone could worship under one roof. One level for Protestants, one for Catholics, and one for the Jewish and Buddhists.

The stain glass windows are really the amazing part of it though. I have never seen a chapel so impressive in my life, with maybe the exception of Notre Dame, as this one was. The neon lines they create are so geometric and almost seem futuristic. I was in awe.

In the gift shop.

So thanks again D,D,D,and D for the awesome week and taking the time to show us around and turn your house upside down for a few days. We can't wait for your trip here to Disneyland and to return the hosting favor. Thanks again!

EASTER 2010

2010-05-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to all be together as a family this year for Easter. We made sure to make the most of it. Hunting Easter eggs, dying Easter eggs, eating Easter eggs (and candy!), holding real Easter bunnies, and listening to Conference made for the perfect Easter holiday!

This particular egg hunt decided to scatter plastic egg halves seperately to have more of them to collect for all the kids. The only problem on our end was that Gavin was way more concerned about putting egg halves back together then he was collecting them. By the time he would match a set all the rest around him would be gone. It was pretty funny watching this play out.

Eventually he ended up with quite a few and got to turn them in for some candy!

Easter morning.

Inbetween conference sessions we made our cute little 'bird nests' complete with peanut butter eggs. Gavin was very pleased with his creations. Thanks Sara for the cute idea!

Dying our Easter eggs earlier that weekend. Curtis was in charge of this project this time round and I am happy to say that no fancy rugs were stained in the process, unlike last year.

The final product.

I think Curtis will have to be in charge of egg dying every year.

That weekend at the park a little boy and girl brought their pet bunnies with them to play. Gavin and the boy made an agreement to temporarily trade his radio controlled car to hold the bunny. Gavin sat there with that bunny for almost an hour and then followed them around the park for another hour. He wanted to do nothing else but hold that rabbit. He was smitten.

Gavin and his Easter bunny.

He wouldn't go near that guy in a bunny suit this year, but the kid does love a real little bunny. And they were the sweetest little rabbits you've ever held. They were like toy dolls. Someday we will have lots of bunnies and chickens and maybe even a goat for good measure.

WATCHING THE PLANES COME IN

2010-05-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

One of our new favorite activities to do here in LA is to head over to In-N-Out for a double-double and sit and watch the planes come in at LAX. Gigantic 747's fly in from all over the world and literally land only feet away. It is awsome!

Some of these planes don't look very big or close in the pictures, but they really are so close that you almost feel like ducking when they fly over. And you definitely feel a strong blast of wind as they go by. Obviously, Gavin loves watching them.

Sometimes he makes a friend or two.

This was a cool flower that got blown off of one of the trees we were standing under when a particularly large plane flew by.

If you're ever landing at LAX, look out your window and see if you can spot an In-N-Out right next to the runway. If you can, maybe we are there watching you fly in.

OUR BUDDING PHOTOGRAPHER--GAVIN'S WORK

2010-05-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Gavin has really taken an interest in photography lately and it seems for every one picture I take, he wants to take ten. His mother couldn't be more proud!

Of course he's interested in taking pics of all his treasures and toys.

Time to get the kid his own camera I think.

THE SCIENCE CENTER

2010-05-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

With Grandma and Grandpa Wallwork in town for a few days we decided to get out of the house and try something new. In all the years we've lived in L.A. we have never been to the Science Center and I was surprised to find out that it was free! So off we went.

A cool piece of sculpture that worked just like those 'phones' made out of string and two paper cups.

There was lots of play time at these neat play stations they had set up.

Rocket ships, robots, and space have become some of Gavin's latest obsessions thanks in part to Wall-E and Star Wars. So the air and space play area was perfect for our little explorer.

You could also 'build' this house and carry up your own supplies with the neat little pulley bucket. This was a big hit.

Another hit was this cool police helicopter.

I think Gavin thought he owned this helicopter and that he really knew how to fly it. He was gonna go somewhere in it for sure. And don't worry, we have since cut his hair so it's not in his eyes anymore.

OUT AND ABOUT IN SANTA MONICA

2010-05-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

It was just an ordinary weekend. We didn't venture far from home, but it couldn't have been more perfect. There was an art-walk a mile from our house and next to one of our favorite parks so spent the afternoon there exploring the neighborhood.

We found some cool art along the way and a nice spot to lounge a bit.

We found a wall of airplanes that included Curtis' favorite. Cutis pointed it out to Gavin.

We walked along the south side of Santa Monica airport and I scouted out some uber urban photo spots.

We also found an amazing original Mini Cooper that all of us fell in love with.

We stopped by 'airplane park' to play for a bit...

and dig tunnels in the sand....

and make our own zen garden.

We watched some planes come in from the runway and others take off. It was the perfect weekend at home. Our new home.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY 2010

2010-05-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

It was certainly a very hot St. Patrick's Day this year. Gavin and I spent the day playing in the water at Manhattan Beach's fountains and eating some yummy pinkberry! There happened to be a birthday party going on so we got to enjoy some good music, bubbles, and lots of little friends running around too!

The cutest little leprechaun I ever did see!

Kiss me I'm Irish!

Earlier in the day we had a little excitement at the house. Curtis had come home during his lunch break and we were all sitting down to eat when all of the sudden the fire alarms started going off in the whole building. We sat there a little surprised and wondering if this was a real fire emergency. We made our way outside with alarms blarring in our ears (we were all wearing earplugs at this point and it was still deafening) and waited outside while the fireman went to work. I don't think there was any kind of fire fortunately, just some faulty alarm system error. But regardless, Gavin thought it was the coolest thing to see the fireman walking around our building dressed in their full suits and watching all the firetrucks coming and going! There's never a dull moment around here these days.

VALENTINE'S DAY 2010

2010-03-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

It was a simple yet lovely day spent together as a family.

We made homemade valentines for each other this year. It was such a success that I think we will keep this tradition up for years to come.

Showing some of his heart filled creations.

Breakfast of course consisted of heart shaped eggs and toast! Yum!

Picking daisies in the grass at the park.

Making new friends.

Sharing daisies.

Enjoying the day.

Top it all off with a lovely sunset, home cooked filet mignon, and belgium chocolate mousse! It was a perfect Valentine's Day. We love and miss you all!

IT'S THE GYPSY LIFE FOR US--BACK TO CALIFORNIA, AGAIN

2010-03-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

My, how time does fly.

It seems like only yesterday we were loading up a moving truck and heading for safer ground in Utah. Now only four months later we are back. We are in California once again. The auto industry seems to be having a slight upswing in work and we are coming along for the ride. This time we are traveling lightly and living with what we can fit in our two cars. This means storing our furniture at my brother's house, renting semi-furnished apartments, and living with only 5% of our belongings. BUT WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO BE BACK! It is a breath of fresh air to be in Southern California again. We have packed light and are ready for anything this time around, but pray we can stay forever. This gypsy lifestyle we seem to have adopted is growing on us. A year ago we were scared out of our minds, but we have adjusted. We have grown. We are stronger, smarter, and a little more flexible. Life is an adventure and you never know where it will take you. Just hang on and enjoy it.

HAWAII 2010

2010-03-10T21:03:00.001-08:00

OUR ICY EXIT FROM UTAH

2010-03-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

It was mid January and as snowy and cold as ever. We all hopped in the car for a Sunday drive to go exploring. We happened upon Utah Lake all frozen over and covered in snow and had just arrived in time for sunset. The lighting was magical. The wind however was bitterly cold and it felt as cold and icy as winter gets. Little did we know that we were soon heading to warmer weather. California would soon be calling our name again and this would be one of our last wintery weeks in Utah. We soaked up all the winter splendor we could tolerate and took a few pictures along the way. We headed home, dreamed of warmer days, but smiled as we looked out the window and enjoyed the powdery snow on the ground.

My first time ever standing on a frozen lake. I was so intrigued, but so freaked out by it too. When the ice started making creaking sounds I was done. I enjoyed my view from the road.

An icy sunset on the lake.

Obviously we weren't the only ones exploring the ice this winter.

Up, close, and icy.

SOME BATH TIME FUN!

2010-02-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks Aunt Tammy for all the fun bath-time toys! The water color tablets and 'crayons' were a big hit! He could have spent hours in there. Every kid should take a blue or red bath.

CHRISTMAS 2009

2010-02-27T18:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was spent at Uncle Brent's house with Grandma and Grandpa Wallwork visiting for the holiday. It was cold and still snowy outside with a real FULL-SIZE Christmas tree inside (a first since Gavin was born) so it definitely felt like Christmas. Of course Gavin made out in present department and didn't know what to play with first. By far his favorite gift and the one we were most excited to give him had to be his Geo-Traxs set though. Many hours have been spent building elaborate track set-ups and watching the cars and trains go by. Having a three year old on Christmas morning is so much fun and couldn't have been more entertaining. Thank you everyone who sent Gavin and us gifts for Christmas. It really meant a lot. We love you and miss you all. We hope you had an amazing holiday as well.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Geo-Traxs in action. Lightning McQueen was a big hit.

Curtis was surprised with new guitar strings on his guitar Christmas morning from Uncle Brent and was thrilled with the new lovely sound it made.

Some Christmas light bokeh!

Our real Christmas tree this year became ridiculously dry by Christmas day and all of us couldn't wait to get it out of the house and the huge mess of needles cleaned up. I have to admit that I felt pretty 'Scrougey' putting a Christmas tree on the curb, still decorated none-the-less, by 11:00 am Christmas morning, but it had to be done. I'm sure the neighbors thought we were crazy, but oh it was so nice to have the living room clean once again. Smells great, but what a mess.

Uncle Brent mocking my 3lb dumbbells I asked for for Christmas.

Hey, I'm going for high reps here. Cut a girl a break.

Proof that we do in fact have friends!!!

The one good thing about moving as much as we do is that you meet lots and lots of really amazing people along the way. Thanks for the cards and pictures everyone. They made our holiday that much better!

A DAY OF SLEDDING. ENJOYING THE SNOW IN UTAH.

2009-12-14T08:57:00.000-08:00