Wrapping up the week

Friday, the 17th, Mom, Grandpa Bob and I went to Redding's YMCA for a workout while the kids played in their play room. It was great to see the guy working the front desk say hi to Bob by name and tell him that he thought he had missed him that morning. Usually Grandpa goes at 6 or so, we didn't get there til 9 or 9:30. Bob does his two or three, I don't remember which, on the treadmill then does other machines. Mom and I just did some things here and there. I tried rowing for cardio... it was pretty good. I ran into an old family friend from the fire department, Mike Gould. It was nice to see him again and got to introduce him to my kids. (He worked at my dad's fire station when I was 11 or so.) Aaron was more than a little upset when it was time to go. He and Olivia had a great time playing with a marble tower and didn't want to leave. I explained how thankful I was that he was so good for going to the gym with us and that if he would like, I would get him a Slurpee. That was good for him. Grandpa didn't know what Slurpee's were so when he came inside to help get them, at the 7-11 I got one for him too. I got him Coke, thinking he would enjoy the nostalgic flavor, he loved it, and "slurped" up the entire thing. He told me that he remembered when Pepsi first came out. The whole add campaign was based on the fact that you could get a bigger bottle of the cola than coke for a nickel! (Coke, at the time was doing the smaller bottles of soda.)

Later in the day I took the kids to meet up with friends of mine from high school and their kids. Whitney and Casey have both married in to the Lowry family and were visiting their mother-in-law just south of town. It was nice to catch up with them and see all their cute kiddies.

Friday and Saturday night Mom and Tiger had prior commitments to attend so the kids and I hung out at my dad's to help get things ready for camping. Saturday was spent shopping for camping and packing for the week's trip to come.

This was Aaron shopping with me at Trader Joe's in Redding.

Love and Food

Or perhaps, "Food and Love". Either way I felt like I enjoyed myself immensely and gained 10 lbs while staying with Mom and Tiger. 

We always enjoy being with them and staying at their house. We have fun conversations and really enjoy just being together. Every time we get there, the first thing Aaron wants to do is run up and say hi to Papa T. Livi goes with him and soon they come back down from the office with Papa in tow. Aaron really meshes well with Papa and I told Tiger that somehow, Aaron has inherited his genes with how he interacts with people. Like Tiger, Aaron has no inhibitions when in a crowded room. Aaron will go up to anybody, ask their name (and admittedly, their age) and strike up a conversation. I love it! It reminds me to live life a little more fully.

Wednesday night after Applebee's we came home and got ready for bed, or at least attempted to. By this time it had been a week and a half since the kids had wrestled with dad, and when they saw Papa T laying on their giant king size bed, neither of them could resist. It was so fun to watch. It lasted a good hour and wore everyone out.

Thursday morning, the 16th, the kids and I took it slow and once we headed out to do some errands we got a phone call from Grandma. She and Aunt Sherral, her sister, were having lunch at Pio Loco and wanted us to join them. We met them at the mexican restaurant and had a great time. Sherral is such a beautiful woman and it always makes me smile just to see the love that she has in her eyes.

After spending the day with the Reasbecks, we gave Evan a Webkinz owl for his birthday and helped him set up an account, we got home, Aaron had fallen asleep in the car, and Mom and Tiger were waiting for us to go to dinner! Grandpa had felt bad for Susie picking up the bill the previous night so he wanted to take us to the club that he is a patron of. It was all very sweet. (The kids enjoyed Great Grandpa's company so much and had been playing tag with him the previous night. When we dropped him off, after Applebee's he reached back in the car, asked to shake Aaron's hand, swatted it and said, "tagged you, no tag backs". The kids LOVED it. He may be old in numbers, but his heart and mind are SO young and full of life.) 

Going to the club was a lot of fun. Grandpa, Mom and Tiger knew everyone there and introduced the kids and I.  I was able to chat to them and recognized some of the patrons from an old job I had at Sunset Market. Most were elderly but adored the kids, especially Aaron with his outgoing personality. Grandpa made it to our table before us and had even ordered Aaron's root beer and had it waiting for him by the time we made it to the table. (The root beer was requested by a very cranky little boy who woke up from his car nap in the club's parking lot.) Grandpa used to frequent the club with his wife Mary who passed away last fall. It was noticeably uncomfortable for him to be at a table next to the table of all the couples that he and his bride once sat with. I just wanted to give him the biggest hug. I understood his pain. He misses his sweetheart so very much. I patted his back and rubbed his shoulder and just smiled while we ate our meal.

Cheers!

After dinner, Grandpa asked the kids if they wanted ice cream. Well, of course the answer was yes. Great Grandpa insisted on a parlor even though there were 3 cartons back at the house from the previous night. As we were leaving Aaron walked right up to the "couples'" table and told them all that Grandpa was taking him to ice cream. (I was very proud of my son. Bob was beaming.)We went to Baskin Robbins where he treated everyone to a cone. There's something so fun about eating an ice cream cone. We all had such a great time. Very precious memories. 

And last but not least, a tribute to Mom and Tiger; all of this on their 15th wedding anniversary. We love you guys.

Bar Hopping with Toddlers

Disclaimer: one doesn't need to consume alcohol to sit at a bar. Apparently they don't even care if your age is still in the single digits! (Read on for further details.)

Wednesday, after the lake, the kids and I headed back to Grandma and Papa T.'s house to get ready for dinner. (We were staying with them for the week in Redding.) The Redding Fire Department was doing a fundraiser at Logan's Roadhouse for the local hospital's childrens' wing. Specifically for kids with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Needless to say I wanted to go. (Any chance I have to go help the RFD or kids with cancer, I'm there. The bond is pretty close to my heart.) Tiger, Mom and Grandpa Bob all rode in our car to join the festivities. It was a lot of fun to watch my kids' excitement with something that was common place to me as a kid. They got to climb and take pictures on the ladder truck. 

I got to visit with one of the firefighters that helped save my dad's life 8 years ago. And we all got to visit with Rotary friends. It was great to see so much support for the cause, especially in this "struggling economy". The firefighters were waiting on the tables and all the tips were going towards the hospital. Because of the enormous crowds the wait was a little too extreme for our party, it had been an hour and it was at least 1/2 hr more, and after everyone had enjoyed a few drinks from Logan's bar, (the kids and I enjoyed our Shirley Temples), we decided to go next door to Applebee's.

Papa T. went to the bar to order a drink and Livi and Aaron clambered right up the barstools 

in front of him and proceeded to order. This time they got a virgin Strawberry Daiquiri. We were all laughing that we were taking the kids bar hopping in Redding. The other patrons at the bar thought it to be somewhat comical to see a 5 and 3 year old downing the drink, sitting at the bar. The bartender got a kick out of it and didn't mind. He kept handing Aaron more napkins. (Those of you who've had the privilege of seeing him eat will understand this.) 

Well, we finally got to our table and what did we discover...

I was dying! I could not believe that out of all the tables in the restaurant AND the fact that we hadn't even started at that restaurant, AND that we were with their Dad and Grandfather!!! Bryan happened to call while we were sitting there with Tiger trying hopelessly to convince himself that it wasn't HIS BOYS. (Yeah, cause there's SO many "Bob and Bryan" pairs out there. Bob and Bryan are Tiger's twins who like to..."spice" things up a bit.)Bryan of course had no recollection and later that evening when Bob called, all he could do was laugh.

Being with you guys is always SUCH A BLAST!

A day on the lake

Tuesday, July 7th, I took the kids up to my brother's house in Anderson, to join all the cousins in their pool. We ordered pizzas from Papa Murphy's and swam for quite a while. I helped Kristi, who is due with a surprise baby in December (which will make #4) restore some order to her boys' room. Apparently Logan is quite the fashionista!!!

Cutie little boat babes.

Wednesday we were lucky enough to be taken out on Shasta Lake in my dad's boat. I haven't been on the lake, except for once with Livi, when she was a baby, for over 12 years! This was a much anticipated day.

There's something so relaxing about seeing bare sun kissed skin on leather boat seats. To me nothing says summer better. Don't worry, the boat hasn't been put in the water yet. Life jackets were quickly adorned.

Angie came and brought her friend Rachel that she has been in nursing school with at Shasta College. The kids had fun being with new people. They are very much social butterflies.

Aaron had a ball flipping out of the tubes.

Olivia getting ready for the ride.

Aaron, after the ride. Love the hair buddy.

They loved the inner-tubes. Surprisingly, Livi was wanting to go faster than Aaron. Regardless they both had a blast and wanted to go again and again. Even just swimming in the lake around the boat and eating our packed lunches... SO MUCH FUN!

We couldn't help but all be reminded of my mom while looking at Livi on the boat and in the lake. One of Mom's most favorite things was the lake. Dad couldn't drive fast enough, quick enough and we never just sat in the water long enough.

And a trip on the boat wouldn't be complete without Papa showing you how to drive!

Thanks Dad!

Grandpa's helpers and Grandma's garden

On our journey around the north state, we took the opportunity to spend a couple of days with Bill's dad and stepmom. Bill and Helen live in Red Bluff, Ca. where they stay very busy thinking of new ways to make their home even more beautiful than the last time we were there. I swear every time I see it I think, "there's nothing more they can possibly do to make this place more beautiful..." The next time we come back... they've added a new structure, deck, pergola, pond,... you name it, they have it. Their current project is an outdoor kitchen complete with a pizza oven! I can't wait to bake in that. No smoke detectors can sound outside. (Just for the record, I have NEVER burned a pizza, it's the method to my madness!) Grandpa graciously enlisted the help of two eager beavers as he set to work "fixing", I'm not sure exactly what he was doing

, the bar-b-que. The kids loved helping. Grandpa had Aaron and Olivia each build a prototype birdhouse for a kids camp that his Kiwanis club is doing this year. We even got to go to Wal-Mart so they could pick the paint they wanted.

No visit is complete without stopping at "Jolly Kone" for soft serve ice cream. It's difficult to keep it on the cone in 90+ degree heat!

The drill didn't quite make it through Aaron's. It got gummed up and started smoking!

Livi was very timid with the drill at first, but Grandpa made sure she got through it.

Livi and Aaron loved the golf cart. Both of them got to "drive" it and both of them crashed. Livi's I saw, right into a stone planter. Aaron's I heard about, into the fence!

It was great to beable to spend quality time with Grandpa and Nana. We don't take the time to be there as much as we should. It always seems to be a "stopping" point between Sacramento and Redding. It was nice to be with Bill and Helen and catch up. It's always nice to enjoy their pool and beautiful home. My favorite is Helen's gardens. Yes, I said gardens! Gorgeous!

Sacramento for a week

Tuesday afternoon, the 7th, the kids and I drove out to visit my childhood friend Natalie Cabezud. We got to see her beautiful house in Roseville and were treated to Mountain Mike's Pizza! YUM! The kids especially enjoyed playing games and LOVED her bathtub. Thanks Natalie for a great evening.

From there we headed to Bill's brother's house. Sam and Nikki still live in Natomas but early last year moved to a new larger space. We stayed for the remainder of the week and enjoyed being there. We went to their clubhouse pool and Nikki and I even went to their club gym for a workout. For me it was such a relaxing experience having nothing to do once the kids were asleep. Lucky for us we were able to enjoy their beautiful newly built pergola that added a whole new room to their great backyard. 

The kids really had fun on this plane. So cute. 

The week ended with Josh's 3rd birthday with friends and family attending. We were so glad to have been able to time things right to be there for that fun day. Nikki did a fabulous job with the food and everyone had a great time. Aaron was more than willing to help  his cousin.

Looking at the pictures one might wonder whose birthday it was. Thank you Sam, Nikki, Josh and Cody for putting up with added chaos for a week. We truly had a lot of fun being with you.

We finished the week by visiting two more great families. The Petty's were part of our old ward in Sacramento and live near our old house. When we went to check out what the landscaper had accomplished we decided to stop by. Dennis played a game on the tv with Olivia for the duration of the visit while Cindy and I got to catch up. Aaron kinda just ran around doing a little bit of this and that. I was especially glad they were home, on the fly. I was really needing some "mom" time. I find myself gravitating towards women that are older than me. I always have, but since Mom passed away I've felt a greater need for it. I haven't had as much as some people, but for most women my age, not many understand the trials that I've been through. I feel like my book of life is very rich in text and that older women have great novels of their own to share. I feel extremely  blessed that I can have relationships with these women who I look up to and admire; all for different reasons. 

Sunday finished our week in the "City of Trees". I had arranged to meet up with our dear friends, the Elliott's, at their church ward in West Sacramento. Dan was our bishop when we lived there in the Valley Hi ward and is now serving as Branch President to the single adults of the area. I packed the car the previous night and finished that morning before heading to church, bike rack and all. As I parked in the church parking lot I saw Julie walking towards our car and quickly found myself fighting back tears. I looked toward Olivia and saw a smile a mile wide flashing across her face. Julie and I have a bond that not many people understand. She like I lost her mom after battles with cancer and she like I dealt with it very differently than any of our siblings. She, like I, gave her mother's eulogy, and she, like I  likes to tell it how it is. No sugar coating. I love Dan and Julie for so many things. So many things that I didn't even realize until I saw them that day. I love that we all openly can hug and say to one another, "I love you!" Because really, isn't that what this is all about?

Sorry Jules, this has memories behind it. It makes me laugh & I LOVE it!