San Diego

This San Diego trip, if you remember, was Rebekah's 16th birthday present.  The girl declared beach time to be her top priority so we booked a hotel right on Mission Bay and two blocks away from Mission Beach.  And boy, was that ever the perfect trip for her!  Because she was obsessed, fascinated, couldn't get enough of...those waves.  Wanted to play in them, run away from them, watch them, go on long walks past them.  We hunted for seashells, we dug for crabs, we clambered around a rock jetty, we explored the underside of the pier.  We dug our feet into the sand, we goggled at the weirdness of seaweed and we commentated (amateurishly) the skills of the scores of surfers we saw catching waves each morning.  I even went for a 4.5 mile run along the boardwalk.  And this was all just on Mission Beach.  This doesn't count all the time we spent on the bay....kayaking, stand up paddle board surfing, reading on the fabulous beach chairs at the waters edge.  Or the time spent warming back up again in the hotel hot tub!  As beautiful as San Diego is, no one informed me that this time of year is jokingly referred to as "June Gloom."  We never got rained on...but we didn't see the sun too often.  Which meant that the 68-70 degrees were decidedly chilly.  Not that it stopped us from doing everything we wanted to do.  But that hot tub was nice....just sayin'.

Ready for a picture-palooza?

 My little blue-eyed, blonde-haired California beach babe....

 

I have an awesome picture of Rebekah getting slammed by the wave that took her down.  Her hair is flying, she has a pretty intense look of shock on her face....it's hilarious!  But she refuses to let me post it.  So you get the aftermath shot...where she's looking at me with a face that says, "Holy wow...did you see that?!"

Seaweed....seriously alien looking stuff!  It would collect on the beach in big lumps.  Bryan found the stuff fascinating and spent a lot of time building those lumps into even bigger kind of forts that the incoming water wouldn't be able to breach.  Who needs sandcastles when you can build fortifications out of seaweed?? 

Our room had a private patio that opened up to a garden and duck pond.  The ducks, as you can imagine, were very used to people and waddled around and among us with ease.  This mama duck and her tiny newborns came to our patio each and every morning...often times knocking on the sliding glass door with their beaks when they realized that Rebekah would feed them the leftover rolls from her dinner the night before.

Our last morning in San Diego Rebekah and I got up extra early to walk down to Crystal Pier and back...all in all a 5 mile walk.  Not only was the walk along the beach glorious, but playing under the pier and watching the surfers from on top were also a lot of fun. 

Rebekah could be the poster girl for stand up paddle surfing.  She jumped onto that board with ease and made it look like she'd been doing it for years...rather than this being her first time.  Maybe it really is as easy as she says.  But it's been a long time since I've had that same skinny little 16 year old size body....and I'm guessing I'd be nowhere near as graceful and probably dump myself in the bay! 

Build-a-Bear

It was cold and windy when we headed to the Gateway to celebrate Lilian's birthday.  We had to scrap our plans of running through the fountains.  But the Build-a-Bear experience more than made up for the inclement weather.  Though we had not previously booked an official birthday party, the employees went all out when they heard that Lilian was a birthday girl and treated her like a V.I.P.  The final result was "Sweetheart"...a teddy bear stuffed, fluffed, combed and dressed. Besides the official little fabric heart and the "giggle" box that they had Lilian place inside before sewing up the bear, Lilian also decked out Sweetheart in some serious summer swim time attire...swimsuit, sandals, sunglasses, towel and beach bag.  And although the bear will NOT be joining us in the pool, I wouldn't be surprised to find her accompanying Lilian on an excursion to Cherry Hill very soon.    

Love Peace Ride

Little Red Riding Hood...four years biking this ride and it never disappoints.  This year, though altogether there were a good 13 ladies from our neighborhood riding, 5 of us decided to go up to Logan early and spend the night.  We had decided months earlier that this year was going to be all about fun, girly companionship and enjoying the journey.  No pressure, no competitiveness, no goals regarding serious mileage or speed...just playing the day by ear and riding what felt good.  So the thought of some shopping and dinner the night before topped off by a sleepover filled with gabbing and giggling sounded pretty darn wonderful to all 5 of us. 

We had a few raindrops and a bit of wind that couldn't seem to make up its mind which way it wanted to blow.  We had some serious energy draining HEAT.  We had an exhilarating downhill that I clocked myself going 40 mph on. We ate oreos with peanut butter on top at the rest stops.  We gained a love/hate relationship with the Honey Bucket facilities.  We smelled some Cache Valley farm animal stink that curled our nose hairs.  We flashed peace signs at our fellow riders.  We hollered out "car back!" and "on your left!" time and time again.  And we enjoyed the gorgeous scenery for a good 50 miles of pedaling.   

Sarah, Kim, Me, Jenn, Elise and Mylissa at the starting line.  

 Kim, Elise and I posing with the Big Bad Wolf and some other hippy race volunteers.  Notice our cute little skirts?  Specifically made to cover the unattractive padded behind of the biking shorts, we bought them at the LRRH expo the night before.  I can't count how many times I heard "Cute skirt!" from other riders as I biked by. 

Playing tag

I made a new blogging friend last November when I participated in NaBloPoMo.  Jewels from Frazzled and Frumpy is witty and down to earth.  She makes me laugh and makes me think.  She is a phenomenal writer...and I love reading the way she strings words together just as much as the story those words are telling.  I read her blog every day and look forward to when she makes comments on mine.  She tagged me last week and invited me to answer a bunch of questions about myself.  Realistically, because this is an internet version of the popular "Tag...you're IT!" game, after answering all the questions I'm then supposed to tag a few more people to keep the game rolling.  But instead of tagging specific people I think I'm just going to throw the "You're IT!" out there and if you want to pick up the ball and run with it...feel free!  (Yeah..I know, I'm kind of mixing my game references here.  Work with me here, people.)  

1- Do you have a middle name? What is it?
My middle name is Ann....Sarah Ann.  (Although I've also been called Sarah Lou and Sarah D.)  Since I got married I dropped the Ann in favor of my maiden name as my middle name.  And it's a good thing seeing as my brother-in-law also married a Sara Anne.  She kept her middle name rather than her maiden name.  So though the airlines tend to think we've double booked when we travel together and stick us in the same seat....we really are two separate people! 

2-What was your favorite candy as a child?
Swedish Fish.  The taste takes me back to Cabana Club when I was a kid.  They had a snack bar where you could buy penny candy...1 cent per fish.  I would save up my pennies and buy a handful each time I went.  Somehow they taste even better if you have a hint of chlorine on your fingers...

3-Do you have a phobia?
SNAKES!  There's some serious childhood trauma associated with this phobia seeing as my first run-in with a snake just happens to be one of my very first childhood memories.  I was born in Houston, Texas...where it was not uncommon to find snakes in the garage, in the backyard, in the street, etc.  I was 3 years old when I came upon a HUGE snake while playing on the back lawn.  Oh, I'm sure it wasn't all that big but to a 3 year old, it seemed terrifyingly enormous.  I ran for my mom who was talking on the phone to a friend.  She wouldn't come, wouldn't come, wouldn't come.  (Once again...add some 3 year old impatience to the memory).  I was crying, the dog was barking.  Finally my mom came out and, if I remember correctly, dug a hole in the flower bed, picked the wriggling snake up on the shovel...the snake big enough to flop over the sides...and unceremoniously chucked the darn thing in the hole and buried it.  I have been terrified of snakes ever since.  (And now I have the heebie jeebies just recalling that story!!!)

4-Do you wear jewelry?
Earrings every day.  Mostly silver hoops.  I love bracelets and I've been collecting big rings...both of which are hard to find because I have tiny wrists and a size 5 ring finger.  But lately I've been buying up delicate little necklaces with charms that fall into the hollow in my neck.  A turquoise heart, a silver shamrock, an owl, etc.

5-Where was your all-time favorite vacation spot?
Where isn't my favorite vacation spot??  Really...if I'm on vacation, then right here, right now is my favorite spot!  Some especially memorable favorites:  Cancun was heavenly.  We did an all inclusive week there with Bryan's family back when Rebekah was just 3 years old.  New York City last year spoke to my soul.  I know that sounds cheesy....but I don't know any other way to describe it.  I'm always more than happy to spend vacation time in San Francisco and Washington D.C.  Ultimately, though...I'm a cruise girl.  We've been on five (on five different cruise lines, even) and are planning to hopefully do an Alaskan cruise next summer for our 20th wedding anniversary.  

6-Your pizza, you don't have to share, what's on it?
I'm not terribly fond of pizza.  But every now and again when I have a craving...or have a "I can't stand the thought of cooking today" day I go for a vegetarian one. 

7-If you were stranded on a desert island and had one book to read, what would it be?
Well, The Book of Mormon, of course.  Can't think of a better book to read and re-read over and over again.  But if the point of this question is to have me name a favorite novel...then I would have to say "Pride and Prejudice."  But "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" would be a close second.

8-Dream car?  Dream 'reasonable' car?
I'm pretty fond of my big Ford F-150 truck.  But sometimes I dream of a BMW 135i coupe.  In black.  Ahhh.

9-If you could be a character in a movie or book, who would you be?
When I was younger I wanted to be Anne of Green Gables.  I loved her imagination, I loved how grateful she was for her blessings, I loved how she enjoyed details,  I loved how dedicated to education and learning she was, I loved her home on Prince Edward Island, and oh, how I loved Gilbert!!  And although I still think I would enjoy being Anne...as an older grown-up I also rather like the idea of being Kathleen Kelly from "You've Got Mail."  She lives in NYC.  And owned a book shop!  I relate with her quirkiness, her chatty nature, and her penchant for wearing cute little dresses and skirts.  But mostly the fact that she thinks things like this: "Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void."   (I won't even mention Elizabeth from "Pride and Prejudice."  Because really...that's just a no brainer.  Who doesn't want to be her, right?)

10-Do you paint your nails? (Fingers or toes)
I rarely paint my fingernails.  All that work for only a day or so before the daily wear and tear of housewifery chips them.  What's the point?  Toenails on the other hand...yes.  Always.  And lucky me, I was recently introduced to the wonderful world of pedicures...
 
11-Is there anything that would make you stop blogging?
Blogging fills a few of my needs.  I'm a historian, so keeping a family history of sorts is a big deal to me.  I've kept journals since I was 10 and started scrapbooking in high school.  Blogging combines the two and is much easier for me to keep up to date on.  Also, I've discovered that I really like writing.  I'm not to the point in my life yet, where I want to try my hand at writing a book.  But blogging gives me that outlet.  So with all of that said, it would take something big and serious to stop me from blogging.  The novelty isn't likely to wear off, I'm not going to decide one day that I'm just bored with it.  

Lilian is 5

Lilian turned 5 on Sunday.  And being the birthday girl that she knew she was, she kept us all running throughout the day to accommodate her whims.  But it's okay because every little girl should be a princess on her birthday, yes?  And we were happy to oblige...well, other than the fact that after biking 50 miles the day before I was very much in need of a nap!  But when royalty calls....

Julianne decided that the gift giving needed to be in the form of a treasure hunt of sorts with a map showing an X-marks-the-spot where each gift could be found.  Lilian loved it...even if she needed a bit of help with deciphering.  She squealed over a Leap Pad and it's accompanying Tangled game (she calls it her "iPad") and shrieked with joy when she unwrapped a slushie/snow cone maker....but funny enough, I think her favorite gift was sidewalk chalk.  Go figure.

Tomorrow, instead of a big birthday party like last year, we are heading to the Gateway for some dinner, some water fountain dodging and, most importantly, Build-a-Bear.  Pictures to come sometime in the next few days...      

"Witness" Photo Shoot

You may or may not remember me mentioning that I am singing in a newly formed little women's group.  (See here)  We call ourselves "Witness."  Ours goals mostly revolve around doing performances for and sharing our testimonies with church activities...Relief Society and Young Women events, firesides, etc.  But this summer we have branched out a bit.  Three of the five of us auditioned for a talent contest in a neighboring town.  Of 60 auditionees, we were one of the 15 performers chosen to sing in the official talent show. 

All five of us are also scheduled to perform at Cherry Hill next month as part of their weekend summer concert series.  Rather than just one song, we are putting together an hour long concert...which, as you can imagine, has kept us very busy over the past weeks.  Along with choosing and practicing songs we are also busily discussing "costume" choices, choreography/staging and "segues"...as we call them....the little bit of talking we do in between each song to interact with the audience and connect them from one song to the next. 

It's a lot of work.  But these 4 other women have lifted me, both spiritually and mentally, in ways that I didn't expect.  They are good, they are kind, they are talented and they honestly care about me.  They allow me to be myself...whether I am giddy and excited or anxious and worried or grumpy and hormonal.  They don't judge me.  I feel safe airing my opinions....even if it is contrary to what someone else's opinion might be.  I can't believe how much fun it is to truly collaborate on a song with these women....taking a solo and writing in harmony parts and making the number uniquely our own.  I sing soprano on some numbers, on others I sing alto, sometimes tenor, sometimes a high descant...all of us taking turns working different parts.  It's a lot of fun.

Photographs were required by the powers that be at both the talent show and Cherry Hill.  Here is a sampling of what we got.