Happy Birthday to Me!

These beautiful flowers arrived from Todd, Kathy, and the kids.  Just lovely.

And then I spent the evening at my "happy place"

 My birthday cake was a little unusual this year...samores!!!  

Todd really had to work to get the candle lit.

 I love this place and these people.  I couldn't have asked for a better day.

High School Girlfriends

A few of my best high school girlfriends planned a get-to-gether and it was so fun.  Several of us ar still local, but many came great distances.  Debbie Young Vataha lives in the Boston area, Kim Lyall Owens came from Oklahoma, Kate Iverson is currently living in Arizona, and Berry Anderson Scott, and Karen Kubel Keys, came from the Sacramento area.  We spent the afternoon reminiscing and reliving the "good 'ol days".

Fritz's Pool

Amy was at girl's camp this week, so I was on babysitting duty. We spent some time at Fritz's pool, and boy, did the kids love it.  Their favorite part?  The diving board.  The pool is really "old school" with a very deep end and diving board that modern pools don't have.  These kids make the 3rd generation of my family using this pool
When we first moved into our house, it was 1961 and I was going into 7th grade.  Our new next door neighbors had a son, Pug, Milo's age.  We all became friends and spent countless hours playing in the pool.
Many years later, I can't remember who was living in the house, but Todd and Amy were often invited to go over for a swim.  I have a video of Amy diving off the board and both of them clowning around.

And now it's Amy's kids turn...

Carson and Emma learned how to dive.

Carson learned he needed to tie his shorts tighter when diving!!!

And they just liked hanging around!

Summer Crafts

I love the crafts that I have done this summer.  With the new desk and hutch, I needed some new stuff to fill out the room.  And I love making crafts!

Lizards and Turtles and Snakes, Oh My!

Who knew that a fun, little treasure was hidden in a strip mall in Fountain Valley?!  The Reptile Zoo was a very fun, if not smelly, outing enjoyed by all.  The kids watched as a snake ate a mouse (no picture, thank goodness!), held all sorts of reptiles, and even fed the turtles.  All the while, they kept trying to talk Amy into buying them a new pet.  They didn't succeed!

But, I think the biggest hit was holding, Zig Zag, an albino reticulated python.

Cramped Quarters

Amy, Todd and kids have wanted to do the bike ride along the Santa Ana River Trail for some time now and they finally got it fit into their busy schedules.  I was the support car,, picking them up at the beach and driving them back to the trail head.  That meant 7 of us in a 5 passenger car.  I think we all missed my Durango!

A Little Mud, Anyone?

I finally saved up enough Glen Ivy gift cards...