Ryan and Camille

Child Labor Laws

2012-02-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I have always scoffed at child labor laws. I mean, who needs a dishwasher if you just have a couple of kids? I know that's what my mom and dad thought. They didn't buy the dishwasher until my sisters and I moved out of the house. We're startin' early in the Hayes household. I'm hoping to be "chore-free by three."

(I know, I know what you're thinking...those shirts aren't folded along the creases correctly! Cut the guy some slack, we're not slave driver's around here you know! He'll get there eventually...)

(He still gets sidetracked sometimes, it's a learning process)

After a hard day's work I let him pick the arrugla from the garden and eat it raw. ; ) He loves it.

Team in Training

(In case you accuse me of having miserable children, here's Kaila-Marie laughing hysterically!)

Surgery Update

2012-02-04T21:08:00.003-08:00

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. The surgery went well. Josiah was a brave little trooper. He woke up after surgery and just wanted to eat, drink and be held (who doesn't!?). He ate for about two hours straight after the surgery. He didn't have any nausea but was pretty out of it for the rest of the day. The next day, thursday, he was walking and getting into trouble, and today, barely three days out, he is pretty much completely back to his normal self. Ryan and I are doing all we can to keep things...mellow. Ha, yeah right.

Before surgery in the hospital.

Wednesday evening after the surgery. Eating again and pretty dazed and confused, decidedly under the influence. Still recovering from the surgery.

Ryan took Thursday and Friday off and we went to the Atascadero Zoo on Friday. Perfect parent ploy for keeping Josiah entertained and in the stroller.

Addicted and Convicted: Part 1

2012-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

So, the blog may be an ironic place to talk about my addiction, but hopefully it will also serve to remind me of my conviction when I need reminding. It began with Ryan, offhandedly complaining about how much I text. "You're always texting!" "What can you be talking about?" Then the fatigue set in. You may be familiar with it. It's that feeling that you are always going, going, going...even when you have had a 'relaxing' day at home. It's that part of you that won't shut off. It looks like this.

I try to sit down and read my bible or journal first thing in the morning, and my fingers are itching to text someone, check email/blog/facebook/NYTimes/pinterest/ (name your vice), or look something up online. I'm out working in the garden and I always bring the phone so I can answer the phone or hear a text come in. I'm driving and willing to risk the $300 ticket and my kid's safety for a quick call. I have a few minutes downtime I just have to send out a quick text or check my email, again. I'm typing this very sentence and breastfeeding at the same time.

Yep, it's no wonder I feel mentally scattered at the end of the day and can't sit still with the Lord. I'm addicted to technology, distractions.

I'm addicted to things that keep me from fully enjoying the place and moment that I am in, right here and now. (pause in typing as I finish breastfeeding and love on Kaila, I'm working on it!)

Now don't get me wrong. It's not all bad. After all, if I didn't use my cell phone/text/email etc. there are some days when I wouldn't speak to another adult all day long. I would be talking Ryan's ear off for hours about baby poop, nap time and new babble sounds, "Hey! Why aren't you still listening..."

We could start World War III out there, or aliens could attack Los Angeles, and if I didn't use the internet I would have no idea. (Picture me in my baby bubble saying, "That's a cat. The cat say's 'meow...'" "B-I-R-D...say B-I-R-D..." "No, that's yucky...we don't eat rocks!" "Eeeeew, poopy diaper!" all day while the world is blowing up outside.)

I have to maintain my adult brain somehow.

I also treasure the friendships that grow by connecting via technology. Those texts and phone calls often are my lifelines of support from my good friends and family whom I love so much!

There must be a balance.

That said, I felt the Lord calling me. He gave me this verse (ironically through Linda's Blog).

"My dove in the clefts of the rocks, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely." Song of Songs 2:14 He was calling me to sit quietly with Him without distraction (kiddos don't count). To unplug and yearn to communicate with Him above anyone else. I was reminded of how sweet and lovely my Lord is. He was telling me He wants to hear my voice, to hear me pray and give me peace. He gave me;

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7.

And so I have begun to unplug. I will leave my phone behind when I go for a run. I will not take it with me every time I work outside. I will not even look at my buzzing text message when I am in the middle of kissing my babies, and I may not respond right away. I will close my computer for large chunks of the day.

Hopefully I will be more present and aware of the life and beauty that is right in front of me when I'm not letting my technology addiction distract me.

I'm addicted and convicted.

Surgery Date

2012-01-27T12:16:00.001-08:00

Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for us! The appointment with the doctor went well. We were assured that Josiah's surgery was "a bread and butter" surgery, very common. They do it all the time with less than 1% risk. The surgery date is Wed, Feb 1st at 8:30 am in Santa Barbara. There are so many things to be thankful for and to attribute to all of your prayers. Then, as we were putting the kids in the car to leave the doctor's office, God gave us a beautiful rainbow across the sky. It was like a visual representation of all your prayers to me, and a reminder of God's promise. It reminded us yet again that He is taking care of our family and that He cares about each and every detail in our lives.

If you happen to think about it, we would love to know that people are praying for Josiah during the surgery, or during the day on Wednesday. He will be under anesthesia from 8:30-10:30, and I will update this as soon as possible afterwards. Thanks!

Rainy Morning Love

2012-01-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

I've decided that my favorite time of the day is first thing in the morning. I get to sit in the sunroom with a cup of coffee, snuggle with my babies, and sit and read while they just hang out and play. This Monday morning was extra cozy. With the fireplace going in the living room, we snuggled up with our beverages of choice (coffee, bottle, boobyjuice) and enjoyed watching the rain. Great way to start the day before heading to Santa Barbara around noon.

This post is especially for Ryan, who is at work right now and is an amazing dad.

Hernia

2012-01-20T18:51:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday was one of our top two most horrible days of parenting so far. (The first one was when we took Kaila Marie to the Emergency Room for a 102 fever. The pediatrician told us to go. Turned out to be nothing really, just a virus or something. That was about a month ago. Suffice to say, it was a horrible half a day.) Our second most horrible day of parenting, was last Tuesday when Josiah had a hernia. I could see it popping out. He couldn't walk or eat. He just lay there crying, screaming in pain, and looking up at me. Like I said, it was terrible. Ryan met me at the hospital and we were trying not to let Josiah see us cry as we held him and tried to just be there for him (seeing us cry made him more upset). That brings me to the blog. Tomorrow, Monday the 23rd we have consult with a pediatric surgeon in Santa Barbara at 3:00. Since most of you following us on the blog know and love us, we would like to ask you to pray for a few things.

Please Pray

1. That the appointment tomorrow goes well and that we are able to have the surgery soon, hopefully this week or next.

2. That the hernia does not re-occur before the surgery.

3. For his cold/cough to go away. It kicked in (Kalia and I have it too) about two days ago and, as you can imagine, it adds a few complications to all this.

4. For peace and rest in our home and family. We have had alot going on lately.

Ryan and I would like to invite you to pray this verse whenever you think about praying for our family, as we will be praying it throughout this process and especially during the surgery.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7

Lest it sound like I am despairing, I have to add that a lot of good is happening too. As of now, Josiah is back to his normal, impossible-to-keep-still self. Ryan and I have been reminded how much we really do love our little man running around tearing the house apart. We are growing stronger as a family and as a couple. My final praise is that the Lord has been drawing me close to Him during this time. I have been filling my mind with business lately, and the beauty of really re-connecting with Him is beyond words.

The Parent Eye

2012-01-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

Every day Kaila-Marie and Josiah grow up just a little bit more. The last few weeks have seen simutanous changes. Josiah is starting to really copy sounds. It actually sounds like he is saying the word half the time, but he is just copying the sound. He is also learning to eat off a spoon and loves climbing things. Kaila-Marie is such a little snuggle-bug. She rarely cries, but when she does she usually just wants to be held. She has begun batting at objects and smiling. It is such a joy to see her little face light up when she sees us.

The past two weeks I have been trying to capture her cuteness on camera. Trying to narrow it down to just a few pictures to put on the blog is pretty much impossible due to a condition I will refer to as, the "parent eye." That's right, Ryan and I will look at 50 nearly identical pictures of our kids and think each one is so cute. Under each photo I will put what goes through my head as I decided it just couldn't be cut out.

The Inner Monologue of the Parent Eye

"Classic Kaila look."

"Look at the little eyebrow and mouth! She's in the middle of a great thought. She looks alot like Josiah when he was a baby in this picture."

"This shot just makes me want to kiss those little cheeks."

"A little shy smile, she looks so sweet and feminine."

"This is her little observant look."

"I love it when my kids look overjoyed."

"Awwww, her eyes look so sweet and big. These are the best shots, she has such cute looks in this series. Cute finger in the mouth."

"awwww, finger out of the mouth."

"Closed lip smile. Can't leave this one out."

"And the reason she looks the cutest in these pictures, she's being held by her (sick with the flu) daddy. Our little snuggle bug is so happy being held."

Josiah eating with a spoon, can't leave his accomplishments out!

2012-01-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

Mommy, if this were a democracy, things would be very different right now.

Second Christmas

2012-01-13T14:16:00.001-08:00

A few pics from our second Christmas with Mom and Dad Hayes (Thanks for the request Aunt Karen! : ). The house was still decorated and I cooked up some great food. That, combined with having our loved ones with us made it just as authentic as Christmas on Dec 25th.

Mom and Dad assembled the exciting new slide in secret the night before and had it out to surprise us "Christmas" morning! It has been such a hit, it still stands in the exact same spot in our living room!

Just getting back from a walk around the neighborhood. What a beautiful group!

The whole family went to the neighborhood block party during the day on New Years Eve.

We're still working on the "smile" command with Kaila. She can do "look cute," "cry," and "lay there kicking" pretty well, so I'm sure its only a matter of time.

2012-01-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

A quick update. This bout of poison oak has cleared up faster than any I have ever experienced (Ha! I'm winning!!). I credit it first to the fact that we have been covered in prayer, then the steroid cream, then Zanfel, and then all the other things I've tried...in that order.

In case you didn't know, there are a ton of "remedies" for poison oak. (I have used calamine lotion, Tecnu, Zanfel, steroid cream, rubbing alcohol, special soap, scalding hot showers, baking soda and witch hazel, anti-itch lotion, oatmeal baths, claritin, neosporin, and the list goes on.) Just google it, or walk out in public with your nasty, infectious looking rash and you'll find that people have some crazy home remedies. I think the worst one I have ever encountered said...

"Take a scalding hot shower, scratch your oak until it bleeds, then pour bleach on it."

Wow. I think Ill take the oak over a chemical burn. You must feel really stupid going into the doctor trying to explain that one away. I have also read about using gasoline and comet to cure the oak. I figure these people must live in the Bayu, deep in the swamps of Louisiana or something.

What has worked for you in treating posion oak? Have you heard about any crazy, or effective, remedies?

2012 Bringing in the New Year- This is WAR

2012-01-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

It started with an itch. An itch to clear out the chest high brush from our backyard. We (singular "we" implying Ryan doing all the work) are working hard to put in a cool patio and grass area, and I had been wanting to clean up the hillside section in the back yard for a while. So, on New Years Day, December 31st, I decided to begin. Fueled by an aggressive passion to see results immediately, I cut and dragged armfuls of dry brush into a large pile. As I plodded around in the native grasses, toyon, coyote bush, and sage, yanking out roots and sticks that had probably not been touched in over 20 years, I felt a foreboding sense of danger. I felt like I was in the movie Avatar. I was the evil American, pilaging and plundering the innocent, pristine landscape for my own gain (actually, I've never seen Avatar, but the plot is pretty predictable). Every time I dismembered a happily growing weed or bush I imagined a rattlesnake jumping out and biting me as the plants fought back. Little did I know, they were fighting back. It was just in a much sneakier way.

Barely four hours later, Ryan and I were enjoying a VIP showing of the new Sherlock Holmes movie with a glass of wine, and I began to feel an itch. It started on the inside of my left arm and whispered of...you guessed it, poison oak. Less than 24 hours later, I had oozing blisters on both arms and my left arm especially, looked like a swollen, giant sausage. This was going to be a bad one. Nature was fighting back.

It was stealth. I'll give it that. "How did it accomplish it's gory task?" you may ask. "Camille, you know what poison oak looks like, how did this happen?"

One word, camouflage.

The plant that normally looks like this.

Looked more like this.

(The ravaged battlefield....uuugh...the memories)

I had only heard legends and stories of such sneaky ways so I grew careless, assuming I would see my enemy ahead of time. (I know, I know, we all know what happens when you ass-u-me. Apparently it's true)

Thankfully, I am armed. Technological advances have come a long way in the fight against

poison oak. This has been my arsenal.

It helps, but I can hear the backyard taunting me and laughing.

"Ha! Who's hurting now!?" it's saying to me.

It's true. Even when I went in the back yard to take the picture for this blog, I felt a sense of shame. Like I should hide my head in case it notices how miserable I am right now and thinks it won.

Oh, but wait till spring. You may have won this battle, but I will win this war!

Backfired

2011-12-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

As a parent, I run the temptation of taking pride in the fact that our son's a good eater. It's true though. He will eat kale, mushrooms, garlic, meat, fish, spicy foods...you name it, he's downed it at some point. However, I think the Lord is up there chuckling as he keeps our pride in check, because sometimes, being a good eater can backfire on you.

(WARNING: the following may not be appropriate for germ-sensitive peoples. Plus, it was worse when he was actually in the put-things-in-your-mouth stage. This is just residual from that time...)

This is a parasitic wasp-egg bulb that forms on the oak trees and the falls off. Josiah loves them- I warned you, this can be pretty gross.

Acorns and their caps have been a favorite since crawling times. I can't believe he's never actually swallowed one. It's actually pretty amazing considering how many times I've fished these out of his mouth.

80% of the time, this is the incriminating cheek-puff that alerts me to a foreign object hidden inside. Paper, plastic, rocks...once I even caught him trying to eat an old bell pepper out of the compost bin!

And then there are the signs that show up after-the-fact.

I just took something out of his mouth. This little face may look cute (or a little scary), but emanating from those sweet little lips is a high-pitched, incredibly annoying Velociraptor scream. That's right, Ryan and I have named his screams of protest the Raptor Screams. I'm pretty sure you could dub them over the Raptor calls in Jurassic Park and you wouldn't even know the difference.

And what's our sweet little girl up to this whole time? A whole lot of this. It's tough work being a baby and lookin' this cute!

A San Diego Christmas

2011-12-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

Shorts and tank tops were the attire for Christmas this year, throwing me back to my childhood days where I remember being a bit sad when the warm and cozy Christmas fire in the fire place actually heated us out of the room, and my cute new winter clothes went straight in to the dresser. Christmas in Ramona may never be white, but it is always filled with the more important parts of Christmas, lots of love and family.

Present this year, Mom and Dad Lucio, Carolyn and Bob, Me, Ryan and the two kids, Terra and Garrett and Joey and Andrea, for a total of ten people sharing my parent's home for five days. Needless to say, both Kaila and Josiah are going through a bit of an adjustment being back in a quiet home. Kaila is back to sleeping like a champ (she added a wake-up while in SD), and Josiah slept in till 8:30 this morning! Whew! They were some busy babies!

Christmas Day

All those childhood years being excited about receiving gifts has finally morphed into a more mature love for others and an appreciation for God's gift of His Son during the Christmas season. Ryan and I look forward to the gifts we are giving. This was the first year we had the gift of watching Josiah appreciate a toy and it was such a beautiful picture of how God rejoices in, and adores us. I can't help but think that conversely, I am often like the child, running around doing my own thing. So often I don't fully realize how deeply my Father loves me and is constantly watching my every move.

After a lazy Christmas day of opening presents, eating, and hanging out, everyone (minus my dad who said he was in charge of watching Annie, my granny's "devil dog" - sorry granny, it's just that she tries to bite the kids! ), went for a long walk and spent some quality time outside.

Poinsettia Bowl

A few other Christmas Highlights

Texas Christian University, versus Louisiana Tech. We rooted for TCU since we were sitting on the TCU side...Field-level tickets I might add! Thank you Andrea!

San Diego Wild Animal Park

Getting up close and personal with the animals!

I have to say, growing up around livestock all my life, I was still impressed by the goats in the petting zoo. Josiah and the other kids swarmed the goats like ants and they never bit, kicked or butted them.

This was right before he got knocked to his butt by this goat. Unphased as always, Josiah got right back up and kept chasing his new friends.

Sometimes your own species is just as interesting. Josiah followed this little boy around poking at him and trying to share the brush with him.

The tram ride took us around the "African Plains."

You can barely see them, but there are giraffes in the background.

A Childish Twist

2011-12-19T18:47:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I are pros at doing the holidays as adults. Reliving the christmas story and celebrating Christ's birth, getting gifts for the ones we love, making cookies and decorating...This is the first year we have done all those things with A Childish Twist.

Baking and Wrapping Christmas Cookies for our Wonderful Neighbors

A new twist on the old. For example, who knew that old christmas ribbon would actually leave red and green residue on your mouth when you suck on it!?

Wrapping and Preparing Gifts

Who doesn't remember the fun of playing in a cardboard box? I couldn't resist jumping in this gift box with Josiah. OK, I'll confess, I actually jumped in it first and pulled him in with me. I can't help it...I still love playing in boxes!

The Living Nativity

I forgot my camera, but our good friend Kerry saved the day! We were able to get a few shots of us petting the animals. It was so fun to see Josiah explore and say hello, we even got to pet the camel!! Again, I left the show feeling like I was probably the most excited person in our whole family.

Things were a little different. Josiah wriggled and squiggled the whole time and we had our hands full keeping him from running on stage and attacking the camel during the performance. My mint hot chocolate mug was commandeered to keep Josiah entertained. Ryan was correct when he pointed out that we hardly heard a word of the performance. The new fun was seeing the kids light up as each animal and character came on stage, and knowing that we are sharing Christ's story with our family.

This year marks the first year that our children have been able to participate in Christmas with us. I am joyously realizing how much fun it is going to be sharing this season with them throughout our lives.

....sooooo sleepy!

2011-12-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

Kaila Marie is sooooo sleepy! (It's 2:30 in the afternoon.)

"I can't even keep my eyes open mom! A little consideration please!?...After all, I was up all night."

Silly Me. What was I thinking.

Daddy taking the brunt of Kaila's antics. He takes the night shifts that don't involve the standard feeding-burping-changing.

Josiah "giving kisses" to Kaila. It's all I can do to keep him from smashing her.

2011-11-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

Just found this under Josiah's crib mattress. It explains alot, I think they're in on it together...

(Photo courtesy of Tata Lucio)

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

Time off, vacation, R&R, call it what you want, this Thanksgiving was a time of rest. The tragic thing was that I was resting from adjusting to having two babies, and I had only been on my own for three days!

My Granny, Carolyn Wendt is amazing. She provided a beautiful place for us to stay right up from the ocean in Shell Beach. In addition she made the entire Thanksgiving meal for 13 people! Ryan and I decided to make it a mini-vacation by staying down in Shell (only about 30 minutes from our house) for four days. Lyndal joined us for part of it and her and I got a bit of girl time in. She even watched the kids while Ryan and I had a date at the local hot springs. By the end of the weekend, I felt like I got a little part of me back, a little part of me that has been buried for over two years.

This is the view from the street outside the condo.

The cousins and the new babies at Thanksgiving dinner.

Josiah and I walked to the Seaside Cafe from the condo, and the day before, Lyndal and I came here and sat and chatted for a few hours.

Josiah was a trooper, he sat, read books and played for an hour while we chatted and waited for breakfast. He thought putting the cup holder on his head was hilarious!

There was a good swell so Ryan and I got to surf a few times. One of the best parts was that we could just walk to the beach from the condo. One person could watch the kids and the other could surf. I got to go twice and it was so refreshing to get back in the water after so long. I felt like I got to reconnect with a little part of myself!

Josiah taking off on the little walking trail.

Ryan caught red-handed! Breast feeding and drinking...

We got to meet up with some friends and go for a walk.

It was the lowest tide of the year.

There were some pretty cool critters in the tide pools, starfish with 5 arms and one with 20 arms, sea anemones, big crabs...and best of all dogs! Pretty much Josiah's favorite thing on the beach that day.

Thank you again Granny, for all your hard work and for such a relaxing weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Gotta love the Fashonista Aunties...they pick out the cutest clothes, Thank You!

(Please excuse the gang signs. We're trying, but there are some bad news babies out there....I think she met them at our mommy and me class ; )

Welcome Home Kaila

2011-11-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

The first week at home. Short and sweet, the pictures tell it all. Plus, my time is quite limited these days : )

Josiah giving Kaila kisses.

It's A Girl!!

2011-11-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome baby Kaila! We love you so much!

Kaila Marie Hayes

Born 11-1-11 at 1:10

6 pounds 14 ounces, 19 1/2 inches

...(continued from previous post) As we were walking around with Josiah trick-or-treating, I began to have a few contractions that I wrote off as false labor. Regardless, we decided to stay the night at Lyndal's, Ryan's sister, house since it was close to the hospital and she was one of the people who volunteered to help with Josiah when the baby came. Lyndal, Taylor, Ryan and I chatted and hung out at their house. We passed a few hours snacking and watching the masses of trick-or-treating kids as they took advantage of the one time of year it is socially acceptable to knock on anyone's door and eat candy from strangers.

I wasn't convinced I was in labor until 11 pm. I called my mom, labored for 45 more minutes before waking Ryan up (he had gone to bed a little earlier), and we went to the hospital around 12pm. Kaila (pronounced Kai-la not Kayla) rushed into the world at 1:10, astonishing Ryan and I at her speedy and relatively easy delivery!

As always, Ryan was an amazing source of comfort and encouragement! He was there for me all the way.

Kaila was born so quickly, she came out absolutely beautiful, without the cone-head and swelling that a long labor often inflicts. Such a pretty little girl already!

Kaila's journey to being born has been marked with joyous surprise. First, learning that I was pregnant was a surprise, then having her come four days early and threaten to be a Halloween baby was another surprise. I kept telling Ryan " I can't believe we're going to have a baby on Halloween...!" Then, when we found out she was a girl, I was overjoyed and our whole family was surprised as well (there were a lot of "boy" guesses). Welcome to the world Kaila Marie! We love you!

October 31st, 2011

2011-11-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

The little man has been recovering from a double ear infection followed by a gnarly strep infection, so Halloween was about mending up. We took short a walk around to the neighbors houses, and he was given one m&m, as his token piece of Halloween candy. Our little lion was super ferocious and feeling great by the time we took these pictures.

Little did we know, our Halloween was about to get a lot more interesting just hours after these pictures were taken. To Be Continued...

2nd Annual SLASBCQUADGTACE

2011-10-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

SLASBCQUADGTACE= Definition: San Luis and Santa Barbara Counties QUADfecta Disk Golf Tournament And Culinary Experience. Pronunciation: slash-ba-quad-ka-tasie

Leave it to my man to imagine up, and organize the SLASBCQUADGTACE. Every year it covers an epic game of all four disk-golf parks in our area, Waller Park in Santa Maria, Laguna Lake and Sinshimer in San Luis Obispo, and lastly, Hielman Park in Atascadero. The tournament begins at the crack of dawn and goes until 5 or 6 in the evening. The guys compete for the Champion-Title Goblet (a sweet thrift-store find) and they throw over 70 holes throughout the day, traveling over 50 miles to complete the marathon.

The"culinary experience" begins with breakfast at a popular local venue, and then we all join up for dinner at another locally-acclaimed restaurant. The first year we ate breakfast at a delicious, steak house in Santa Maria and then had Family-Style Basque food in San Miguel. This year we had breakfast at the Seaside Cafe in Shell Beach and ended the day with pizza from Nardonnes in Atascadero. Refusing to be left out of the best parts, the girls usually join up for the food and then spend the day together in between meals.

2nd Annual SLASBCQUADGTACE: August 20, 2011

This year's competitors from the left; Trago, Danny, Joe, Tim, Dave and Ryan

The course terrain varies, there are lakes, oak forests, mini-ravines, and 'swamps.' It's not hard to lose a disc, so it didn't surprise me in the past to see the guys knee-deep in swamp-puddle mud, barefoot and shuffling around trying to find a rogue disc. They've even scored a few new ones that way!

Tim getting technical

There's a lot of skill involved in executing a good throw.

Jaime and I showing off our baby bumps. Tracy and Kerry were here, but not pictured...partly because Kerry took all the pictures! Thanks Kerry!

Tournament Champion Two Years in a Row: David W.

United States Navy

2011-10-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

We can't wait to see you and we are so glad you're home!

Love,

Ryan, Camille, Josiah and New Baby

Farewell Sweet Sleep!

2011-10-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Every day Ryan and I wake up we relish the beauty of not waking up to a crying baby at night. However, it is a well-known secret that the last months in pregnancy are horrible for sleeping anyways. Both pregnancies I have written the sleepless nights off to preparing me for my three-hour wake up call from a newborn.

Unfortunately, even tossing and turning at night is no easy feat. Lugging my huge belly over to the other side takes so much effort I actually have to wake up every single time to do it! Because of this, I find myself in some pretty odd positions throughout the night. I decided to spare you the scary image of me tossing and turning in my pajamas and sleepless-prego face, by finding a much cuter model to illustrate my sleeping habits as of late.

I can pretty much only sleep on my side. So, when one side goes numb or achey from the weight of the baby, I do the belly-lug.

Passing out from exhaustion, this is a mid-crawl crash. Running and crawling around the crib until you just pass out right in the middle of all the activity! (This one's pretty cute. You can hear Josiah crawling and loudly babbling "bla-bla-ya-da-yev-ow" and then, abrupt silence. You think he's just paused in his babble, but a quick peek confirms that he's fallen asleep right in the middle of his "sentence.")

Feet, arms, blankets, they never seem to stay in place, there's always something hanging over the side of the bed!

Sometimes it's just too hot! My thermostat runs pretty warm these days so sleeping with the blanket bundled up underneath seems to help.

Other times you just want to escape the world and nestle in your own little cave of coziness.

You can always tell you've been having some fun times when you pass out in your dirty clothes and you don't even care!

The Big One!

2011-10-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

One year ago, 10-09-10 at 9:05 Josiah Lucio Hayes came into the world with 8 pounds 12 ounces and 21 inches to his name. Now, a year later, he is 22 pounds and 31 inches, almost walking and full of personality. He has turned out to be a super easy-going baby. He says a few obvious words (mama, dada, bird, ni-ni) gives kisses, and he loves being outside. For his first birthday we had friends and family over for dinner and just hung out and had a good time. Turns out it wasn't as hard as we thought it would be to get people to hang out with us, and we had at least 25 adults and around 10 kids!

The whole event really impressed two things upon me. 1. It is so beautiful to celebrate Josiah's God-Given life starting early. Someday he will look back and know that he was loved and celebrated, even at one year. 2. "It takes a village to raise a child"...it's cheesy, but having our friends and family there enjoying time together and helping out really impressed upon me how incredibly blessed we are to be surrounded by such amazing people.

The Big Day

Sunday 10-09-11

This is a close-up of the..."unique"... cake Aunty Andrea made especially for Josiah. It was practically the highlight of the meal for me! :) See the red-gel icing/words? She kindly wrote "birth-day," split between two of the cupcakes. However, only the first half, "birth," really showed up... She rocks!

Play Time

Josiah and...Josiah (same name) fighting over a sippy cup. Levi (#28) capitalized on the moment and snatched the offending cup out of Ryan's hand when he wasn't paying attention...winner!

I was so proud of the refrigerator box playhouse I made! I got the box from Idlers in town, painted it with extra house paint, and cut windows and a door in it. The kids all played in it, drew on it with sidewalk chalk, and Josiah kept going in and out of the door...fascinating, I know. It was so much fun to have a free idea be such a big hit! (Ryan pointed out that the stick-figure in the background looks like someone standing at an ironing board. I was horrified, especially given the fact that I hate ironing. Uuuugh! It's supposed to be a person sitting happily on a bench...drawing a chair was too much of a stretch for me.)

Gift Time

Gifts came next, we even had a ready-made crowd of eager 2-5 year olds who couldn't wait to..."help." I loved it ; )!

Cake Time

Last came the cake...Josiah was pretty tired by this time and I think all the attention was a little overwhelming. As you can see, he didn't eat much (sorry Aunty Andrea) and didn't put on much of a show as he suspiciously poked at the pile of sugar in front of him. However, Levi (#28), capitalized on the moment once again by doing a clever, walk-by-and-swipe-the-frosting-off-the-front move before his parents snatched him up...winner! Once again, I loved it! : )

...and Good Night!

Kisses to all and he was out like a light- what an exciting day!

The biggest thanks goes out to my family. Mom and Dad Lucio spent half a day Saturday cleaning up and doing hard work in our yard. For the party, Andrea made two cakes, Terra and Aunty Charlene made ice cream, mom and dad made a big cabbage salad, Granny-Carolyn made beans and another cake, and Lyndal brought drinks. Our friends, Matt and Shellie, and Leslie and Trago lent us tables, chairs, and a few other things that helped us out so much. Then, afterwards, my family cleaned up from the whole party, down to every last detail while I said goodbye to our friends. I felt so, so, so lucky when they left. They gave me a huge gift by doing all that, and I don't think that I can really express how much it meant to me.

Thank you, all of you!

Resemblance

2011-09-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

Secretly, I like it when people say he looks like me. However, I have to admit that I think Josiah looks alot like his daddy. After perusing a few photographs, I have concluded that I think that he looks like Ryan when he's serious...

...and like me when he's laughing and smiling.

It's hard to ignore the fact that I had a lot more hair and was darker, but I think we may still share a few traits. One thing I identify with is when Josiah is super excited and happy, he flails his hands and feet in the air, closes his eyes, smiles with a big open mouth and looks like he can't contain his excitement in his body. He does this everyday at 6:00 when he first sees Ryan walk in the door after work. As for me, when I get super excited and happy, I feel like doing the same thing almost every time. You can imagine it looks a little less cute when a pregnant, 29 year old is convulsing with happiness, so I've learned to tone it down, but I still see myself in the little man every time.

What Josiah was doing while I was writing this blog.

Uninspired.

2011-09-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

First, a confession. I should be doing a million other things right now. However, I'm tired and I am going to sit here because, right now, at this moment, I can. That brings me to my second point. I need help (yes, I know what my close friends are thinking ...). Interior decorating has never been my strong suit. Design, fashion, you name it- I am rarely surprised by my own ability to produce aesthetically pleasing creations. Decorations I get compliments on are usually ideas that I have shamelessly swiped from other sources. Outfits that people notice on me are ones that I copied right off the manikan or ones that my sisters picked out for me.

So here's my dilemma. I was inspired by this Country Living "Closet-Office" picture, and I decided to convert our living room closet into a little office space.

Here's our living room closet before.

Here's our living room office, after!

...and here's where you come in. Do you see the space on the wall where I have the picture frame leaning? It needs to be decorated and I am asking for your help. I want some color, (I like reds or yellows), and I am looking for some kind of rustic, vintage, or mountainy idea. Any suggestions would be appreciated. And hey, if I choose your design...maybe I'll send you a reward! (...or at least I will think about it and feel guilty for not doing it as I sit and rest...)

Good Idea...Bad Idea

2011-08-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Good Idea

Playing Peek-a-Boo with a blanket.

Bad Idea

Playing Peek-a-Boo with a bib.

"...Glad with the joy of Your presence."

2011-08-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

A quick Monday Morning post to express the joy I have with what God is growing in our lives and to say again, thank you to Ryan who works hard for us in so many ways. The Lord is truly blessing our home with increased life and love, and His presence is what completes and fills it all. This is another real-time post, pictures just taken for you Ryan, Josiah is still napping. I wanted to tell you again how thankful I am for you and to show you just a few of the things you are growing here at home this Monday Morning.

"Surely You have granted him unending blessings
and made him glad with the joy of Your presence." Psalm 21:6

A sampling of our garden's harvest and a few of my canning endeavors. Blackberry Jam, Spiced Peach Jam, Low-Sugar Apricot Jam, and Canned Peaches. Plus, there's more of everything on the way!

The new baby needs a spotlight every once in a while...Here's my tummy taken just now at about 7.5 months along.

Sweet baby! He ate a ton for breakfast then sat in the garden and chowed on fresh tomatoes while I harvested and tended the garden. He may have a bit of green bean in his mouth still...Don't worry, he'll get a new shirt before we head down to have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa.

Megan's Wedding Part 2- The Main Event

2011-08-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to describe how lucky and blessed I feel to have these friends. From the left they are Kristin, Jessica, Megan (bride), Me, and Shelly. Kristin, Jessica, Megan and I have been friends since 6th grade-junior high, and Shelly joined us in college. I feel like our friendship is such a rare gift. We are like family. Some of us have kids, some don't, some are married and some aren't. We have always remained close regardless. Our friendships have spanned various life stages and grown deeper throughout the process. We have fought, cried, laughed so much, gotten in trouble (...in high school, I'm pretty sure we're less scandalous nowadays!), worked through issues, prayed together, and for each other, and counseled one another.

Megan is such a beautiful person and we were all so excited to see her marry Nathan. He is a great guy and I'm excited to welcome him into our lives. Congratulations Megan, I love you!!!

The Bachlorette Party- a day at a spa and night at the corresponding inn. So relaxing!

Brunch the next morning before our mani-pedi's...Wow, I've been so spoiled this summer!

The rehearsal dinner with my Man.

The Head Table- notice all Megan's pretty decorations. She planned the wedding in her backyard. It was beautiful and whimsical, complete with little bow ties for their chickens!

Taking a breather from some crazy dancing. Ryan was the MC and DJ for the entire wedding! Good job husband!

Me and my daddy.

My mom, dad, and sister all took care of Josiah since Ryan and I were pretty preoccupied throughout the night. Thank you, you three!

Our little ones will have no lack of people loving on them as they grow up!

Megan's Wedding Part 1

2011-08-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Although Megan was the star of the show, the joy of meeting Elizabeth Pilchak for the first time made it a tie. Kristin has been a dear friend of mine since 6th grade. We were in each other's weddings, have been through ups and downs, and now are mommies at the same time! Kristin and Nick are already great parents and I love their little Elizabeth.

Look at that face! So cute! - Sorry Nick, your head is chopped off!

Josiah and I left San Luis about a week early to spend some time with Andrea and to meet up with friends who had congregated in San Diego for the wedding.

By far, my best quality time was spent with Andrea. I am getting to know my sister now as a new wife as well as a friend, and I love her so much! Thank you Andrea for making time for us! xoxox

How could I not add this little mug shot!? Jessica took this picture of the little man as we were all hanging out on the beach. Of course, I can't post this without thanking my amazing husband Ryan, who was working while I got to go off galavanting around in San Diego. He joined me later in the week.

2011-08-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

So Cool...

Summer days

2011-07-29T10:18:00.001-07:00

So I have been pregnant almost non-stop since January of 2010. Granted, I had a 3 month break in there, but that hardly counts since I was breast feeding around the clock and getting used to our first newborn baby. After Josiah was born, I began the journey of motherhood, ending my job and being at home full time. Somewhere in the chaos of infanthood, I began to try and get a grasp on what my new life would look like. What I would do during the days, who I would socialize with, what routines I could establish to enjoy this time, who I was as a person...I was trying to figure out all these things when I got pregnant again and slid back into the fatigue of my first trimester.

Now I have my energy back, and I am still exploring these same issues, but I know that it will all change drastically again in three months from now when we have number two. Because of this, the fall holds so much excitement for us. We get to meet our new baby, to have him/her around for the holidays, and get to begin figuring out what 'normal' will be for us, for a while (we will be a little more 'careful' this time around...). For this reason, I am so thankful that our summer is going by quickly and has been packed with fun. I have had the opportunity to really love being a stay at home mom. Being at home has given me the energy to get out and really enjoy the summer days and all the amazing people Ryan and I have in our lives.

A few of my best friends after Megan's bridal shower. Kristin, this picture was taken specifically for you, highlighting the baby belly. In fact, I made everyone come back and pose again, telling them "I have to take a baby bump picture for Kristin!" ; )

Summer Fun

Willie Nelson Concert at Pozo Saloon

We had amazing seats, basked in the sun and spent the day with our sisters and close friends Jaime and Joe. Our other dear friends Garth and Holly even baby-sat Josiah all day and at night. Ryan and I had some sweet one-on-one time, and got to sleep in the next morning. It was so refreshing to laugh together and chat, re-connecting over things that weren't just baby or house related. I love my husband!

Sister Love- Me and Terra

Sister Love- Me and Lyndal

Megan's Bridal Shower

The week after we got back from our big two week vacation was Megan's bridal shower. I drove down in the afternoon on Friday and spent the night with my wonderful friends Megan and Jessica in LA. We had dinner and lots of girl time. Then along with Shellie, we threw Megan her Bridal Shower the next morning. I came back so refreshed, thankful to Ryan who watched the little man Friday evening and all day Saturday, and better able to be a great mommy and wife.

I love food! How could I leave this picture out!? The best part was how it seemed like everything we did matched Megan so well, her personality and what she liked. It makes me so deeply happy to see her excitement and joy!

Random Beach Day

Josiah and I took advantage of my stay-at-home mom status by going to the Avila Valley Barn and then going to the beach. He missed his morning nap in all the excitement, so by the time we took this picture he was ready to go home. He was a little trooper though, and we really enjoyed hanging out with some new friends.

California Mid-State Fair

All sorts of sheep...he may be a bit confused right now!

My friend Julie and I were confused about these giant hamster-running-balls over a pool of water. They looked inflatable and had people flailing about inside them trying to stand and run around. It made me think, hey, I could think of some crazy ideas like that. Maybe I could make some cash next year at the fair if I knew people would pay to do weird stuff...any ideas??

Joey and Andrea Bohmbach!!

2011-07-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

One of the most blessed feelings I have is when I see my sisters happy and loving life. God really has orchestrated all three of us and our marriages, and Andrea and Joey work together so well. I really feel like our family has been blessed yet again with their marriage. It was so much fun to be down in San Diego to spend the week prior with the (then) engaged couple. Joey is a great guy and we are so excited to have him in our family. My pictures are limited, so he's not in any of these, unfortunately, but we love him all the same.

Hike up Mt. Woodson- Andrea was a trooper! Josiah weighs at least 20 pounds by now so she was trekking up a load!

All dressed up and ready to go out dancing and dining for the bachlorette party! Andrea was a crazy woman! Little did we know that there was a gay-pride parade the next day in the neighboring community, so the bars we went to were full of good-looking men who were of no threat to us married/engaged women! Perfect! : )

Super nice dinner before dancing

The Bridal Party Girls

Josiah had to be all dressed up for his Aunty's wedding. He and cousin Ella (the younger baby), with cousin Jade pulling them, cruised down the aisle in high-class baby style!

Watch out Ladies...!

Congratulations Andrea, I love you! I am so excited for you and Joey as you begin your story together and I love being a part of your life and you being a part of mine. xoxoxox

Traversing the State

2011-07-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am quite un-inspired as I sit to write this blog. I suppose I will just list off our itinerary, so please forgive me for my lack of creativity. We took two weeks off to go to the mountains, visit family and see Andrea off in marriage. Since Andrea's marriage deserves a post of it's own, this entry is dedicated to the first week and a half.

First, we drove to Chico, and spent a night with Ryan's parents then drove to the cabin and spend four nights there. From the Cabin we went back to Chico for a night, then went camping up at Hatt Creek for two nights. After camping, we went back to mom and dad's B&B for a night and then over to Leemore/Hanford (to break up the drive to San Diego and visit friends and family). From Leemore, we drove to San Diego, celebrated Andreas wedding, then drove back to San Luis. When it was all said and done, we traveled about an hour from the Oregon border and then an hour from the Mexican border during the two weeks we were on the road. We had a great time. Every part of the trip was fun and had it's own draw, but by the end we were glad to get home. Here are a few highlights.

Josiah, expressing his opinion regarding the current economic unrest in Greece, over a cup of coffee and some cheerios.

Shocker, I know, but he's an opinionated little guy! This was at a fun little breakfast diner near Hatt Creek (and no- we don't actually let him drink coffee).

Fourth of July Parade in Chester

Fly fishing at the cabin.

Hanging out on the creek side beach below the cabin.

Our little Mexican!

Josiah got a few toe dips in the snow melt, he's still getting used to cold water.

This is up near Hatt creek. We followed some random logging roads and found our own little private meadow and stream. We hung out here for a while, fishing, relaxing and dipping in the creek!

"Geez guys, a little privacy please!"

Some routines go by the wayside while camping, but we found camping bath time to be quite fun.

...clean baby...

...and ready for bed! As you can see in the background, we had Josiah sleep in the tent and we slept on the ground outside. I think all of us sleep better with a little space.

Camping life has definitely changed for us. There was quite a bit more time just hanging out at the campsite! Ryan and I both started and finished good books.

Bad picture, but good morning snuggles : )

Walk to the Waterfalls.

Visiting Paulo at the dairy.

Please Note; There aren't pictures of one of the most important parts of this half of the trip. We had a sweet times visiting Mom, Dad, Grandma Graff, and my cousins and aunt and uncle in Leemore. I just didn't get a lot of great pictures with individuals. Too busy just enjoying the good company and hanging out, I guess!

Happy Birthday!

2011-06-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Great Grandma Lois (91 years!) and Great Grandpa Bob (80 years!). Josiah insisted on doing a special blog to show how much we love you both. In fact, he wanted to perform his newest trick in honor of your birthdays.

Auditory Cue: "Josiah! Open!"

Oooooh, that's one talented little man!

Thank you both for being in our lives. Grandma Lois, thank you for following our blog so loyally and for your interest in our lives. We love you guys! Happy Birthday to you both! xoxoxo

"We're" Pregnant!

2011-06-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

...And then there were two. We didn't expect it. I took at least 7 pregnancy tests. Yep, we're having a second baby (there it is again, the singular 'we' - so useful in a marriage) and he/she is due in November. Our first two children will be a whopping 13 months apart! My mom has tagged it, the "Dethroning of Josiah." The event is "scheduled" to occur somewhere around November 2nd (...please please please not on Halloween!) and Ryan and I are sooo excited.

When I saw the faint line on the first of 7 pregnancy tests, my immediate reaction was giddiness. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. For those of you who think I'm crazy, hear me out. It was a moment where I got a glimpse into the fun, crazy, stressful at times, love-filled, future that God has planned out for us. It was like He was saying... "Here it is Camille! Surprise! The next step in your life story!"

This picture is graciously forgiving - maybe that's why I chose it? - I will post more pics where you can really tell I'm pregnant.

True, there have been a few things to process. Ryan is especially not looking forward to the lack of sleep again. I will have been pregnant for almost two years straight. I didn't get to do my half marathon, I haven't enjoyed a completely guilt-free cup of coffee or wine in years now. When we were trying for Josiah I was cutting back on both, and we tried for almost a year and a half before even getting pregnant the first time! I have pretty much said good bye to surfing - I miss the waves. And seriously, 4 weddings, 4 bachelorette parties, and 4 specially sized bridesmaids dresses for a watermelon belly!? Not to mention the fact that I will be carrying two babies around, one on each hip for a while. You should know, that even as I list these things, I am laughing inside. Laughing because I will have two crazy babies to love. Laughing because of the joy two close siblings will bring. Laughing because this will only be a few years of chaos to fondly look back on. And mostly, laughing because in all this, I deeply feel God's rich blessings in our lives.

Growing Season

2011-06-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes, sugar snap peas, green beans, beets (oops, wrong season, we're still learning), basil, peppers... babies aren't the only things we've been growing around here! While both Ryan and I are "growing" Josiah, I find myself using the singular "we" quite frequently. For example, "we" are digging holes and pouring concrete for the fencing around the garden, and "we" are tilling for a blackberry patch. "We" built two great compost bins and "we" chipped the mortar off of some 300 bricks so we could get them out of the side yard. "We" have put in an excellent irrigation system and "we" will be replacing the broken garage door at some time in the near future.

However, I won't sell myself short by acknowledging that I have been known to do my fair share of heavy yard work. Not to mention the fact that I am so excited about the sunflowers, daliahs, strawberries, bush beans, cilantro, pumpkins and melons that have fallen almost exclusively to my care ("we" have not put in the watering system for those ones yet, so I water them by hand). Needless to say, we are so thankful to have each other and we are definitely getting things done this growing season.

He wasn't too sure about the dirt at first...

However, it didn't take long before he couldn't get enough, grabbing dirt and throwing it around.

Pretty soon he was mostly just annoyed because mom wouldn't let him chew on rocks with those two new teeth he has!

I had to put these last, mismatched pictures. My sister Terra and I had a fun c0-birthday -day. Her birthday was June 8th, and mine was May 4th. To celebrate, we spent the day together. We went and got coffee first thing in the morning, then went on a long walk on the beach. Next, we headed to a little coffee shop, ordered a fun brunch to go, and ate it picnic style on the cliffs overlooking the ocean in Shell Beach. Then we went back to Terra's house where Ryan watched the little man while Terra and I got pedicures. Thank you Terra, for such a great day, and Andrea, I miss you and can't wait to have you to myself a few times this summer! I love you both so much!

For You, Ryan

2011-05-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

These pictures are for you, my amazing husband who I love and am so lucky to have. (FYI for everyone else, Ryan is at work right now.) Thank you for working so hard for us, on the job, around the house, and in our lives. I appreciate everything you do. Here is the quick daily update that you mentioned you liked getting now and then at work. I hope it makes you smile. Love You. xoxox

Swinging at the park with Anna and Landon this morning (not pictured)...

Just snuck in for a "real-time" pic...

The Gag Sequence

2011-05-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

There's a first time for everything, and almost every time Josiah tries a new food, he does what we fondly call "The Gag Sequence." This was his first time trying plain yogurt and it produced a pretty good Gag Sequence that continued with every bite for about the first five minutes. As you can imagine, I was cracking up.

Phase 1: Recognition of Foreign Substance

Phase 2: Rigorous Head Shake with Grimace and Closed Eyes

Phase 3: Attempt to Gag Out the Offending Food

Phase 4: Sadly, The Taste is Still There

Phase 5: Bitter Resignation

Eventually he eats the new food with vigor. He's on to squash, peas, string beans, watermelon, banana, Super-Porridge, yams, applesauce...the list goes on. However, the most unique tasting foods all begin in the same way.

Here are a few quick photos to update the fam. Josiah just got his first tooth and is an aggressive army crawler. He is up rocking on his knees constantly and moves all around the room to grab whatever you don't want him to grab. Ryan and I really are having so much fun with him!

Yosemite Camping Trip

2011-05-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

A quick skip ahead to our first Yosemite camping trip! We went with Avery and Katie, and their two kids, Selah (2 years) and Sebestian (6 months). Apparently they had heavy rainfalls this year in the valley, so there were an abundance of waterfalls everywhere. It was too early for tourist season, so we scored two beautiful, uncrowded days and bundled up for a chilly third one as we were leaving. We stayed in the housekeeping cabins and had the three kids, stacked in their pack-and-play cribs, one next to another each night. It was a beautiful thing, almost as amazing as the Great Yosemite Falls or Half Dome itself, to see two infants and a toddler deep asleep all night within three feet of one another. Next trip we have to get a picture.

Each morning we had a great breakfast and then enjoyed hiking and exploring the valley floor. I got to go on a couple of great runs early in the morning and was constantly in awe of the dramatic scenery. There was still snow capping the mountain tops and the vertical cliff faces plummeted down to meet the dark pines. The valley meadows were bright with fresh growth and the river was a clear, deep, green. I loved it so much that I insisted we make reservations to come back in September.

Our little family.

Yosemite Falls

Mirror Lake

Family Hike! (Avery and Katie, and crew, not pictured)

We borrowed a warm onesie for sleeping from my good friend. It saved us since it got down below 40 at night. We tried to emphasize that it was a very manly pink color.

(Does anyone know how to rotate pictures? Should I have done it before posting?)

Some guys just have the confidence to pull it off.

Camping w. Mommy!

2011-04-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

I guess I just got a hankerin to be in nature. It seemed like it had been so long since I had woken up outside, so I arranged to go on an overnight trip with a friend of mine. We went Tues-Wed (weekends are packed if you don't have a reservation, and of course, I went last minute) so Ryan couldn't come, and was sadly missed. However we had a beautiful sunset, the ocean, hiking, and lots of good weather, both Josiah and I loved it!

A hike down to Jade Cove- too bad Tracy and I don't know what raw jade looks like. I guess that would have been much more interesting. P.S. Check out Josiah's face in this pic, who is that baby?! What happened??

Josiah hanging out in the campsite, drinking his milk and relaxing. If you look closely, you can see his little eye peering out under the hat. He did great, took all his naps in the tent. I shared his tent so I had to listen to his talking a few times during the night when he woke up, but he managed to fall asleep on his own again each time. Can't wait to do it again, preferably with daddy next time!

Puttin' Down Roots!

2011-04-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

A few home projects that have been keeping Ryan and I busy as we sink our roots into our "new" home...

I've finally succeeded at growing something beautiful! Daffodils and iris's are blooming now and they make me so happy.

Ryan planted an orchard with pears, cherries, apples, apricots and peaches, complete with an irrigation system and a fence to keep the deer out!

Finally finished the bay window, it looks great inside and out. This picture doesn't do it justice.

Of course, not to be outdone, our little man is full of smiles, trying to get his belly off the ground to crawl, and he loves being outside. He is so fun to make laugh and he is starting to appreciate our little daily adventures!

5 Years!

2011-03-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

March 18, 2006 Ryan and I were married. We were talking to each other the other day about how blessed we have been. We both are amazed at how beautiful our marriage has been. The longer we are married, the more and more we appreciate each other and how lucky we are to have one another. It really is the Lord who keeps us humble and serving one another, and I love seeing His Holy Spirit alive in our lives.

This year for our Anniversary, Ryan surprised me and planned the whole thing. Ryan arranged for Josiah to have a babysitter for the night and we left for a whole day! We left after I got off work and began to drive up the coast. Ryan drove a roundabout route to confuse me, and I was super confused indeed. Every new turn I was convinced we were going to Morro Bay, then Paso Robles, then Cayucus, Harmony (where we explored the tiny 5 shop town) and finally Cambria. We pulled up to the JPatrick Bed and Breakfast where Ryan had made reservations for one night. It was amazing and so fun to hang out together, appreciating one another and the beautiful area. We explored Cambria, ate at a great restaurant, and picnicked on the beach. We met some great people at the bed and breakfast over their wine and cheese hour and later on, cookies and milk.

Here are a few pics of the Bed and Breakfast.

Our room with a cozy fireplace, perfect for the rainy weekend!

Banana Stuffed French Toast breakfast! Yummy!

Their sweet note on our bed. We even got to sleep in since we didn't have the little man. What a treat!

Hanging out at the cookies and milk hour.

On our way home we had some extra time, so Ryan indulged me by going with me to the Humane Society to pet the puppies and kittens. Super fun- I absolutely loved it! He did make me promise not to want a pet, as now would be a horrible time for a new pet.

Kittens...

Super cute lab who just wanted some lovin.

...and score! They even had 8 week chiuaua puppies.

We loved getting to take some time out to invest in our marriage and just be alone together. We hope to be purposeful in setting time aside for each other, even as life gets crazier and crazier. It sure is worth it!

Daily Happenings

2011-03-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Every day brings something new. Doing the "same old thing" with our "little new thing" makes everything so much fun. Recently, Josiah has been putting everything in his mouth. A few of his favorites include our noses when we kiss him, the baby wipe bag, his fingers, our fingers, and blankets. He is rolling from here to there, he loves being outside and gives flirty smiles to other babies, his own reflection, and anyone who smiles at him.

laughing so loud!

Here is how a huge majority of our days are spent ;)

A Sunday walk on the Jim Green Trail. We can do this 3.5 mile loop from our house, it's great!

First food! Ryan bought organic sweet potatoes and carrots and made our own baby food. Josiah loves it and never wants to stop eating!

Necessary

2011-03-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

Honestly, it was really bad.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...

2011-03-13T18:54:00.000-07:00

Some face shots for the fam. Maybe it's horrible, but I love my little man's cranky face. I don't like it that he's unhappy, but I just love looking at him in all his moods. We will catch a few happier moments and post them, but for now I couldn't resist these stinkin adorable pictures of Josiah grumpy, complaining loudly and ready for a nap.

"Oooooh pretty camera lights!"

Some deep thoughts occuring here...

Lest you are beginning to doubt his undeniable cuteness...

Time to change that gross shirt and take a much needed nap!

Family Game Night

2011-03-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

Our Saturday night...how about a crazy game of Scrabble? Josiah's on my team!

OK. before I let you go, I need to Scrabble-Vent. Ryan beats me every single time in Scrabble. Every time we play, I go in knowing that I will lose. During this game I was very close to winning, then Ryan had a come-back and I was quite grumpy. I may have sulked for a good half an hour. It should be noted that I won once. I kept the score card and it is proudly displayed on our refrigerator.

Television

2011-02-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Our son loves TV. He will crane his head around backwards to stare at a computer screen or television if it is on. Forget books, toys or mom and dad, if there's a screen in view, he's not interested in anything else. The thing is, Ryand I didn't even own a TV until recently. We hook our computer up to it and watch our TV shows or a movie once a week, but other than that, we really aren't TV people. We never thought we would have to begin actively monitoring what our child watces at just 4 months! Watch out Josiah, mommy and daddy are on it!

Ryan enjoying some snuggley reading time and improving our child's future IQ (or so they say).

Josiah deciding that there are more interesting things to be attended to.

Good Lovin'

2011-02-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

Show your friends how much you love them today...then again, maybe just tell them.

"We forgot..."

2011-01-28T16:18:00.000-08:00

The line "we forgot..." was used so frequently it's amazing we didn't just give up. Here's a brief list of the things that we forgot on our first camping trip as a family;

Josiah's warm pajamas

Josiah's swaddler for sleeping

Flashlight

Spatula to cook breakfast

Pot to boil water

Toothpaste

Firewood

Beach Chairs

Sunscreen

A Hat for us and Josiah

Each exclamation of '"I forgot... (enter item here)"was ensued by an attempt to scrounge up an acceptable alternative. While most things were deemed unnecessary, we do have to thank our friends Avery and Katie for letting us borrow some warm clothes for the little man. In our defense, we pulled the trip off with very little prep time. In fact, Ryan planned the trip to surprise me. He told me what we were doing five minutes before we had to walk out the door. I ran back in and grabbed a few warm clothes for myself, extra beanies for Josiah...and we were off!

Pit-stop for a diaper change in a parking garage.

Ryan gave you a sneak peak to some of the cutest pictures we had! I couldn't help but post them again. At least mine show up bigger! Our first stop- San Onofre. Apparently the locals knew to take off before sunset. We surfed till the last minute and ended up crossing a river at high tide. I was soaked up to my waist! Salty, wet jeans. Probably the worst thing to be wearing as we made the mile hike back to the car...but worth it. It was beautiful!

Where does he get these looks from? I had to put the sweater on to cover up his man-pecs.

The sunrise was beautiful over the wild riverbed next to San Mateo campground. We heard Josiah happy and cooing in the tent. I peeked in and this is what I saw!

There it is again, the look!

Sunrise Snuggle

Napping in the driftwood shade, swaddled in all of our clothing, dads shirt and pants, mom's skirt...San Onofre, south of "Old Mans."

Mom and Dad Lucio watched Josiah, and Ryan and I snuck out for a surf together at San Elijo. Our camp spot for the second night was right on the break about 15 feet off the sand overlooking the waves.

Just hanging out at the beach!

The view from our campsite at San Elijo.

As far as I'm concerned, Ryan can surprise me anytime. I enjoyed every minute of our quick little trip. I love that I have a husband who will continue to go on, and create, adventures with me!

First camping trip

2011-01-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

Since we were headed down to San Diego for work and a baby shower this past week, we decided to take the opportunity to do a couple of days of beach camping and surfing on the way. Here's a few of the photos, but I'll let Camille do the real post later as she is much better than myself.

First afternoon at Trestles in San Clemente. This would be the GQ shot.

Enjoying getting a little sun.

He would prefer if you referred to them as pecs, thank you very much. This one may actually come back to haunt him later.

Lest anyone think he wasn't warm enough at night.

And some European lounge-baby at San Elijo.

The First Christmas

2011-01-21T09:56:00.001-08:00

Well, I messed up this post by accidentally erasing all the words. I was so frustrated I had to leave the house. I'll just leave it at that. Hopefully you got to read it before I messed it up.

The Many Faces

2010-12-13T15:11:00.000-08:00

Well, a day in the life of a baby, eat, hang out, sleep and then eat again. Doesn't sound like much but Ryan and I could watch and enjoy his little facial expressions all day. Here's a quick slide show of the progression from feeding to naptime, the many faces of Josiah!

...and it's naptime!

Little Man

2010-11-14T20:49:00.001-08:00

Well, here he is. Just went in for his one-month checkup and it looks like all the hiking he's been doing has been paying off. (Here's Josiah doing some of his warm-up calisthenics prior to heading out) Turns out he's 90th percentile for weight, so he's quite a little chunker.

First Halloween. In case you didn't get that from the photo.

To borrow a line from another blog. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

As you can tell, Josiah is dubious of my, (Ryan's), usefulness in his life. Currently, my duties do not involve producing milk, so as you can see here, Josiah is not totally sure that I actually serve much of a purpose.

The stink-eye. He also has the double stink-eye, but he only busts that out on special occasions.

First trip to the beach. Ambiguous beanie. We're trying to get him comfortable with a broad palate of colors in case the early 90's really come back in force. It's never too early to try to be cool vicariously through your child. Which is why we've also enrolled him in soccer camp starting next week.

You can see how much he enjoys this. He was just upset I had him up on the nose, as he could clearly tell that with the way this wave was forming up he needed to be sitting on the fin.

Josiah Lucio Hayes

2010-11-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to finally meet our little Josiah Lucio Hayes, born October 9, 2010 (10-9-10) at 9:05 a.m. He weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. He is beautiful and so healthy, he came out and was yelling within seconds. Apparently the whole ordeal was a bit traumatic for him as well!

Only a few hours old!

Proud Daddy holding Josiah. Ryan helped during every contraction. The labor lasted about 10 hours and went really well. We went through the whole process together!

Ryan's note to me during the labor. He was so supportive and he helped me through the whole process. It was mainly just him and me in the room during the whole thing.

Our new family!

Our sweet little man!

Baby Hayes!

2010-10-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

Well, there you have it! Change #2. I am pregnant! As for the top two questions, 1- We do not know if it is a boy or a girl, we decided to have it be a surprise, and 2- The due date was October 2nd. The entire pregnancy has been really easy and beautiful for me and therefore, for Ryan as well ; ). My favorite quote about pregnancy is that "pregnancy is not a disease" and I have been enjoying my time with that in mind. I have been able to exercise regularly ( I went on a 5.5 mile hike today!), camp, dance, go out with friends, spend time with family members, bake, can fruit, plant bulbs for the spring, work in the yard, you name it, I have been so blessed to have such an easy pregnancy. Our baby's growth is marked by the great times we have had the past nine and a half months, and a few highlights are posted below.

The Due Date Oct 2,2010

Ryan and I went and had a picnic dinner at the local goat farm. He packed a dinner of avocado, tomato, crackers, and onion, and we enjoyed that with fresh goat cheese while enjoying a mild evening in Templeton.

Feeding the friendly goats and dreaming about getting a few of our own some day...

A perfect fit!

On the day I was due, I helped with the Atascadero Creek Clean-Up and worked cleaning up the Salinas River Bed with another good friend Jaime. We got a good amount of trash and loaded out a ton of tires. Jaime and I were unearthing one tire and an entire family of mice scampered out into the bushes!

9 1/2 months, four days before the baby is due! My friend Holly and I went to the beach, I went for another cold-water dunk and she snapped a few photos of me on the beach in Avila.

I miss surfing and the water so much! I had to take a dunk in this alpine lake, along with a few streams we crossed along the way, while we were on our trip (This picture and the one below it are out of order and I can't figure out how to fix them- they should be with the backpacking picture).

This was the lake we backpacked into. The area is called Spanish lakes. The second day Ryan and I hiked up near the ridge in the distance.

Terra and Garrett got married on August 7th! Ryan and I danced all evening. They had a picnic style dinner and great music. I can't beat dancing with my grandpa, I've been ballroom dancing with him ever since I can remember! He taught me how to two-step ballroom style and how to follow when dancing with a partner.

Also around 8 months the girls ( Jessica, Megan, Shellie) and I had a girls weekend in Santa Monica. We rode bikes on the boardwalk, went out to dinner, gave ourselves green facials and had some serious girl time!

Ryan and I went to the Mid-State Fair at 31 weeks or almost 8 months. We saw all the exhibits, some of my students and their animals, and went and watched the rodeo that night.

27 weeks, or about 7 months, Ryan, Jaime, Joe, Dave and I all went on a backpacking trip! This would be the baby's third camping trip since I've been pregnant, but his/her first backpacking trip. I'm pretty sure the baby loved it!

Terra's wedding shower- 6 1/2 months with my cousin Heidi who was due a week ahead of me. She just had her baby girl, "Ella" on Wed, Sept 29th. This is the next generation of cousins in our family!

This was right around the same time, maybe about 6 months along.

How much a month can change! This was about 5 months or so.

This is at about 4 months, I thought I was showing so much. My normal jeans were just starting to feel a little "too tight."

We waited about 11 weeks to tell even our closest family members. We wanted to see that first ultra-sound to confirm pregnancy and be able to tell our family members in person. In this ultrasound picture from about 8 weeks, the baby already has a visible heartbeat and major organs!

New Home

2010-09-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been over a year since we've updated the blog, but there have been a few huge changes in our lives that have been keeping us busy. Change #1 = We said farewell to our beloved barn with the Walkers, to enter into our next adventure, a new home! Ryan and I moved in to our new house around the first of the year, January 2010 and have been working on making it our own ever since!

We both wanted a bit more land, so our home is on .8 acres and backs up to open space. This is the front yard, and we now have a few fruit trees that are thriving, planted in this area.

This is our back yard, and it extends up the hill. We get all kinds of wild birds, coyotes, rabbits, foxes and deer back here. This time of the year we have seen buck and doe with their fawns ambling by on our back porch. It's beautiful, but we need to get a better system down to protect our garden!

Here are a few before and after pictures entailing the work we have been doing on the house. First, this was our entry way.

With the help of Atascadero Mutual Water company, we converted it to a dry-scape with flowers and lots of climate appropriate plants. Best of all, the entire area is watered by a recycled grey water system. Our washer hooks up to the drip line that extends to each of the planted areas.

We couldn't leave our chickens behind so Ryan built a coop and a big yard for them to scratch around in. We have nine ladies right now, so when they all start laying we will be searching out all the good egg recipes we can find...any suggestions?

This was the living room before. Notice the large sliding glass door. Right where the picture is being taken, there was a huge brick fireplace blocking the entryway and closing off the room.

Yep, that's about what it felt like, huge and right in your face.

Kitchen before, we really like the cabinets!

Kitchen-dining area afterwards.

This is the living room afterwards. First, Ryan took out the 10 foot sliding glass doors and put in french doors and side-light windows. Next he took out the huge fireplace that used to stand in the foreground where the small gray couch and rug is. That opened up the room and made it so much more light and cheery. He patched up the ceiling and added a light and fan there. We wanted the natural heating though, so recently he put in a slate hearth for a wood stove and a matching slate entry on the ground in front of the french doors. The fireplace is now located in the corner, the top, left of the picture (you can't see it in this photo).

This is the guest room before.

This is the guest room after. Thank you Granny (Carolyn) for decorating this room. She is amazing. We also replaced the old, single pane windows with double pane ones in the entire house. It made an immediate difference in heat retention and has been great both through the winter and now in the summer.

Guest bathroom before...

Guest bathroom afterwards! Ryan had the vision for this room and our good friend Dave helped him tile the floor.

Well, there you have it! A quick update on Change #1. both Ryan and I have been hard at work on our home. There have been lots of big projects, and lots of little projects that we have managed to squeeze in around work this past year. Thankfully, we've managed to have quite a few other memorable times, weddings, backpacking, spending time with friends and family, along the way.

And as if that weren't enough to keep us occupied, wait till you hear about Change #2! I promise you won't be waiting another year to find out, I'll let you in on the secret soon! ; )

Mexico Continued

2009-08-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

From taking a mangrove-tour and seeing crocodiles in San Blas, to a sailboat ride, snorkeling and meeting new friends, here are a few pics from the second half of the trip!

Mexico, Sayulita and Puerto Vallerta

2009-08-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

In order to capture your interest, and make this more interesting for me, I'm going to review our trip in sections. With that said, here is what the trip looked like.

Day 1-Puerto Vallerta
Day 2-3 - Sayulita
Day 4-5 - San Pancho
Day 6- Travel to/San Blas
Day 7 - San Blas
Day 8 - Travel to/Puerto Vallerta
Day 9 -Puerto Vallerta
Day 10-11 - Sayulita

Our hotel the first night, in Puerto Vallerta, was an art-gallery as well. We woke up to a flooded tile floor from an overflowing air conditioner. The first room-flood of three for the trip

Cooling off in Puerto Vallerta- it was hot and humid!

Villa de Amor, our villa, with a private plunge pool and amazing view...

Our living area and kitchen. This area was flooded by a huge storm our first night here (room flood number 2). The lightning and thunder knocked out the power and some water in the town, and was deafening and scary. We felt lucky to witness such a powerfull tropical storm!

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Breakfast at Villa de Amor. While in Sayulita, we had some amazing Mexican food, including some mole (a Mexican cocao based sauce) that was amazing!

The sunset view from our balcony..

Our balcony overlooking the ocean...notice the amazing swell coming in...

The villa that we stayed in in Sayulita was by far the nicest place we have ever stayed in! The view was spectacular, overlooking the ocean with jungle flowers and plants everwhere. Marble and tile floors, air conditioned and open-air, yes, they pulled that off. It was HOT! The humidity is around 90 percent and it rains almost every night. We happened to be there for an amazing swell, and we got some great waves. This break doesn't get this good that often, so we really lucked out and had head-overhead high surf the whole time we were there, surfing till we were too exhausted or sunburned. Oh yea, the water was about 80 degrees... much better than the central coast!

We stayed in Villa de Amor at the end of the trip and enjoyed Sayulita again the last day. Stay tuned for the rest of our trip! (PS If Ryan sounds annoyed it's because he really wanted to document the amazing surf.;)

Summer "09

2009-07-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

Me and Christine on a Big Sur girls-surf-camp trip

Christine rejoicing when the AAA tow truck finally made it up to the Plaskett Creek campground to open the car. I locked the keys inside. Ahhh, wouldn't be a Hayes adventure without something like that!

Summer 2009 Begins
Camille= on summer break
Ryan= working but has furlough days

We have been enjoying the company of our good friends and family, and I have been enjoying the surf almost daily (yea summer break)! What are the highlights so far?

Well, here goes

Growing tomatoes, carrots, squash, hot peppers, cucumbers, string beans, cantaloupe, strawberries, sweet peas, sunflowers... (to varying degrees of success) in our garden
Homemade Strawberry jam, Marionberry jam, peach pie, cobbler, and ice cream (fruit's in season)
Ryan's building a walnut and poplar coffee table for us
Seeing our friends have beautiful babies and spending time with them, Rj and Ana, Katie and Avery, Shelly n Matt, Holly n Garth
Chickens bullying the cats
good surf
Big Sur trips

One thing we learned, showing up in Big Sur with no reservations in July, is not a great idea, but do-able. Christine and I went on Monday and found a spot with no problem. I really wanted Ryan to be able to go up too, so I packed the car and his stuff, and we took off after work with Lyndal, on Thursday. Of course, there were no sites available, so we decided to treck into the hills and find a spot. After we almost rolled off a cliff in our truck trying to find a campsite above the cloudline, we decided to go back down and just stay in the "overflow" spot (Hayes-adventures continued). Early the next morning, Ryan and I made an aggressive prowl and we found one spot where the family had to go home sick, and reserved it for the second night. Barely got the spot. It was worth it. Sunny all day, decent surf and good company. That was the second or third big sur trip for the summer.

Next adventure on the calendar:

Mainland Mexico, July 22 - Aug 1st, 2009

The Hosking Crib is Finished!

2009-03-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Finally, after sporadic weekend work over the last six months, I finished the crib I had promised for RJ and Anna and delivered it this last weekend. (With a month to spare) As usual, there are definitely some things I would do differently next time in order to speed up the process. I guess you're always learning...

Here is a picture of one of the joints. The four sides of the crib and the bottom can be taken apart and moved separately.

The inside of the crib where it attaches to the legs. There are three different settings for the bottom height of the crib.

Here she is. All oak, with the exception of the pegs, which are mahogany. This finish is a mixture of walnut oil and beeswax. And there are no screws, nails or glue holding it all together. Probably wouldn't build it that way again, but it was a great learning experience.

The Big Chop

2008-12-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

Spur of the moment haircut and and Vanessa's sleepover/birthday party, crazy times in the Hayes household.

My hair has never been this short, well, except for when I was 2, as Dr. Walker reminded me. Chopped it all off.

Playing with fire at the birthday party.

Terra transformed the girls into superheros, here is Spiderwoman...!

Adventures in SLO

2008-11-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

Big Sur, triathalon, fly fishing trips to the cabin, hanging out with Nathan and Vanessa, Mom and Dad Hayes came down with Grandma Lois, hanging out with Lyndal, Aunty Julie's birthday, visiting Camille's grandpa, gardening, working in the woodshop, surfing, teaching, engineering... always an adventure here in San Luis.

Today's Report: Trouble had just barely adjusted to her new outside life (since we realized that she really is "trouble"in the house) when the Walkers got two new kittens. Add the little lab puppy they brought home today, and we really have a yard full of life! Here's the count, 7 chickens, Maggie (old, loving, german shepard mix), Deuce (the Walker's "special"dog), Pearl and Pig (the two cats), Trouble (our cat-kitten), now add the two new kittens and the new puppy, that makes 15 animals runnin around in the yard at one time! You can imagine the shows they put on.

Past Report: Well, a lot has been happening around here, so in addition to that brief summary, here are a few pics to fill in some of the gaps!

The Animal Farm

Just a few of us here...

The newest addition, 6 week old lab puppy...

Meet the kittens (black) Olive and (orange) Sampson. Trouble is getting used to them slowly...

Halloween

To prevent any rumors from being spread, Camille is a pirate, and Ryan is a 70's tennis player, and yes, I assure you, this was for Halloween.

Visiting Grandpa with the Cousins

Grandpa Freitas just had hip surgery here, but now he is home and doing well.

Hanging out with Nathan and Vanessa

Vanessa's cheerleader performance!

Out on the farm...

Camping trip in Big Sur with Tim and Debra.

The surf was horrible, but good friends and a rousing game of croquette on a hill can cure anything!

Kristin and Nick got married!!

Jessica, Megan, Mr. Spivey, and Camille - We love him!

Kristin's wedding and bachlorette party!! Just getting started...

Here's "Trouble"

2008-07-26T09:32:00.001-07:00

We've officially adopted a kitten from the Humane Society, and named her Trouble. Adopting is quite a process, we had no idea. Camille was ready to bring her home, but Ryan had to come to the shelter and "meet" her before we could do the adoption papers, you know, Society protocol.
She's a cuddler, but quite vicious as well. Hopefully she'll be a great hunter.

Like a little lion, look at her face, it's intense!

Trouble, in full cuddle mode- although she's on Camille's lap, we think she prefers Ryan. She consistently chooses him over Camille.

Backpacking Mineral King/Whitney

2008-07-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

June 27-July 4, 2008
Leaving from Mineral King, we did a beautiful 7 day hike through Sequoia Kings Canyon and Inyo National Park. We traversed through the high sierras down to the Kern River, trout fishing, hot tubbing and summited Mt. Whitney. We did 107 miles, with 32,000 feet of elevation change. Needless to say, Camille was hurting the first three days. However, day four was our "rest day" and we didn't have to carry our packs (although we did hike Whitney that day), so from then on Camille felt much better, and Ryan, as usual, was full of energy the entire trip.

Lunch Break

First day, Franklin Lakes

First night, Forester Lake

Amazing personal hot tub right on the Kern River. Ryan caught some big trout and we had a few great dinners!!

River Crossing, there was a lot of water on the entire trip, we had some shoeless crossings, balancing on logs to cross, and rock-hop crossings, but managed to avoid any serious spills.

The top of Mt. Whitney, 14,492 feet, day 4 (halfway through the trip)

Yep, those are mosquitos. Some places were worse than others, and a few nights they were like clouds in the air...hungry little buggers.

Winter fun

2008-05-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

Definitely better together...

Snowboarding with Garth and Holly, some of our fun winter trips!

Our little cabin, we all rented it for two nights, us and all the spiders...