First Haircut

 We hung onto those little luscious locks for as long as we could. However when our little man began to grow increasingly girly-looking, we knew the time had come.  

It was a precious moment. It started out mild, sucking on a lollipop and escalated to screaming and tears   with me pinning Josiah down as my friend and mom-hero lopped off the last unruly strands.

Honestly, I don't think it would have gone much better in one of those fancy kid-hair places, if that's what you're thinking (I know you are.).  

You'll never see this again, he's refusing the sucker. I tried to hand it back to him after the debacle. "No WAY!" he was thinking, " I don't want that darn sucker if it automatically comes with a haircut! Baby torture!!"

"I'm outta here, you terrible mommies!!"

Oh well, better luck next time. He looks sooo cute and little-boy now! Ill post a clearer face shot soon.

Country Time: Love-Hate Relationship

Twin fawns spotted from our dining room window. The deer are bold and active this time of year.

I love it when Josiah yells "A Deee!! A Deeee!!!" and when Kaila kicks and gurgles and focuses in on them, tracking their every move, fascinated. I love how connected to nature we are here.  I enjoy it when visitors oohh and awe over little deer families serenely cruising the quiet hillside behind our house. I loved the time I saw two ginormous (oh yes, I just used that word.  Just sound it out) 5-point bucks fighting outside our kitchen window. 

I hate it when those deer come down and munch the just-blooming buds off the flowers I have been tediously tending for months. I hate it when I have a beautiful landscape, with proper deer-protection methods in place, and they still manage to come in and shatter my dreams of having a Better Homes and Gardens front yard. I'll admit it.  I hate it so much I often daydream about having a some backyard Bambi for dinner. 

Don't go calling Fish and Game just yet, I'll hold off another year. I'm asking Santa for a deer fence for Christmas. That should be a win-win for us and the deer. If Santa gets stingy though, watch out. I just may call up the Freitas Family for some backup and tell you not to ask what kind of meat is in that hamburger we just BBQ'd up.



*Disclaimer: Yes I know it's illegal, I wouldn't' really do it. And no, I could never kill a fawn. I'm not that cold.

If I were a Millionaire...

If I won a (couple-a) million bucks, I think I would like a house with a view like this every night. I would like to be able to go surfing whenever I want, with Ryan and I would like to spend our days playing with my kiddos in nature. I would like our families close, loving on my kids and hanging out, having drinks with our toes in the sand...So until the day that I win the lottery or some unknown, secret benefactor decides to give us a generous gift (hint hint, any uber-wealthy readers out there..; ), I will take a week of beach camping as my present-day paradise. 

We had all of the above, and then some, as we spent 7 days camping at Carlsbad State Beach. Going to sleep to the sound of the waves (and, admittedly, to the sound of the cars on the road nearby), and waking up to the sound of my sister Andrea asking "Hey Camille, you want me to take Kaila so you can sleep in?"   Such sweet sounds to my ears. I felt truly rich in so many ways.

Definitely rich in love and hugs!

Our Campsite.... so many thanks to mom and dad for all your hard work bringing everything!

My mom, sisters and I painted our toes matching hot pink and yellow to celebrate.

I had to put this pic in, notice the little wave in the back. Ry and I surfed until exhaustion. All long boarding but oh, surfing without a wetsuit in warm water is so wonderful!

hi Jade! Fun times with our san diego cousins!

Awwww, sweet little family photo...with Josiah "fishing." Yep, that's about right. Ill leave it at that.