Painting

Wipes face, "Mom, is it off?" He asks...

I snap a picture.

Where's Waldo...I mean, Where's Donovan?

Life after the Break

Thanks G.G. for the money to buy a special book! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for all the fun games and for the great time together...Thank you Aunty Lyndal for the tank tops...To my entire family, especially my amazing mom, for stepping right in as Ryan and I rushed to the hospital and taking care of the other two kids (including Donovan) while still camping for two days. Thank you for my dad who did a trip to the hospital late at night to bring Josiah his blanket, for the care package Terra put together (and more recently Terra for helping me set up my classroom and helping with the kiddos!) Thank you to Andrea and Joey for sitting with us when Josiah was in surgery and for bringing Donovan and Kaila to visit...

...amazingly, his broken bone will be fully healed just 4 weeks from the day he broke it. This little blue cast will come off in perfect timing...my first day back to teaching.  I "get" to drive down to Santa Barbara after I teach my first day to get it cut off.Thankfully I work on the block so I can at least spend the night down there and not drive back late at night. 

Maybe I'll go camping ; )

Which one of these things does not belong?...Beach Camp 2015

Camping in San Onofre, three days of almost my perfect dream vacation. Amazing, warm surf with my hubby, good food and margaritas, campfires on the sand, family everywhere, fun runs...Each day was perfect in it's own way...until Monday evening. 

Like the little song, Which one of these things does not belong?

 

 

 The kids slept with my mom and dad in their tent trailer...

 Morning coffee and hot chocolates from our campsite...

 paella, Thanks mom and dad!!

 A bunch of my extended family drove up to visit...Love them!!

 

 Eda Jean stories with Tata around the campfire...

 ...and then this happened. The monkey bars. ( Actually, Josiah would correct me and say it was the bar next to the monkey bar. His hands slipped and his feet caught.)  

 One surgery, two days and three pins later he was wheeled out...

 

 Recovered one night at the campsite with the family (see Josiah in the stroller?) He was in so much pain, he was so brave and such a trooper. The nurses said he was "the toughest kid they'd ever seen."

 

Ryan took Josiah home a day early and Grandma and Grandpa from Chico got to spend some quality time with him. I spent Thursday finishing off day at the beach and then drove back Friday with the other two kiddos.

If nothing else, Beach Camp 2015 was a memorable one. At least we were in a great area with awesome hospitals and Josiah's break was a standard, common break for kids. I have my hopes high for a better trip next year!

Liggle Eyes, Big Wonders; Part 3

Zion National Park

Favorite Moment-  I think I can speak for both of is when we say that our favorite thing about Zion was just. slowing. down. Up till now we had been staying for about a day and a half in each place we were at. When we hit Zion, we got to park, use the public shuttles and just relax. The kids did better with a little more routine, and we did better with a few more slow mornings exploring local restaurants and coffee shops. We hung out in the warm river and campsites with the kids and our newfound camp-ground friends Karmen and Eric (hello Karmen!...if you ever found us!)

For me, this was a time of re-connecting with my loves. I re-connected with my sense of adventure and nature by going out alone on long runs in new places and hiking the Narrows. I reconnected with my independance and stregnth by running some tough trails by myself and feeling great as I was doing it, then being rewarded with the awesome sights Zion has to offer. Ryan got to re-connect with his younger, stronger, river romping self by hiking far up into the Narrows at the break of dawn by himself. He was alone in the canyon and was able to hike fast over the river rocks carrying only his backpack and a light jacket. He enjoyed relaxing at the campsite and scored some great views on a few bike rides up and out of Zion Canyon.

Least Favorite Moment:  By far, my least favorite moment was precidented by the fact that we did not make reservations in Zion National Park ahead of time. We arrived in Zion mid-day and aggressively (sprinting from the car to the front desk in front of other campers pulling in the parking lot), snagged the last tent spot in a terrible campground that resembled a dirt parking lot with about 5 feet of "camping space." Fortunately Zion has a "first come first serve" campground, so I got out at the break of dawn, biked in and patrolled the campground for an open spot like a shark circling a wounded seal. It was crazy. I was crazy. They were crazy.

Competing campers avoided eye contact as they scoped out potential spots. One car nearly ran me off the road. I stalked the poor college kids who were innocently sleeping under the stars because their campsite tag said they were leaving that day.  

 I can't say I'm proud of my aggressive transformation but oh well. It worked. We got an awesome spot close to the river with perfect access to the bike trail and shuttle. Even Ryan said it was worth it.

Dance Party in the car on our LONG drive home.