Week 4

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  Boy is it foggy out.  I hate driving in the fog especially when you can't see the usual landmarks.  It makes you feel kind of lost and don't even get me started on what it does to my hair.  Even the school buses are running late because of it.  Stay safe out there! Last week was wonderful.  We had a great week and an even better weekend.  It's so nice to escape to the mountains for some fresh air, amazing scenery, and new snow.  The hard part is coming back to reality.

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 22- Monday, 1/22/18

I started the week off celebrating my birthday which was nice.  I went out to dinner, had cheesecake for dessert, got pretty flowers at work, and wore a new sweater my friend gave me.  It was a good day and a fun way to kick off the week.

Day 23- Tuesday, 1/23/18

I had a free drink reward at Starbucks for my birthday that expired today so after work, before picking up Brandon, I picked up my drink and got him a little something too.  It was perfect because it was cold and dark out so a warm drink hit the spot and he was pleasantly surprised.

Day 24- Wednesday, 1/24/18

This pup just came in from a very wet walk so we dried her off and turned on the fire.  I think she's good now and quite content.

Day 25- Thursday, 1/25/18

Woohoo!  After work and school we headed to the mountains for my birthday ski trip.  This is my happy place-- the village at Northstar in Tahoe.  It was a snowy and slow drive up, but we got in just after dark and relaxed in our condo for the night.  We're so thankful the kids have no school tomorrow for staff development because it means we'll get 2 ski days in instead of just 1.

Day 26- Friday, 1/26/18

We have fresh snow from last night, clear skies, and only small crowds which is perfect.  The lake looks beautiful from the top of the mountain and John and I got to ski alone for a bit while the boys were in a lesson.  Just before lunch we all came back together and took the village run down to the condo for a hearty meal.  Ski-in/ski-out is most certainly the way to go.

Day 27- Saturday, 1/27/18

On day 2 of skiing we stayed together the whole time and got in some good runs but also stood in some seriously long lines.  It's Saturday so there are more people here and it's the first good snow of the season so that means even more than usual for a weekend day.  At least we had very little lines yesterday and the weather and snow are still great so we made the most of it.  Down in LA Tyler took in a basketball game on campus and sent us a picture.  We miss him on these trips and it's sad to think that after next year we won't have Justin either.  They grow up and move away too fast!

Day 28- Sunday, 1/28/18

Before saying good-bye to our condo we hiked out back to some hills for a little sledding and snowball fights.  These two did awesome skiing the past 2 days and earned the right to just play and enjoy more fun in the snow.  Sadly it's time to head home but it was a great trip and that extra day made all the difference in the world.

Wait!  One more-

January's Family Photo

We got the kids' ski instructor to take a picture of us on the slopes.  He was a fun guy and really helped the boys take their skiing to the next level.

OK, all done!  It's back to normal now which is fine because getting away was a good way to recharge and now we're truly ready to take on the new year. 

Week 3

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  We're prepping to head out on a ski trip in a couple days.  The school district was kind enough to give the kids Friday off for staff development which totally works in our favor, and we'll even have fresh snow to look forward to.  It's all falling into place nicely.  Now to just get through the rest of the work week.

Until then here's a peek at last week's pictures:

Day 15- Monday, 1/15/18

I'm home with the boys for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.  John had to work but was able to meet us for lunch at a local sandwich shop called Grand Central Station.  Their specialty is Philly Cheese Steak.

Day 16- Tuesday, 1/16/18

Justin has started tennis conditioning and Rusty is showing his support.  This ball is actually the dog's toy but he has a thing for sitting behind her things.  We're still getting some rain on and off and when I got home from work, parking next to Tyler's truck, I saw this spider web dripping wet.  I think it looks pretty cool so I had to get a picture.  Nature amazes me.

Day 17, Wednesday, 1/17/18

Tonight was back-to-school night at the high school for Justin's 2nd semester, and I'm sitting in his Film and Lit class which sounds really interesting.  Wish I could take the class with him.  Meanwhile Justin is home getting his homework done after some tennis conditioning and getting some love from Rusty.  This is a nightly thing for them.

Day 18- Thursday, 1/18/18

Brandon just got home from basketball practice, showered, and is now playing basketball on the computer.  He just can't get enough.  I prefer when he plays for real though.

Day 19- Friday, 1/19/18

TGIF!  Even though it was a short week it seemed really long.  John made us some drinks to help kick off the weekend as we settled in to watch a movie--the remake of Flatliners.  I'm having a lemon drop made with fresh lemons from a tree out back, and John is having an old fashioned made with oranges from the store. LOL!

Day 20- Saturday, 1/20/18

 Finally sunshine!  Nothing but warm rays and blue skies--no rain, no fog. and no clouds.  It seems like forever since we've seen a clear sky and the dose of vitamin D feels really good especially while walking the dog.  Time for another basketball game.  These weekly games are late like at 7 pm or later which I'm still getting used to.  I'm not a night owl at all.  Honestly if the game were at 7 am I'd be way happier ;0)

Day 21- Sunday, 1/21/18

Today is a super chill day.  It's cold out and a bit dark so staying in to do laundry is not a bad thing except that the cable went out and folding laundry without watching TV is a drag.  It's also getting harder and harder to sort clothes now that all the guys in the house are pretty much the same size. I might just have to throw everything in a pile and let them figure it out.

That's it!  Check back next week for hopefully some pretty snow pictures.

Week 2

Welcome back and happy Tuesday.  It was so nice to have a 3-day weekend right after the first week back to school and work.  The kids needed the slower start to get them back into a routine.  It's been nice for us to have rain but not good for those near fire damage.  The poor Santa Barbara area with the mudslides.  Our hearts go out to them.  I was hoping with the new year we could leave the disasters behind us, but I guess it's just part of our life now.  Maybe moving forward 2018 will prove better in that sense and I sure hope so.  Thankfully we here had a pretty uneventful week aside from a little rain and fog.

Take a look at last week's pictures:

Day 8- Monday, 1/8/18

We're starting the week with a whole lot of rain so I'm here for a rainy day school pick-up.  Justin wanted to ride his bike but it was way too wet.  Later he received a late Christmas present in the mail and this light-up Pokeball helped brighten his day and mood.

Day 9- Tuesday, 1/9/18

It's another cold and wet day so I made Brandon an after school cup of cocoa to help him warm up from the inside out.

Day 10- Wednesday, 1/10/18

The neighborhood trees are dripping wet and shine in the streetlights on our evening walk.  It's not so much from rain today as it is from late wet fog.  And this is how the cat copes with the change in weather.  He's decided to do a face plant and just sleep through it.  LOL!  Good thing he's not a mid-west or east-coast cat.  They are way colder than us right now.

Day 11- Thursday, 1/11/18

Brandon's city basketball practices have started and will be every Thursday night for the next couple months.

Day 12- Friday, 1/12/18 

More thick fog.  It's ruining my view and always makes for an interesting drive in.  At 9 am all I can see is a white wall out the lab window which is actually kind of depressing.  Hopefully this afternoon will be better.  A good dose of sunshine would be nice.

Day 13- Saturday, 1/13/18

Today is the first game of the season and he just so happens to be #5 which was also Tyler's water polo number.  He was actually surprised to be starting and playing pretty much the entire game.  Time to step it up.

Day 14- Sunday, 1/14/18

It's actually a nice afternoon so our walk was good and in the park we found still some fall leaves but also some spring weeds.  The dandelion's are popping up everywhere.  Make a wish!

That's it.  Hope to see you back next week.

Week 1

Here we go with a brand new year.  I can't believe this will be my 9th year posting pictures of our everyday life.  Now that I'm so close I've got to at least make it through 10 years.  That's pretty cool to think I'll have a solid 10 year photo record of my family and our daily goings on soon.  I just need to keep it going and for now we'll start with 2018.

Here are the first week's pictures in our new year:

Day 1- Monday, 1/1/18

It's New Year's Day and we're spending it at home together.  Later we'll make tacos and enjoy yet another feast to celebrate.  My New Year's resolution is "no excuses!"  I'm too good about talking myself out of things and that needs to change.  What's something you'll work as we enter 2018?

Day 2- Tuesday, 1/2/18

I'm back at work this week, but the kids are still on break so after work today we went out together to spend some of their gift-card money.  Mine's the small non-frilly one ;0)

Day 3- Wednesday, 1/3/18

And the new year brings rain!  The storm door is finally opening here in California.  We have system after system lined up in the pacific that will bring rain through the middle or end of next week and it's about time!  I need snow in our mountains for my birthday trip and the only way to get that is having rain here.  A wet and cold day is a perfect day for a warm meal like beef stew so I used my new Instant Pot to make some.  Yum!

Day 4- Thursday, 1/4/18

Like I said rain here brings snow in the mountains so to prepare for that this week I ordered new ski jackets and snow boots for the younger boys who have out grown last year's gear.  Now we're almost all set for our ski trip in a couple weeks.  Note: I bought a size larger than they need since we're still in that crazy puberty growing stage. Teenagers!

Day 5- Friday, 1/5/18

Look at my friend.  It's been colder out so Rusty is seeking warmth. Usually he's sitting on my lap but this time he decided to sit up behind me and try to snuggle in my neck.  Maybe I should turn up the heat?

Day 6- Saturday, 1/6/18

Today was a super busy day.  I could have totally added a few more pictures but these are the most significant.  Justin went to the animal shelter this afternoon to have his volunteer papers signed and have the required picture taken for his school service project.  He mostly works in the cattery there and we're both happy that's finished for now.  Later I used the Instant Pot to make a baby-back rib dinner for Tyler's last home-cooked meal.  He heads back to school tomorrow morning. 

Day 7- Sunday, 1/7/18

We're sending him off once again.  It's time to head back to UCLA for winter quarter.  We've enjoyed having him for a good 3 weeks and look forward to seeing him again in late March for spring break.  This year his break is actually at the same time as his brothers' which will be an added bonus.

There you are--first week done!  I hope to see you back next week for more fun.