Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Week 30

Hi there and welcome back!  It's Tuesday again and we're stuck in smoke here while fires burn in our state.  It's so hard to see so much destruction and loss and we hope those fires end soon.  Last week was a crazy week and not all good either but we made it through and in comparison to what other are going through right now it's really nothing at all.

Here's a look at last week's pictures:


Day 204- Monday, 7/23/18
Our Chilean friend Aiko is here for work one more week so Ann and I went out to dinner with her which was great fun.  And yes we're melting because it's after 6 pm and still over 100 degrees out plus a little humid which is something we are not used to in these parts.





Day 205- Tuesday, 7/24/18
I actually got to watch one of Brandon's first competitive tennis matches and, wow, he's improved a lot since I saw him play last.  Poor kids we're playing mid afternoon it the heat though so it had to be a quick one.  I also think the heat is getting to Bella's nose.  We'll have to keep an eye on that because I don't like the way it looks.





Day 206- Wednesday, 7/25/18
Tyler made it home from camping in--guess where?--Yosemite which was a bit nerve wracking since there is a big fire down there.   Him and his friends were more in the northern part of the park and the fire is just south of the park but still the whole place is full of smoke.  Good thing they planned on coming home today because the park was actually evacuated due to unhealthy air.  Their journey home was not without incident though.  Let's just say they learned a thing or two about changing a tire on the fly.  I'm so glad they are all home safe and sound.  I know it was fun for them but bad timing with the fire and all.





Day 207- Thursday, 7/26/18
Today started out as a really nice day.  I took Justin and his friend Andy to check out Chico State and we had a great time exploring the campus and the surrounding shops and eateries in town but our journey home was even worse than Tyler's yesterday.  My car blew a coolant hose and the radiator cracked just outside of Marysville which is about 40 miles from home.  It was super hot out and I had to be towed, but we made it home safe and the car can be fixed so this pales in comparison to what the people in Redding are going through right now as the Carr fire north of us burns.  It's just heartbreaking.  I know many people from my high-school years who live in this area and I was just there a few months ago visiting. That middle picture found circulating on facebook is the Sundial bridge with the fire burning in the background and the last picture was taken by me when we were at the same bridge over spring break.  Please pray that these fires end and no more lives, homes, or business are lost.




Day 208- Friday, 7/27/18
Cheers to the start of our weekend.  I'm exhausted and so glad this week is almost over.






Day 209- Saturday, 7/28/18
I'm happy to report that Bella's nose is looking so much better and almost perfectly healed.  I'm still not sure what caused the damage but I'm glad it went away quickly.  John and I escaped later this evening for dinner and a movie downtown.  We just had to see this one on the big screen and even ran into a couple friends unexpectedly. Small world!





Day 210- Sunday 7/29/18
It was a baking type of day for me.  I'm working on this cake for Brandon's birthday.  He didn't want anything theme related just this over-the-top brownie cake he saw on the back of a box.  It was actually pretty simple to put together but required way too many dishes for my liking.  Also Justin has just returned from his camping trip with friends and he's pretty tired and tapped out but had a good time with the gang at Folsom lake.




Wait!  One more--

July's Family Photo



Just a quick pic in the backyard with the loves of my life and our smokey skies.




Ok all done!  Next week we'll be on vacation so no post until I return.  We all need this little escape just before school starts.  How can that be so soon already?!  I could use a whole other month of summer break--seriously!


Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Week 29

Happy Tuesday and welcome back!  I've been working like crazy trying to plan for our upcoming vacation.  Only 2 more weeks but it will be here before I know it because there is a lot going on in those 2 weeks.  My boys are active and actually 2 are out camping with friends this week on separate trips which is super fun for them.  I 'll have to bug them to send pictures.  I also have a bunch of stuff for work I need to tie up before I can start really thinking about vacation.  I want peace and relaxation which means work things must not be on my mind while I'm there.  Hopefully I can make that happen.

Here's a recap of how last week went down.  It was a week that screamed summer:


Day 197- Monday, 7/16.18
One of our past graduate students is visiting from Chile to do a bit of work here and brought me a nice bottle of Chilean wine which was very refreshing on this hot evening.





Day 198- Tuesday, 7/17/18
Brandon alternates between tennis and basketball practice to fill his summer days but also has time to relax and bit here and there.  He's been happy with this nice balance of active and down time.





Day 199- Wednesday, 7/18/18
This afternoon I spent some time in the backyard picking more tomatoes and checking on the sprinklers.  Funny thing is I thought I bought 2 larger variety tomato plants and turns out on of them is a cherry tomato type and boy can that plant crank out the fruit.




Day 200- Thursday, 7/19/18
We're making homemade ice-cream mixes that need to chill overnight and I let the boys drink the extra chocolate milk.  Justin quickly indulged and ended up sporting a nice milk mustache.





Day 201- Friday, 7/20/18
Those mixes are ready to be made into ice-cream.  Brandon is adding in some mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to our chocolate batch.





Day 202- Saturday, 7/21/18
It's a pleasant summer evening which is perfect for grilling burgers and eating that homemade ice cream. Yum!





Day 203- Sunday, 7/22/18
Tyler is headed out on his second day at a new job.  It's another life guarding job but this time at a lake.  He'll be working weekends at Rancho Seco Recreational Park while still guarding at the local rec center mid week.  And yes, that's an old non-active nuclear plant in the background which kind of creeps me out but the water is tested on a regular basis so it's safe and it actually sounds like it's a popular summer hot spot.   Me, I'll stick to my backyard pool which I did enjoy this afternoon.




That's all folks.  Catch you on the flip side.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Week 28

Hi there and welcome back!  It's been HOT and busy lately and there's no end in sight for either.  We have a lot going on with many moving parts and it feels like school is looming just around the corner.  Only 1 month left so we better make the most out of these last few weeks.  Thank goodness we have one more family trip planned to escape for a bit and just enjoy ourselves.  I wish it were happening tomorrow.

Until then here are last week's pictures:


Day 190- Monday, 7/9/18
I spend a lot of time in the sports pick-up lines.  This evening its for Brandon at basketball.  They are doing hard core conditioning so as soon as we got home he pretty much just crashed. 




 Day 191- Tuesday, 7/10/18
The best way to deal with the insane heat is to cool down with an ice-cold treat.  We're having It's It ice-cream sandwiches tonight in 3 different flavors.  I chose mint and the other two chose the new chocolate flavor--yum!  The original vanilla lost out but I'm sure Tyler will grub on that when he gets home from work.





Day 192- Wednesday, 7/11/18
What it is about these stairs?  This is where Justin chose to park it and watch videos on his phone. He was there for a good hour. So random and doesn't even look comfortable but also so him!   Rusty was on the stairs too rolling around and trying to express how much he's over this heat.





Day 193- Thursday, 7/12/18
Heat wave or not we have to walk.  Bella and I went to stroll around the park where we found some pretty, lollipop, pinkish flowers in the lawn that matched my shirt.  We sought out as much shade as possible but it didn't really matter.  Once it's over 100 it's hot everywhere even in the shade! Look--her panting tongue matches my shirt too.





Day 194- Friday, 7/13/18
Time for another college tour.  Justin and I went to a "Summer Roar" event at the University of Pacific for prospective students.  It's a really nice, small, private school but that also means big dollars.  At least they give decent financial aid packages and have a lot of good perks.  That building there was in the first Indian Jones film where you see Indy near the beginning as a college professor.  It's just one of many movies filmed here which was neat to learn about.





Day 195- Saturday, 7/14/18
John has been traveling all week so we've missed him, but he's home now and today helped Justin make 3 kinds of salsa with all the tomatoes that ripened during his absence.  Later we had a big Mexican feast so everyone could try them out and they were a big hit.





Day 196- Sunday, 7/15/18
John worked on his bike today and also went for a short ride since it was a slow Sunday.  For dinner we headed to Davis to meet up with some college friends at the Graduate.  We all got our animal science degrees together just over 25 years ago.  Boy how time flies and it was great fun to reminisce with them about the good old days.



That's it!  Stay cool and I hope to see you next week.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Week 27

Hi there!  It's Tuesday again and the weeks just keep flying by.  It's been super smokey and hot lately.  We had a big wildfire dumping smoke into the valley so it was not easy to be outside because it hurt our eyes and throat.  You could smell it in the air too even though the fire wasn't really close to us.  It made for pretty skies at dawn and dusk but otherwise not healthy to breathe at all--good reason to stay inside with the ac on!

Here's a look at last week's pictures:


Day 183- Monday, 7/2/18
We're prepping for the 4th.  John and the kids picked out some fireworks yesterday and Justin showed them to me today.  He's super excited.  I also pulled out our handheld flag we use each year.  It will be a fun holiday.





Day 184- Tuesday, 7/3/18
It's not time to celebrate just yet--work as usual at least for one more day.  The first part of each month I have to fill these tanks so I'm getting that done today.  We have three of them so it take awhile and a lot of LN2.





Day 185- Wednesday, 7/4/18
Happy 4th of July! We had a nice quiet day relaxing and eating BBQ and then enjoyed the fireworks on our street after dark.  Sadly it was windy and colder than usual so no pool time this year.





Day 186- Thursday, 7/5/18
Today it was back to the DMV and thankfully I had a pleasant walk by a community garden to get there because parking was so bad.  It was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to stop and enjoy the sunflowers before entering the insanity.  Yet another 3+ hour ordeal at the DMV even with an appointment.  I just don't get it and hope I don't have to go back anytime soon.  Ack!





Day 187- Friday, 7/6/18
It's Friday and miraculously enough all 3 boys are home for dinner at the same time.  They all look so big eating there at the island now--my mostly grown boys.  Where did the time go?  I remember like yesterday when they were so little and barely able get up on those stools.  The years really do go by fast and here sets another day.  The sky is lit up pink from the fires and from the smoke coming into the valley but at least it looks pretty.





Day 188- Saturday, 7/7/18
Justin is working on a birthday gift for a friend so he printed up a bunch of pictures off his phone and is planning to make a big poster card.  I love it when the kids ask to use my creative tools.  Later we went together for an appointment to have his senior pictures taken--wow!  How can that be?!  I'll have a second one leaving the nest soon so we'll have to enjoy as many treats together as we can this next year starting now ;0)





Day 189- Sunday, 7/8/18
Our tomatoes are finally beginning to ripen.  I picked the first one this morning and there will be more to pick next week which is perfect for that homemade salsa they boys are waiting on.  Then, just after lunch, we all went to the movies and watched the dinosaurs wreak havoc on the world.  Good times!




That's it for now.  See you next week.