JULY 2014

FOURTH OF JULY:
We are celebrating the 4th of July at the church and Grand Pa is helping the kids climb a tree.

THE WALTERS FROM U.A.E. COME TO VISIT:
We felt privileged to get a visit from our friends, who are originally from Australia, but are now living in the United Arab Emeritus.  We had fun taking them to Old Town, and going to see the Mormon Battalion.  Jenelle is an old room mate of mine from D.C.

 DENISE FINKLE COMES FOR A VISIT:
After 7 years, Denise finally came for a visit.  I was happy to see her.  Denise's kids.  Lilly and Kai are good students.  The last time I saw Kai he broke his foot on the swing set.  Denise and I had some good times together.

DENISE CEREGHINO FINKLE AND I:
Friend of many a road trip, a dance, and former room mate at the Galer house in Glendale, CA.

 ANN COMES FOR A VISIT:
Ann of DC, Mexico, Indonesia, and currently Idaho came to Glendale and we went up to visit her.  The kids loved the Trolley at the Americana because it reminded them of Daniel Tigers neighborhood, the new version of Mr. Rogers.

TERRANEA OR FORMER MARINE LAND:

After 20 years they finally built a hotel on the former site of Marine land.  The views of Catalina Island are fabulous from here.  Aubrey and Elaina enjoyed hiking around the hotel.

 I'M A TRIANGLE:
Aubrey put this hanger on her head and started saying, "I'm a triangle."  Maybe she is the daughter of a math teacher.

ELAINA AND AUBREY AT OCEANSIDE HARBOR:

Mid-West Trip 2014

 WISCONSIN DELLS:
The largest water park in the world.  They have water parks inside and out.  We liked the inside one best because it was cold there in June.  Elaina, Aubrey, and I are standing in the Wave pool.

 WITCHES GULCH:
Neil got to hike the slot canyon, but I did not because the kids fell asleep in the car. I waited with them.

 ST. PAUL MINNESOTA'S CAPITOL

ST. PAUL MINNESOTA CATHEDRAL:
The proportions are esquiset, we got to go inside to get out of the rain.  A mass had just started.

MALL OF AMERICA:
Dora, Dora, Dora the Explorer, Aubrey loves Dora and we were happy to see Dora, and Aang the last Air bender in the largest Mall in America.

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MISSISSIPPI:
The sun was setting and many people of many nationalities were walking across the bridge  in St. Paul.

MINNEHAHA HOUSE:
I love watching "Rehab Addict" a fix up old houses show.  This was the first house she fixed up, so it was fun to see it in real life.  I enjoyed seeing a lot of the older homes in Minneapolis.  Minnehaha refers to an Indian woman associated with Hiawatha.

FARGO NORTH DAKOTA:
We had to get another state in, so we drove 3 hours to get to ND.  As we entered the state. the rolling hills went away. and the ground became flat.  Luckily Neil found out about this old west town.  A coch like this, use to sit 18 people (uncomfortably)  I thought it was cramped with the 4 of us.

 OPEN CONCEPT:
After watching many home improvement shows.  This cabin struck me as "Open Concept."  Yes, interior design has recycled itself.  The kitchen, the living room, and the bedroom are all in one open space.  All these buildings are original and have been moved to this spot.

LAKE SUPERIOR:
This lake covers the most surface area in the world.  We stopped here to look at a spring and it was one of the most fun things we did.

 PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE:
We waited along time to for the fog lift, to see these rocks.

THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE OF THE GREAT LAKES:
This bridge crosses the great lakes between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

THE FERRY TO MACKINAC ISLAND:
If you look behind us, you see a big rooster tail, behind this boat.  I guess it made the boat go faster.  It took about 20 minutes to get to Mackinac Island.

SEE THE HORSE CARRIAGES AND THE BIKES:
Yes, there are no cars aloud on this Island.  It feels like you are still in the late 1800's.

SUNSET OVER THE MACKINAC BRIDGE:
I met a guy from Moldova biking here.  He was here as an intern, he had to pay to come to the Island to work.  He said he was learning a lot.  We rented our bikes from the place he worked at.

SOMEWHERE IN TIME:

I loved that movie when I was a teenager.  I have always wanted to come to the place where it was filmed.  The Grand Hotel is the largest summer Hotel in the world.  The Island closes in the winter and the only way to get to the Island is driving across the frozen lake.

WALKING THROUGH TOWN:
I am so glad Aubrey has gotten older, because sometimes she wouldn't come when she was suppose to. This was one of those times.  I had to carry her potato sack.  The first year Seth was in Pre-school she got the name "run away baby," because she would run so much.  The town was beautiful the flowers were in bloom and the lilacs blossomed on the trees.

RIDING BIKES AROUND THE ISLAND:
It was a 9 mile loop and we had to rig up quite a system to get around the island.  Aubrey and Seth are enjoying a nap in the burley.

FORD FACTORY ROOF:
We got to go on a tour and see how ford trucks are built.  It made me glad for my education, because it looked like a boring job assembling trucks 8 hours a day.

PAM AND REBECCA:
We both have the same birthday and were the only girls our age in a congregation with 14 boys our age.  We have been friends since we were 12 and it was nice to see eachother again after 20 years.

FROZEN YOGURT IN OHIO:
A rare family picture where everyone is looking.

 REBECCA AND HER 3 GIRLS AND ELAINA AND I

 PENGUINS AT THE AQUARIUM IN CHICAGO:

 

WALKING WITH THE STROLLER:

Neil and I walked all over with that stroller.  It is hard to steer, but easy to pack.  I think I injured my hand pushing it.

 NEIL AND SETH IN FRONT OF BUCKINGHAM FOUNTAIN:

THE WATER TOWER:
This was used like a water tower today would be used.  It was one of the few things that didn't burn in the Chicago fire.  The funny thing about it, was Aubrey kept trying to get in, it to save the princess.  The princess is locked up in a tower in a Dora episode and Dora needs to save her.  Two and a half year old Aubrey was very concerned about saving the princess.

 THE TALLEST BUILDING IN AMERICA:

It now has a plastic deck so you can take pictures like this.  Seth is holding his most prized Dusty plane.

THE STORM COMES:
We were walking the Navy peer when we saw the storm, it did rain, but it wasn't as bad as it looks.  We went back to Wisconsin, visited the town of Cedarburg and flew out from Milwaukee.  What a fun trip.

JUNE 2014

AFTER CHURCH:  They love walking on top of this wall on the way to church.

SUPER HEROS DAY:  Elaina makes a wonderful bat girl, wearing Seth's shirt and cape.

OCEANSIDE HARBOR:  Aubrey loves to walk on top of walls.  She looked like the coppertone baby, because we forgot to bring a extra diaper.

MAY 2014

LEGOLAND:  After living in San Diego for 9 years we finally went to Legoland.

BIG PIXEL PICTURES:  I thought the lego sculptures looked like a digital TV screen without enough pixels.

ELAINA'S 6th BIRTHDAY:  Alas it was a Frozen party.  We had an Elsa cake, made snowmen, and went sledding in our culvert.

THE PRESENTS

MOTHER'S DAY:  Neil got me vegetarian cookbooks and Seth gave me his love.  The best part about being a mom is cuddle time.

FINALLY ALL OF US LOOKED AT THE CAMERA AT THE SAME TIME.  In our Easter finest, we had to do a repeat photo in May.

FIRE, FIRE, FIRE, FIRE, FIRE:  Yes I saw 5 different fires while driving from Fallbrook to Oceanside all in one day.  This fire was the Camp Pendelton fire.  The kids got out of school the following day.

FIRE BEHIND OUR HOUSE:  We don't have snow days in California, we have fire days.  I figured, we have the day off it is 100 degrees outside, lets go down town and check out the new water park.  Well then I started getting phone calls.  They are evacuating near your house.  I had to rush home we were about a mile from the evacuation zone, but it was sure fun watching those planes drop fire retardant.  They flew by over and over again.  The military does a good job putting out fires.

LEO CARILLO STATE BEACH AT SUNSET;

DADDY WITH HIS GIRL

THE CHILDREN VISIT THEIR FIRST HINDU TEMPLE IN MALIBU.

HIKING IN MALIBU CANYON:  I got Aubrey to walk nearly 2 miles at a faster pace then her 4 and 6 year old siblings by reminding her we are on a Dora adventure.  Those trees are the Nutty forest, we are going to Crocodile lake.

NATALIE AND ELAINA AT THE DINOSAUR PARK.

SETH AT THE FATHER SON OUTING AT HERKEY CREEK.