A Little Memory From Way Back When

I think I was about 7 months pregnant.

Me and my trusty friend enjoying a moment together.

It's hard to believe Wyatt is now 2 1/2 years old!

A Boy and His Dad

Although the water was an alluring 56 degrees this morning (I liken that to being naked in an icy tundra-pretty similar effect on the body.), Wy and I decided to stay home and catch up on our Sesame Street episodes while Pete took his new board out for Ride #1.

(partial wax job courtesy of Wy)

What I'm Grateful for Today

A "Good Girl"

Joining in on Celebrating my 30th

Climbing Mt. Gorgonio as Just a Wee Little Thing

Showing off her (very sharp) Baby Teeth-Before They Fell Out

Pete, Wyatt, and I sadly said good-bye to a good friend yesterday.

Twelve and a half years goes by quickly, especially when it's lived well.

Holly has been with Pete and me from Day 1 of our relationship. It's so sad for the two of us to see the ending of an era. While Wyatt, with his two and a half year old innocence, is just wondering when his "Good Girl" is going to walk around the corner to greet him with a tail wag and a lick across the face. The girl had spunk.

Those of you who have had pets, can relate I'm sure.

Those of you who have never had a pet, I highly recommend it.

We are happy to have had such a good dog for such a long time.

Always eager for a little cuddle and a treat. Isn't that what life's about?

A little cuddle and a treat.

We love you, Holly.

(aka. Good Girl, The Halls, Hollitron, Pearl, Pearly, Steel Sausage)

May your snack bowl be bottomless and your walks be long.

Thanks for making our family so much more. You good ol' dog.

xoxo

A Night with Jack Johnson

CeeCee and Opa came over to hang with Wyatt,

while "Aka and Daddy" went out for the night.

We love these people.

They like to have fun.

(Where's Pete? He was with us. Physically.)

Take a moment...

to enjoy where you live.

Year 10-The Year of Tin/Aluminum?

Pete and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this past September. I feel so fortunate to have spent the last decade of my life with such a good, kind-hearted, and adventurous man. It's a reassuring feeling when you can look at the person you've spent nearly 1/3 of your life with and be able to say to yourself, "That was a good decision!"

Interested to find out the "traditional" wedding gift that honors 10 years of commitment, I discovered it was to be something made of tin or aluminum. Tin or Aluminum?!? I felt a little ripped off. Nine years is leather. That at least warrants a cool pair of boots or a new car with leather seats-but tin/aluminum? So I read up on this tin business and found the following...

"The pliability of tin and aluminum is a symbol of how a successful marriage needs to be flexible and durable and how it can be bent without being broken." OK. Clever.

But, I really liked the idea of tin/aluminum, when Pete told me the majority of an airplane is made of aluminum-hence, our trip to France last summer.

So, here's to being pliable and making good decisions.

(the 11th year anniversary gift is steel...isn't the Eiffel Tower made of steel?

Bon Voyage???)

Halloween in the Hood

This is Holly's 13th Halloween. Every year, the girl begs her booty off for pieces of pumpkin and every year we say, "She likes that?" You'd think after 13 years, we'd realize, yeah-she likes that.

A Family Affair

Creativity takes time. For me it's taken about 37 years. I've moved past the triangle eyes and nose...sort of.

Our Friends

You may not know this about Pete, but the dude rocks at pumpkin carving. (He has definitely moved past the triangle eyes and nose!)

Picasso the Pirate

Fishy

Don't Be a YuckMouth

Ode to the PhotoBooth

I decided to take a walk on the wild side (wherever that it) and went out and bought a mac. Was I influenced by my sister, who tells me that now I will "finally be able to have a relationship with my computer"? (As strange as that sounds, you know it's intriguing.)Did my impressionable side take to their ultra-cool ad campaigns? Probably a little of both. Either way you want to look at it, my computer is cool and man, can it make a tasty lasagna! (However, I am still searching for the "HouseCleaning" app. Anyone know how to locate it?)

A New Adventure

This summer Pete, Wyatt, and I were fortunate enough to take our first family vacation. The best part, was that it was to France. I have to say, I was expecting it to be pretty great, but truly, the whole experience blew us away. It went beyond any expectation either of us had.

We spent the first part of our trip visiting Chamonix-Mont Blanc. Pete thought he had died and gone to heaven. He was so in his element. It was pretty nice to see that. We toured the town and surrounding areas, hiked in the Alps, and Pete got to go climbing with a guide he met from Sweden (who had a strange resemblance to Vincent Van Gogh).

The second half of our trip was spent in Provence. Absolutely beautiful! Everywhere you looked you were in the company of something beautiful- olive groves, vineyards, and oh the lavender! As for the architecture, the saying holds true...they just don't build them like they used to!

I think the best part was introducing Wyatt to something Pete and I hold close to our hearts...travelling.

I think Henry Miller summed it up pretty well when he said, "Travelling is never a destination, but a new way of seeing things." Voila! I hope that our little Wyatt will one day feel the same way.

What's Cool About France is...

kids get to eat lollipops for dinner.

Vin Rouge

Have you ever noticed how creative you get after the red wine starts to flow?

A Visit to St.Paul Monastery and Asylum

A well-known patient, Vincent Van Gogh

That day, two patients escaped.

Make that...three.

Images from Provence

Glanum

est. 3 BC

If Wyatt could meet every cicada in Provence,

he would be one happy dude.

Isle-Sur-la-Sourgue

Paella with Mama

Welcome to Provence

The "Welcome Home" Glass of Wine and Hor'dourves

(Wyatt got a "Welcome Home" glass of gazpacho.)

St. Remy de Provence-Highly recommend this place!

Oh, come on. You know you're into "nude gardening" as well.

A Risky Little Game

What return flight?

Viva Le Nap

When Wyatt fell asleep in his stroller, Pete and I made every effort to let him enjoy his nap.

NEVER wake a sleeping child!

Inside the Mer du Glace

Each year, a group of crazy people spend 3 months carving a cave into this glacier.

It is then open so that other crazy people can venture inside.

Keep me warm buddy!

Pete and Wyatt's first pic on a glacier.

Lake Annecy

A Man and His Son

Another thing that is cool about France is that it's ok for a 2 year old to drive a boat.

You gotta love this place!








No trip to Europe is complete without a grand old cathedral.
However, we knew it was time to go when Wyatt tried to get a good game of "Chase Me" going.