What L.A. Needs is a County Fair....

Yesterday, the boys and I took a field trip to the L.A. County Fair with our homeschool group. OK, well, with another family. No other families showed up! But what a way to go-with a school group! You get free parking, free admission, free milk, and free ride tickets for turning in book reports. The boys probably rode about $100 worth of rides for free! It was such a wonderful day. We spent the day with the Kirby family from our homeschool group, and it was delightful. We saw shows, animals, exhibits, and of course, went on the rides. A highlight for everyone was the Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats. We all sat there with our jaws in our laps for about half an hour. Amazing! I would have gone to the fair just to see them perform. And I went home with a new dry mop for my hardwood floors! What a deal. Everyone left happy! I could have spent hours just perusing the shopping areas, but I spared the boys the torture. And, by the way, our pig didn't win any of the pig races. No free bacon for me this year. Maybe next year!

Work Hard and Be Rewarded

We are in the process of some home improvement projects around here. Our ultimate goal: To install the new hardwood floors we bought! Of course, there are other minor projects we have to finish to get to that goal. This past weekend, we ripped out all of our tile. Here is Suzanne's list of must-have home improvement helps:

1) A handy husband

2) A rented jack-hammer

3) Some male offspring

The combination of the three was entirely too effective in making quick of what otherwise would have been a very long and tedious process! We had a production line: Dave was ripping out tiles, the boys were removing tiles to the wheelbarrow in the backyard, and I was sweeping up the mess! The boys worked SO HARD. Not a complaint. Not a "Daddy, can I take a break?" Not a "what do I get if I help"? Just honest to goodness sweat and hard work. We were so proud of those boys, who truly did make the project so much quicker and easier. Dave loves to reward our boys for hard work, so off to Val Surf to get some much needed new skateboards. The boys have all taken quite an interest in the sport, and have really enjoyed watching the X-Games and using our little mini-ramp in the backyard. So here's to another reason to visit the emergency room, yeah? Well, I'm alright with it. They're boys, and they do boy stuff. All I can do is sit back and enjoy!

Crepes are yummy!

I have had a serious hankering for crepes since we returned from San Francisco, where I partook of that delicious lemon crepe at Pier 39. Can you believe I have never attempted my own crepes? My sis, Karen has been making them for years, and I had convinced myself that they were just "too hard"! Yeah, yeah, nice excuse. Well, this morning I pulled up a simple recipe online, and I was surprised to find how easy they are to make! I whipped up two fillings: one was chopped apples sauted in butter, cinnamon, and allspice, and the second was a nice thick blueberry sauce, simply made from some frozen blueberries, sugar, and some cornstarch to thicken. My kids LOVED them. Well, wouldn't you? A crepe, a little fruit filling, some whipped cream, and a syrup drizzle? Now you're talking. The boys just couldn't get enough. So, if you have never made crepes, and love to eat them, I insist, it really is very simple to do. Impress your family today! Make them crepes!

A Trip Up the Coast!

Austin and I just returned from a whirlwind weekend up the California coast with my Dad (Austin's Papa Steve). In years previous, my Mom and Dad would take this same route every year, the ultimate destination being a party given by a long time friend of my parents, Norm, at his house in Sonoma. Last year, my Dad escorted Karen and Emma on this same trip. This year, Austin and I had the privilege of accompanying him.

We left Thursday afternoon and headed up to Solvang for a little shopping (most stores were closed by the time we got there, however)! We then had dinner at AJ Spurs, which I can honestly say has the BEST beef ribs I have ever tasted! YUM! We then drove another hour or so to our hotel in Arroyo Grande, just a few miles south of San Luis Obispo.

Early the next morning we headed up to Monterey for a visit to the famous and extensive Monterey Bay Aquarium. We all enjoyed perusing the fish, otters, and various sea life. The otter exhibits are amazing! I could have stood there watching their antics for hours. Our visit was paused in the middle for a delicious lunch at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company (Run, Forrest, Run)! We enjoyed garlic peel and eat shrimp, artichoke dip, and fried calamari. Perfect! Back to the aquarium to finish up, and then we were off to San Francisco.

We arrived around dinnertime, checked in to our hotel, and promptly made our way over by foot to the Rainforest Cafe. This must have been "frog heaven" for Austin, as it was a highly decorated theme restaurant centered around their mascot, Cha Cha the frog. Good grief, what a sight! Waterfalls, animatronic jungle animals, stars, fish tanks...What more could a kid ask for? Ok, some mini hot dogs. There. Now it's complete!

The next day brought many activities in the charming city of San Francisco. Austin and I rode the cable car, and then we all took off on a cruise to Alcatraz. This fascinated Austin, as I can remember it doing for me as a child. We took the audio tour, then browsed the gift shop, where Austin was intrigued by a "rock", which my Dad bought for him along with a historical book of the island. This "rock" is an actual piece of the island that results from the recent renovation they are doing on the island. The proceeds from the sale of these rocks will continue to fund the restoration process. Apparently, this rock is extremely valuable- at least to Austin- he insisted on locking it up in the safe at the hotel for "safe" keeping. No pun intended. We ended our day at the famous Scoma's restaurant, where, after an hour long wait, Dad and I feasted upon the well-worth-the-longest-wait-imaginable: Cioppino. To die for!!!! And the sourdough bread: A masterpiece in itself. A little shopping at Pier 39, along with a lemon dessert crepe, and we were good to go. Not bad for a day's work.

The next morning we awoke and made our way over to a very quaint little local restaurant, the Balboa Cafe for breakfast. Dad insisted this was the BEST breakfast he ever had. He enjoyed corned beef hash, while Austin had the most delicious french toast I have ever laid my eyes on (not to mention my mouth). I had chorizo and eggs scrambled with bell peppers. YUM!

We were then on our way to Sonoma, but before we crossed the beautiful Golden Gate bridge, we stopped for some postcard perfect pictures. We checked in at the Sonoma Valley Inn, and then off to Norm's party. It was a wonderful party, and Austin had an absolute ball. There was swimming, casino tables (where Austin learned to play Blackjack using chips of no real value), a bounce house, cotton candy, popcorn, a pinata, Mexican buffet for dinner, ping pong, etc. etc. We all had a wonderful time. We ended the evening with a lovely soak in the hot tub back at the hotel. Oh, and Aunt Jan and Uncle Ron even came out from Vegas to the party. It was lovely chatting with them and seeing them.

The following morning, it was already time to leave. We had breakfast with Aunt Jan and Uncle Ron at the local cafe, where I had the most superior biscuits and gravy on the entire PLANET. No, I was not lacking in good food this entire weekend. I don't think I tasted one thing that wasn't worthy of an A+ rating. We made our way down the coast in six hours flat and back to reality. My Dad was very sweet, very generous, and really enjoyed himself, as did Austin and I as well. This will be a trip we will not soon forget. Thanks for everything, Dad (and Papa Steve). We enjoyed our time with you.

Back to School

The boys in our school room!

Last week was our first week of school! This marks the 6th year of homeschooling for our family. Austin is now in 5th grade, Luke in 3rd, and Vance in 1st. We have a busy year ahead of us, as we chug along through math, spelling, poetry, language, penmanship, ancient history, life science, typing and reading. We will start the AWANA program at our church mid-September. This is always a highlight for the kids as they get to go to church Wednesday nights for Bible lessons, game time, and snacks with their friends! Dave and I will continue to serve as leaders in 2nd grade Sparks!

The second week of homeschooling marks the first week of "whining". They are always so excited to start, and that wears off REAL QUICK, as they realize that work really isn't all it's cracked up to be. Playing is just much more fun. But it is both my duty and delight to train these boys to be diligent hard workers, so that someday they will be excellent husbands and fathers themselves. Mind you, that is NOT an easy task. Three boys with all their wiggles, joking, distractions, etc.

So here's to days of diligent work for all of us in this family, including myself! I must also pray daily for wisdom, patience, strength, and joy as I begin this new school year. I am fully aware that I cannot do any of it in my own strength. What I can do is rely on God to get me through it! And to get through it ALIVE!!!!

By the way, as a footnote, I am so thankful for my newly designed (well semi-newly designed) school room, complete with built in countertops and workstations for each of us, and organized shelving in the closet. Thanks to my handy husband for making it all possible for us to be organized and comfortable as we school together!