Vacation, Bishop Style

Our friends Christine and Jonathan just emailed us these pictures from our vacation last Thanksgiving. We had so much fun, spending four days outside of Bishop in a cabin (the girls called the cabin "The Cabinet"). Much of our journey consisted of enjoying the great outdoors. We spent a lot of time on trails, four-wheel driving into the back country. I took everyone to see the infamous "waterfall in a cave" in Buttermilk, which was just as beautiful as I had remembered. (It took me forever to find!) We even found a few patches of snow for the girls to play in, and visited the Bristlecone Pine forest. Lots of fun!




























Also, our dog Sophie came along (Acer, too old and crabby, vacationed in Havasu with my parents' pugs, Noel and Peggy Sue.) Sophie's boyfriend is Christine and Jonathan's dog Chip, proving that size doesn't matter...only the love in your heart. Hee hee!

Where Does the Time Go?

When you have kids, everyone says the same thing.

"It'll go by really fast."

But...gosh. You think that people just say that to remind you to enjoy each minute. You think that they're just saying it to help you through those stressed out days, when children draw on the walls or spill glue in the carpet. But they're saying it because one minute you're in the hospital, learning how to bundle a baby, burrito style, and the next minute you've got five-year olds!

The two pictures above are proof. Not long ago, the gals were babies in their bassinet (picture 1), or three-year olds on my lap for Valentine's day hugs (picture 2). Now...well, I'm scared to blink, because they'll be ten! Sixteen! Thirty! Where does the time go?

Meggie and E-Man

My niece and nephew, Megan and Ian, are such huge blessings in my life. I remember when my sister had Megan; I was an overworked college student living in Huntington Beach, newly married and finishing my teaching credential. Danielle was taking some classes at Orange Coast College at the time, so she'd drop little Megan off with me. Megan was only about 18 months old, but I used to crave those visits. I would take her to the grocery store and pretend she was mine. We'd buy balloons and stuff to make cookies and go back to my place to make a big mess. She used to call me "Da". Now, I am affectionately known as Auntie, and she still likes coming over to my house to make crafts. She is wonderful with Emma and Grace, and they adore her. The only reason Emma won't let me cut her hair into a bob is that she wants it "long, like Rapunzel and Megan."

Ian is the sweetest, most sensitive boy we know. He likes hanging out at our house in general. Ian also loves to tell the girls "tall tales". For example, they say things like, "Ian said if you save a sea shell long enough, it'll turn into a sand dollar" or "Ian says that Santa goes to all houses...even the bad kids' houses!" To Emma and Grace, Ian is the guru of all that is knowledge. They have a hard time believing me if Ian says something is true. He's older...he knows things!

I am so lucky to be an auntie who lives nearby. I told Danielle and Jason that I will probably torture the kids once they go to Murrieta Valley High School. Can you imagine? "Megan! Hiiiiiiiiii! It's AUUNNNNNNTIE!" Although I must say that I was doing AVID interviews the other day at the middle school, and I saw Megan. She not only talked to me, but hugged me tightly in front of all of her friends. Maybe I'm only dreaming, but I don't think she'll ever pass up an Auntie hug, even if it is when she's in high school.