Flying by

Summer sure is flying by fast.  It has been a pretty quiet summer in our house this year.  I have to say that when it first started I was bummed that the kids wouldn't get to get out and do many activites (ie: swimming lessons, sports, movies, etc) but now that August is here, I'm pretty glad it's been a lazy summer. 

We have enjoyed a few things.  The older two boys made it up to Redding for a few days to visit their cousins from Idaho and Grandpa and Grandma.  Nic had a Summer Camp to prepare him for Kindergarten.  He absolutely loved it and thrived!  He can't wait for Kindergarten now!!  The boys enjoyed a weekend with Papa while Joel and I celebrated our 13th Anniversary in Reno and another weekend the David and Connor went camping at Bodega Bay with my parents and some cousins as well. 

We became members of the Oakland Zoo and enjoyed time gazing at the animals.  We took our bikes to Golden Gate Park and had a fantastic ride with my parents for the day finishing it up with pizza at Goat Hill Pizza and a beautiful drive over the Golden Gate Bridge.  David and I both had birthdays.  He turned 12 and me...well, who really needs to know that anyway, right?

My Dad took Nic to an Oakland A's game one day too.  They had a great time.  Nic LOVED having Papa all to himself and according to my Dad, he ate, and ate, and ate. 

And lastly, Joel and my Dad were part of the filming for the new Brad Pitt movie Moneyball.  They were filming at the Oakland Coliseum.  What an experience! 

School starts for the kids in three weeks.  David will be in 7th grade, Connor 5th, and Nicholas starts Kindergarten.  And in two weeks Joel and I are headed back to college to take a few classes ourselves.  I have a feeling that this fall will be pretty crazy with all five of us in school, plus Joel traveling with work. 

So I'm choosing to enjoy each lazy day and the slow pace we have all fallen into.

Cowboys

Last weekend was the 92nd Annual Livermore Rodeo. 

  
It was the first time that we went to part of it after living here for over 3 years.  We have wanted to go, but it's quite expensive.  But on Thursday, the first night of the events, it was Family Free Night.  So, when our friend Pat invited us to go with her and her daughter Hannah we jumped on the chance. 

 Now granted it wasn't the full rodeo, no Bull Riding (which the boys were seriously disappointed about) or Barrel Racing but we did get to see some Team Roping,

 

 

  Wild Cow Milking 

and the Diablo Ladies Drill Team.

 It was fun had by all.

Love my boys!

 









 My word he is handsome!

Umm...I thought we lived in the city

I thought we lived in the city.  Apparently I was wrong you know with there being a Farm around the corner and Squirrels in our yard and all.  But now we find out that there are wild turkeys that live up the hill from us.  (And I'm not talking about the four that live with me.)  REAL turkeys. They were running all over people's yards and one even got on a roof and just stayed there.  I didn't have the camera handy at the time but will keep my eyes open for them again.  Maybe we will make a trip up the hill to find them. 

Squirrel!

We have figured out we don't live in this house alone.  Well, maybe I should say we share this yard.  We have a "family" of squirrels that have made our yard their own.  It has been fun to watch them every day.  In our last house I would leave nuts and fruit on the fence for the squirrels that ran across it multiple times a day.  But they hardly ever came IN our yard, unlike these squirrels.  They are silly squirrels or maybe it's just that we have never seen them act this way around us.  They love to play and chase each other.  And my goodness they are fast.  Not just running, but they have hops.  Almost like they are on a trampoline or something.  We have seen as many as five at one time!  AMAZING!

Farmin'

Our new house is near a farm...

A small one, but a farm none the less...

 Not much to look at or do, but feeding the sheep and one horse was fun enough for our bunch.

This is Mr. Ed (Well that's at least what we named him)

It's nice to know that these city folks can walk around the corner and be at the farm.

Did I tell you?

I think it totally slipped my mind to share with you what Connor got to do for his birthday in November.  We had season passes to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom this last year and on his birthday Connor wanted to go to Six Flags.  We just LOVE Six Flags.  The animals, the rides, the endless cotton candy. 

One thing we do every time is go to Odin's Show.  Odin is the famous swimming Bengal Tiger. 

Check out those teeth!!

Now if you know anything about tigers, they DO NOT like to swim unless they have to.  But this tiger actually enjoys it.  So while we were at the Odin show Connor got the chance to feed one of the other White Bengal Cubs.  He was so excited.  David was extremly jealous due to his infatuation with tigers.  Nic just wanted the stuffed tiger that Connor got.

Talk about a memorable birthday! 

A Day in the life of Boys

Santa, here is my Christmas List...