New Years Wishes

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and peaceful New Year. May 2009 be the best year for you and your families.

Girls Night Out

Last night 6 of our girls met for a post Christmas, pre New Years dinner. It was a lot of fun! We drank a lot of wine, ate great food and even got gifts. I got picture coasters and two ornaments. We had a great time and left at 11:30 (5 hour dinner).

Rose Colored Glasses

I love looking at life through my rose colored glasses it makes everything look so bright & pretty. Actually it has finally stopped raining and the wind has stopped blowing so the 50 degrees is bearable, and quite beautiful. I love California!

A New Year . . .

I am so excited for 2009. This year has been such a great year looking back on it I have done so much. I am on my path to getting healthy (loosing 50 pounds in 7 months) this year I will loose the last 25 pounds. It is crazy for me to looks back at my older posts and pictures and look at myself. This year I need to get my anemia under control, I want to RUN a few more 5K races and I want to continue enjoying life and my family and friends and not sweat the small stuff.

I am thinking of a few more goal to set for 2009 and see how they come out. I want to do more blogging and get to Maine and Michigan this summer. I hope to do more traveling in the coming year. I have a trip planned to Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington so that will hold me over until Maine.

Here is me in Jan 08 Here is me in Aug 08

Merry Christmas

Another tradition that we have been doing for 20 years of Christmas' in California is having Christmas dinner at Chin's Restaurant. We look forward to this all of December. This year Pat and Joe came with us and the hole dinner Joe kept saying I sure like Cathy's homemade cooking best of all. I had to tell him I do not cook on Christmas so if he is going to come here for Christmas than he had better conform to our traditions.

Christmas Eve Gifts

As per tradition Christmas Eve is the time to open the first gift of Christmas. This year Wyatt opened a box filled with his favorite things Lottery scratchers. He had 2 that were winners and several that were losers, he didn't mind he just enjoys the process.

Bandit also had a Christmas Eve gift from Pookie (my parents cat). Bandit enjoys opening this gift every year. Bandit is a gift opening expert.

Ezekiel also got a gift of Organic catnip, something I have never given him before and boy did he love it! He was acting like a completely different cat.

December 23

As per our neighborhood tradition December 23 is left for luminaries and a neighborhood party. This year was special because the kids (boys) have moved from sitting in the back of the truck fillings bags with sand, to laying out the bags in the street to this year being able to light the candles. I think we may have created a few pyros. This had become one our favorite traditions.

North Pole needs a goverment bailout

Its true I witnessed it with my own eyes Santa was panhandling last night in down town San Diego. The North pole is broke and there will be no Christmas if the government doesn't give Santa a bailout. His financial plan is to give his elves a bonus, deliver gifts and spend the rest on booze.

San Diego Harbor Boat Parade

Last night I went down to Seaport Village with my friend Deidra to watch the boat parade. We left my house at 3:00 so we could park, shop and get a place to sit so we could see the boats. We came out of a shop at 4:15 and people were already lined up on the sea wall, sitting in their own chairs waiting for this parade that began at 5:30. We grab a spot because we don't want to miss it. Finally at 6:15 we don't see any boats with lights anywhere. We got up and walked down my the U.S.S. Midway there were boats decorated coming down the harbor. We figured out that the parade began further up the harbor and just took a while to get there. It was fun but we both got very cold.

I got caught kissing Santa.

Facebook is a wonderful thing

I am new to this Facebook thing but I am beginning to love it. I can find school mates or in this case the wonderful boy that brought me to California. Yup this is that adorable 13 month old that I nannied for for 2 years. He is all grown up, graduated from college and now in the Peace Corp living in Mozambique. WOW. Facebook is amazing!

Protect the Innocent

I was talking on the phone yesterday to a friend, I will call Jean. She was telling me that her favorite thing to do is to go shopping at thrift stores for specific items from a well know store. Jean purchases these gently loved items for $3 - 4.00 then goes to said store where customer service is great and they will gladly and innocently exchange gently used or worn all to shreds items for a store credit to replace these loved items. This is crazy JEAN! I talked to Jeans mentor and was told and I am quoting this person exactly " SHE LEARNED FROM THE BEST"

He loves it outside

We are so blessed to live her in Sothern California, Wyatt love to be outside on anything with wheels. After I took this shot I did make him put on his helmet, which I am starting to fine him myself if I catch him without it, if the Sherriff catch the kids it is $350.00 fine.

Our small tree

I decorated our tree this weekend, it is all beachy and cute. It didn't really feel like Christmas this past weekend but it sure is now, it is cold and rainy, NO SNOW. We will be going up to the snow so I can get my fix and the boys can snowboard. These are some cute little lighthouse decorations I found years ago, I just love them they go with our beach theme Christmas.

Ezekiel's Injury

Saturday afternoon I was holding Ezekiel and noticed blood on the bottom of his paw, he had apparently cut his pad outside. It was full of sand and dirt so I got out my handy bottle of peroxide and cleaned it (Lolly would have loved all the bubbling) He doesn't mind me cleaning him but God forbid someone else try to help him. Then I needed to put some neosporin and bandage his paw, this was much more difficult. I had never had to put a bandage on my animals. He is now confined to the house during the day and our bedroom at night, he likes to wake up Jeanne to let him out at night.

Happy Birthday Jeanne

Today is Jeanne's birthday she is doing great for being 18. I hope I am doing half as good as her when I am her age. I am going to make her my famous homemade chocolate cake (her favorite) for her special day.

What to do with decorations

Wyatt gets into decorating so much that he sometimes gets wrapped up in it.

Del Mar Holiday of Lights

One of the cool light displays

Surfing Santa

I took this one of myself driving through the tunell of lights

Lights reflecting on the hood of the car

We have so many wonderful traditions this time of year. This is one of my favorites. We load up our car and head to the Del Mar racetrack (no not to watch the horses) but to drive around the track and look at all the cool lights. Gone are the days when we use to drive around neighborhoods looking at homes with lights now we pay $15.00 for a car of 4 people and $19.00 for a car with 5 or more and God forbid you bring a bus, you'll be paying $49.00, and we drive around looking at the way cool lights. It is beautiful and it is now a tradition so we have to do it.

Today's 25 days picture

Last night I got my stuff together early and made up my gifts for all the teachers and staff at school, we all give each other little gifts. Early this morning Wyatt and I delievered them to everyone, Wyatt loves to play elf.

Alls he wants for Christmas

My boys never ask for anything but this year Wyatt really wants an I pod touch so he has to save up $200.00 then I would chip in the rest. He decided to ask Santa (no he does not believe in Santa, only the spirit of giving) for the money for Christmas.

Saturday Nights Party

I just got this picture from the party Saturday and had to share it with everyone. We had to eat purple (that is the color of Scrapbook Royalty) Now and Later candies then stick out our tongues, looks good with everyone dressed up.

Picture from yesterday

Wyatt loves to set up the nativity. This is my favorite of all three that we have. It took me 4 years to get all the pieces. Yes, my son is wearing a fleece lined sweatshirt it has been 60 degrees here and we are C-O-L-D!

Elena's 503(c)1 Holiday Party

Melanie, Gloria and myself

I just started volunteering with Scrapbook Royalty a non-profit (she just got it) organization that does a lot of fundraisers for organizations or families in need. It is crazy to think that scrapbookers can raise money but boy do they. It is a really neat organization that does a lot of good for so many I feel very privileged to be able to help out with them. This party was so nice, the food was great and it was a great celebration to honor a women who has worked so hard to help so many. Elena is so generous, she had gifts and treat for every guest and of course Santa was there as well and we all got to take home a picture with him, I

guess she didn't think that everyone we know always has their camera with then all the time.

December Nights

Friday night after school Wyatt and my friend Deidra and I went down to Balboa Park for December Nights. Thank goodness we stooped at Soup plantation to eat before we got there. We had to park at Petco Park, wait in line for 30 minutes just to pay for parking then take a bus to Balboa Park. It was so crowded! We were very excited to wait in the line to meet the Grinch, well I was. Wyatt is not a fan of line to anything. The Grinch was pretty much the only thing we did because of the VERY long lines, especially for the free admission into the museums. The food was like that of a carnival, long lines and fried, greasy expensive food. We did enjoy the lights and music. I think I was expecting it to be just the three of us and getting to do whatever we wanted. I love Balboa Park, even with the crowds.

Ezekiels ideal Thanksgiving

I just uploaded this picture and had to put it on here. While I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner Ezekeil came and brought me his own idea for dinner. Usually when he catches something he shows me then takes it to the front yard. Thanksgiving he showed me then layed it in front of my door looking oh so sweet. When I told him to get it out of there the looked so wounded, picked up the dead bird and sulked off to the front yard.

Tree Lighting at Horton Plaza

Last night Wyatt and I went to San Diego for some much needed holiday celebrations.Horton Plaza was having their tree lighting. It was really fun to see the kids play with the California snow a.k.a. blowing soap bubbles.

Only once in a GREAT while do I allow Wyatt to over indulge in junk food and last night was it! He ate a piece of See's Candy.

Some giant Phish Food ice cream cookie sundae thing from Ben and Jerry's, fortunately he could only eat less than half of it.

Then we went to Ghiradellis and he had yet another Peppermint Dark Chocolate sundae and couldn't eat it all either.

Finally on the way home the natural consequences hit him.

25 days until Christmas

Yesterday was the beginning of my 25 days to Christmas picture count down. Wyatt and I are the only ones excited about the picture thing. Last night Jeffrey and Wyatt decided to start hanging our Christmas lights, they look really great. They still have more to do tonight. I can't wait. I love this time of year everyone is so happy and kind, why can't we be that way all year long.