Big Bear

The kids had Monday off for Yom Kippur we we had a long weekend and we were able to spend it with friends in Big Bear (THANKS Frank & Dawn & family!).

Miss M went up on Saturday with Tessa and family.

D and I stayed home for TWebb's 40th "totally radical" 80's party (pictures coming soon).

We headed up Sunday morning.

(Devon stayed home with Grammie & Grampie - sick :o(

We arrived around noon.

We missed go-karting and kayaking.

We went down the Alpine Slides.

You could go pretty darn fast!

Then GLOW bowling at the bowling barn!

Showing off my 80's dance moves from the night before.

Then we went zip-lining.

Here are the girls in their harnesses.

Our whole gang in front of the spectacular view.

Couldn't have BEEN prettier.

79 degrees.

GLORIOUS!

Miss M zippin'

Me. I have never done this before. FUN!!!

D zippin'. It was his first time too!

What a GREAT weekend! Too short... but definitely worth it! Wished all the kids could've been there to enjoy it.

xo

Goodbye Jade

Jade is off to Africa.

Check out his blog at http://jordan.maslyn.us/kenya/.

We went out to a "farewell" dinner at Flamingos.

Grampie was out of town and Ellen was at a concert, so it was a small celebratory crowd.

Miss M had her 8th grade health project baby, Deliah, with her and Deliah had a meltdown in the middle of the restaurant... this caused her 8th grade 'Mommy' to have a bit of a meltdown too. We recovered fairly quickly though and had a fine dinner.

"Uncle" Jade kissing Deliah

Jade & Grammie

Jade, Miss M, and baby Deliah

Jade & licensed driver Deevs

Jade & Mom

Jade & Dad

Goodbye Jade.

We will be praying for you: that God's will be done in your life and in your trip!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

Miss M's Silliness

Let's not leave out Miss M.

She had a bunch of friends over to the house on Friday after school.

They hung out for several hours and then went to church together to the Jr. high event "The 3" (every 3rd friday for 3 hours and 3 dollars).

Killing time, they apparently had LOADS of silly (bored?) fun on the Mac.

Why didn't they have this stuff when WE were kids???????

Deevs Silly YouTube - Let It Shine

Another youtube video lurking around - this one made by Deevs who is silly (and maybe a little bored??).

Lando & Carson - HEARTLESS

This is old, but when I came across it again on you tube, I thought it deserved a home on our blog.

Here are Lando & Carson (2 members of Brothers at Sea) covering Kanye West's "Heartless".

Lando Singing "He Is"

Lando came down this weekend because he was singing at church (we will take him any way we can get him!!!)

Enjoy.

Driving Mr. Deevs

It was just a little over 6 short months ago that Deevs took his driver's permit test and passed and started learning to drive and chauffeuring us around.

Now, as of September 14, 2009, we have a new officially licensed driver driving HIMSELF (alone) across the roads of CA.

Deevs passed his Behind-the-wheel test!

VA Sara Family Lunch

Jade went to Virginia to visit his girlfriend Sara, whom you may remember he met on our recent family vacation to Washington DC & Manhattan (on our brief interlude in Virginia when we visited Monticello & Willliamsburg). Then she came HERE for 10 days to visit Jade, see California, and meet the Fam.

She stayed with Elle and met most of us piece by piece however, we wanted to make sure she got to participate in one of our world famous family dinners. However, our schedules just couldn't seem to make it work, so instead, we had a not-so-famous family lunch. No Grammie's spaghetti - sadly - but we're no slouches in the CA hospitality department, we DID get to share a unique & delectable CA treat:

In-N-Out.

('Course everyone is trying to be stinkin' vegetarians, so they ate in-n-out "burgers" with no meat... a sacrilege, I tell you!)

Everybody got to bring a friend:

Jade & Sara

Miss M & Mary Kate

Lando & Em

Deevs & Xbox (Katie was not able to come - she had family day too)

Enjoying the calories - animal style

D & Sons

Mom & Uncle Drew

Dad & Grammie

Back 2 School (09)

Can it be "back to school" already?

Summer has come to a close and it's back to the books.

I am grateful summer was a little longer hold-out than in years past... we got to go back on the 10th rather than the usual 2nd or 3rd.

Heck, I'll take every extra day I can get!

We made our traditional first day of school breakfast of Orange rolls.

This was a strange year.

No Jade.

No Lando (we should have made them waaaaayy back in August for Lando, the morning he left for college).

Deevs at 3.

Miss M ate 1.

Huh.

Times, they are a-changin'.

Deevs had his first day at a new school as a sophomore. But he has been playing football all Summer, so he was already fairly well adjusted & didn't seem that nervous on the first day.

He was supposed to have his driver's license already but ended up not being able to get it as soon as he had hoped, so I got to drive him!!! Woo hoo!!! (Although, by the time I have gotten around to writing this on day 3 of school, he got his license and drove himself for the first time TODAY - more on THAT later!).

He was not real, super into having photos taken ~ haha~

Miss M and Kens on the first day of 8th grade... not longer nervous little "Sevi's".

Not nearly as shy about picture taking as last year. Hamming in up!

Here's to hoping for a GREAT year!!!!!!!!!!!