babysitting 101

so our dear friend, Jaedy asked Kortney and Kai to babysit for Ruby and Matt (our favorite california kids) on friday night.... and since we are all kinda a package deal.....

We may just have made the best dinner ever....

- Macaroni and Cheese (made extra cheesy)

- Hamburger Helper with crushed Cool Ranch Dorritos on top

- Tator Tots...

I don't know who was happier..... kids or adults.

 and Matt may have made me the best bed ever... he seriously spent an hour, straightening the blanket, folding the quilt, fluffing everything..... never slept so good...

and we may have made the best breakfast ever..

chorizo burritos...

all made while a 7:30 am dance party, dj'ed by Ruby was going on... 

 and maybe had one of our better Saturdays...

We had mani/pedi time

poor Ula got a bath (maybe not her favorite saturday)

and Ruby learned "spider style" for swinging -

it was a process, a very serious process....

kinda....

GOT it though!

lil photo shoot of the ladies......

rements of a lil water balloon after the lil water fight...

When Jaedy arrived home that afternoon, her family was confused about why these random people had just taken over her patio... I don't think they understood just how much fun babysitter's can have :)

one more time

So before Valecia becomes a Principal we thought it suitable for one more weekend of amazingness. She and Minor flew in on Wednesday morning and occupied the next two days with some beach fun while poor me sat at my desk being jealous that the beach was spending time with them and I wasn’t.

Thursday night, Minor went to bed and Valecia and I spent some quality time with our girl Crystal……

Friday we were off to meet us some Mickey -

There is no way I would let them go to Disneyland unattended.

Holy long lines this time around... I did get to go on Splash Mountain though. The line was 90 minutes long but if you go as a single rider you bypass the line and go straight to the front. Ten minutes, max. I am figuring this place out....!

I think we only went on about four rides – but Minor didn’t seem to notice.. we kept him busy with other things.

After I was finished Splash Mountain, Minor surprised me with my Mickey ears. He picked them out all by himself and they were of course…… Bride Mickey Ears - he told Valecia, "Mom, wouldn't Cari look so beautiful in these???" Oh Minor.... you are wonderful.  So Valecia and I walked around the Disney park for the rest of the day looking as though we might soon be headed to New York for our wedding ceremony.

A happy little family, Minor's two moms.

Then it was down to Newport for our regular weekend fun. It was one of Whitney’s last weekends in town as she is moving to Austin, Texas, so our baby beach turned in to a going away party for Miss Witness.

It was a good day… I even went out on the water – you know it’s a good day when…..

Next day, breakfast at Charlie’s Chili down at the pier……

and too tired to walk home, the group opted to wait for a cab.

Another great weekend, another great trip with my dear V and another sad Sunday when I head home alone.

going dutch

so after a bit of back and forth.... a bit of ups and downs... a few broken dreams... i finally have the final word on what seems to be a pretty good deal.

AMSTERDAM!!!!!!

I have received official confirmation I will leave for the Netherlands on the 15th of September.  I am planning a quick weekend retreat before I report to work on the 19th for a two-week work stint.  I am then going on a lil get-away for myself to a few places on my always-wanted-to-do list..  That list is changing by the day and will probably continue to do so until I actually set foot in any particular country. 

Dag Amsterdam!

Kan zelfs niet wachten om u te ontmoeten!

4th o july

It was off to Denver for yet another monthly visit with the dear sweet baleash. We went out with the regulars on Friday night followed by a mimosa brunh in the morning.

We had a big BBQ in the park on Saturday with V's entire family...  you can drink in the parks there... I guess maybe living in Utah for so long and then moving to CA where no drinking is allowed in public places it was weird for me to see a keg, shaded by the ol oak tree.  I said weird, i didn't say I didn't like it.

Valecia and I went and got manicures and pedis... Lets just say Special Nails was...... special. The gal who was doing my feet got up THREE - yep THREE different times to go to the bathroom and never once washed her hands..  While disgusting, V and I had a great time with it. A lady who was on her way out also thanked our little asian lady with a "Gracias!"  okay okay, so maybe Special Nails gave V and I some memorable moments... and maybe we will make it a tradition... we did have a pretty good time in there.

Then there was quality time with Minor..

Bike-riding, baseball, book reading, waffle making, nick jr., operation and jenga....

us trying to get an action shot - that boy is just too darn quick.

and pool playin.....  

Minor let me borrow his scuba gear but Valecia gave me the gift of bangs for the fourth - and we didn't want them getting wet....

 and our lil sea horse....

because I'm in love with them, they're so beautiful and cute, I'm in love with seahorses.

I love them. I love seashores, and I love looking at 'em, and I love seashells. I love seashell things. I love things with seashells and seahorses on 'em.

like blankets. and towels. and little bags. I love 'em.

seahorses. forever.

and v and minor are coming for their next weekend already on the 20th!