243: exploring SF in our last hours

Another gorgeous day in the city! We had a couple hours before we had to be at the airport so we took a little nature hike. How I'd like to come back to the city and rent bikes and bike around all this beauty!

242: jim works..i play!

This is me..taking on San Francisco! I'm not a big shopper and couldn't bare to spend my free time in stores, but I do love exploring! I love to put on my walking shoes and just get lost in a big city! I find the neatest things just walking along the streets.

1)The neat houses that make up the cities..some, nicer than others. Some with small, but nice yards.

2) Lombard Street..the 2nd most crookedest street in San Fran.

3) The xshot made many appearances in the city..if you look closely, there is a man taking a picture of me, taking a picture of myself on the trolley car.

4) Loved how colorful the houses were..this was near Haight and Asbury a very Hippie and colorful part of the city.

5) Fisherman's wharf and Hyde Pier

6) A trip wouldn't be complete without a pressed penny!

The Japanese Gardens in Golden Gate Park

 The Painted Ladies..famously known in our house as "The Full House" houses. Ryder still believes that the Tanner family still live there.

 I passed this store early in the morning, outside JapanTown and knew I had to come back when it opened! It's one of those prime examples of passing up great things when you're in a car. My favorite part of the store were the vintage letters. I bought a couple G's to add to my collection, but sadly, they didn't have any huge ones. Apparently G is a popular letter! 

Jim called me around 5 to tell me he was finished. Problem was, I was all the way in Golden Gate Park. No worries..I would just hop on a bus and find my way back to Union Square. That was an experience in and of itself. The BUS, during rush hour, in a big city..made for great people watching!

 After a nice dinner at a Thai/Asian Fusion restaurant, we took the Trolley down to Ghirardelli's for a sweet treat! 

{It was an overcast day and I didn't wear much sunscreen..hence, my red face!}

241: a quick get-away!

 Just thought this was a cool perspective!

I had the privilege of joining Jim in San Francisco for a few days. He had a conference and thought it would be fun if I tagged along. It took a lot of shuffling kids around and finding homes for them..{mom..I miss you!}, but once we got there, it was worth it. We had gorgeous weather. We even were able to drive across the bridge and check out my 1st leg of the Ragnar in Marin County. With temps. in the 100's at home, it was a very welcomed and pleasant change to wear jackets, sweaters, and boots!

240: phone conferencing

Our Ragnar race is coming up very quickly! We needed to have a meeting to tie up some loose ends and plan out a few things. However, several of our teammates live out of state or out of town. Leave it to our business pro Theresa to figure it out. Those who couldn't make the meeting, phoned in on a tele-conference. Another slight inconvenience, the volume was not loud enough on the phone. Quick thinking...problem solved. We grabbed some speakers and connected the phone to the speakers and viola!! 

I'm not sure how much we accomplished, but it felt important and official! I'm so not ready for this race and frankly, a little scared as I learned the legs of the race had changed once again. I now, somehow, have an 8.9 mile leg! All I can do is laugh. Don't quite know how that's going to happen, it might just end up being a nice long walk through Napa Valley for me!

239: jayden's 1st soccer game of the season

After a 2 year break, Jayden has decided he wanted to play soccer again. It was 100 degrees and I was sure they'd call the game due to heat. Nope..not in Temecula. These sports people are die hards and it would take a national disaster to call off a game. Despite the heat, these boys played their hearts out and won 3-2!

Way to go STRIKERS!

238: the right fit

I had to take Jim to work today..long story having to do with his bosses son..so I decided, while I'm down in San Diego, I would head over to Road Runners Sports. I needed a new pair of running shoes and I wanted to find a pair that was perfect for my feet. It was my first time to this place and for the relative non-runner that I am, it kinda made me excited to run. They measured my foot and then inputed measurements into a fancy computer. Then they video taped my feet as I was running on the treadmill to see how they landed and such. The computer then spit out this custom bio-sheet on my tootsies. It showed that I had high arches {of which I was well aware of}, but it also showed that my right foot pronated more than my left. Ideally, I should have 2 different shoes, but that's not going to happen. The printout then went to a sales associate who brought me out several pairs of shoes that would go with my foot type. I got to try them all on and run around the store and on the treadmill to see how I liked them. I was in this store for 3 hours! Funny thing..I left with 2 pairs of Asics..the shoes I normally buy {but a different fit and style}. I don't really enjoy running, but this store made me want to be a runner! Surprisingly, the shoes didn't cost a fortune either!

237: magnet prototypes

This has been one of those weeks where I have been out every night of the week, mostly with my church callings. Being as busy as I have been has not proven good for my potd. They have suffered! I just am going, going, going, and I forget to stop and take a picture of what I'm doing. So today, my picture is something that I worked on for our Relief Society President. She will be punching this sentiment out into a 2" circle and turning it into a magnet. It was for our annual Visiting Teaching conference.

236: Laurel's project

The girls I teach at church {Laurels} have wanted to learn how to make quilts so we have decided to have an ongoing quilt project in which we work on our own, personal quilts once a month. We introduced the project tonight by having them help tie, or in this case, sew on buttons to a baby quilt I made for our newest Laurel Advisor. I was a little shocked to find that many of these 16-18 year old girls didn't know how to sew a button! Where have we failed them? This is going to be a long project..hopefully our Seniors will finish before they graduate!

235: another tuesday outing

Tuesdays are turning out to be my 'mommy' field trip days! A couple friends asked if I wanted to come with them to Tai Pan and having no prior obligations {other than laundry..which can wait}, I joined them! I'm not surprised anymore how early stores begin selling holiday decor. I was let down with Tai Pan's weak selection this go around, but enjoyed another wonderful business lunch at BJ's with good friends.

234: night lights

The one thing I do not miss about our old home is: 1) the constant buzzing of these ridiculously bright lights! And 2) these ridiculously bright lights left on sometimes till 10:00 p.m.

And now, sad to say..I'm a part of this nonsense!

Sorry Theresa..{who still has to tolerate it!}

233: homemade jam

We picked up a bunch of raspberries at the swap meet yesterday at the farmers market...3 baskets for $1! A deal if I've ever seen one. The only thing, they needed to be used asap, so Sunday after church I decided to pull on my domestic strings and can some jam! I think this was only my 2nd time. The raspberry turned out great..the strawberry, it was a little runny. Maybe it'll just make good syrup! I'm turning into my mom more and more everyday, and now, it doesn't seem like such a bad thing!

232: oc marketplace aka: the swapmeet

The boys both agreed that we needed this cart in Catalina! Really? I just don't think it's big enough!

231: back to crafting

I was blog surfing and came across this cute craft HERE!

I was in need of a front door wreath to get me through till Fall/Halloween, and seeing as it still is very much summer and back to school time, I decided I needed to make it..and I did!
I'm so thankful for the thousands of talented women out there that share their stuff out in blogland!!

230: risky business

 I'm all about saving a buck! When Jenn told me she was going to hire an electrician to hang my old dining room fixture above her stairs, I told her, absolutely not! I can do it! It's not hard at all. That is, if you have a ladder, which we didn't!

The first picture doesn't look so bad..you can see I'm pushing my head against the ceiling for balance.

Then as you look down to the next picture...

You realize that I was balancing myself on this balance beam of a ledge with a 12-13 ft. drop in front of me. No biggie, right! Yes..I was sweating, but as you can see, the light is hung and it actually works and it only took about 20 minutes and several rests because my arms were getting so tired! Not bad for a couple of girls!

229: FINALLY!!!

After 2 months of fighting with our home warranty company about the microwave..I WON! We've been living without a microwave door, probably emitting all sorts of radiation into the air for the entire summer. I've never been so glad to see a repair man! So much so, I made him pose for my potd.

228: the joy of freedom

The art of the business lunch! 

I am so enjoying my days. If I feel inclined to drive down to San Diego and go to IKEA and Cheesecake Factory with my friend, I can!

 It's a beautiful thing. 

Someone snuck some lip gloss before this picture and that someone was not me!

227: literally strolling down memory lane

Skyler's football practice is right behind our old house! As I dropped him off, I decided to drive by our old home..our 1st home..I am SO GRATEFUL for incredible renters who love our home as much as we did and take such good care of it! We've had them for 3 years and feel so blessed. This home brings back so many wonderful memories!

(don't mind the bird poop on my window..I didn't really want to stalk the house and frame the perfect picture. I got what I got!)

226: weekly ritual

One thing I've learned about the school lunch..make as much as you can ahead of time. Every Sunday night, I line up my loaf of bread and start making all my pb&j's for the week. Then I plop them in the freezer and viola...I have a sandwich that also acts like their ice pack. Perfectly thawed out by lunch without having to remember to bring the ice pack home! 

Why do all kids hate crust? I think that crust is delicious..one of the best parts of the bread. It must be my mature palette. 

225: another beach day

Nice sand? It's no Hawaii or Caribbean!! It's lovely Oceanside. Very gloomy day at the beach today. The clouds never broke, so the most interesting potd I could muster up was my freshly painted toes being corrupted by black, filthy sand.

224: football battle wounds

I'm not really sure if this football thing is for me! First of all there are practices EVERY single night for the month of August! Second, I just looked at Skyler's body as he got out of the pool and gasped! Seriously..it looks like we beat him. He has bruises over every part of his body that doesn't have pads! I guess my protective mother instinct is to cringe and want to pull him out, but he assures me they don't hurt and not to freak out because he enjoys it. Well..I am freaking out and not really enjoying it!

223: so this is what people do...

I didn't really get to enjoy the first day of school like I was hoping. Had to wait for a plumber with a window of 10-1:00. Of course he showed up right at 1:00. That was o.k. because I had to put together the girls camp dvd for mutual that night which entailed going through nearly 450 pictures..so today, Thursday, I joined a couple friends for lunch and a much needed and much loved pedicure! I'm loving not rushing to kindergarten pick-up!!

222: first day of school

My baby's first day of ALL DAY school! 

{that smile was a permanent fixture on my face all day!}

 FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

The happiest day on earth! Although I was a little peeved that we were starting so dang early, as I dropped the wee ones off, realizing that Ryder is now ALL DAY, I couldn't help but shout for joy! Oh...the list of things I will accomplish! It's a win-win for all of us!

Ryder = 1st grade

Jayden = 4th grade

Skyler= 7th grade

221: school supplies

I had to borrow this one from last year..I couldn't believe the war zone that was Wal-mart tonight. The shelves were ransacked and  I couldn't find anything I needed. I think that would have been the better picture but seriously, I was getting so claustrophobic and irritated with individuals trying to take their entire cart down a row of mass people. Is there any etiquette? What am I thinking...it's Wal-mart!

220: happy 14th anniversary to us!

Monday is probably one of the least romantic days of the week. Life doesn't stop just because you're having a special day. Skyler still had football practice all night. Jayden and Ryder had their ice cream social at school to find out their teachers. We made the most of what we had. We went to a fun movie, filled up with junk food, then raced to get to Rite Aid before they closed for ice cream {we had 3 minutes to spare}. 14 years have gone so fast! I still pinch myself because I am the luckiest girl in the world!! 

{wish I had the xshot..instead I had to balance it on a wiggly chair..so, blurred it is!}

219: fun with the ipad

I woke up earlier than normal so I decided to lay in bed and play with my ipad. One of my favorite apps is my InStyle hairstyler. I have some great ones of Jim but I have been forbidden to leak any of the pictures onto my blog for fear of blackmail! Just think Halle Berry or Jennifer Aniston, or Rhianna. This is just a shot of the process. I was actually playing with photo booth too..hence the funky tunnel-like picture.

218: ward beach party

Our ward had it's end of the year beach party today! It was a glorious day in the sun with tons of our friends. We had a bonfire at night and despite being shark week and us watching several near death experiences on t.v. and also watching over and over Soul Surfer, 2 of my 3 boys decided to go boogie boarding in the dark. I think that Ryder just may be the surfer of the group! He is a fish and has literally NO FEAR of the water!

217: part 2

A few of my great friends couldn't make it to my party so naturally we had to have a make-up party! We dined on yummy Thai food and went to see Crazy Stupid Love, then topped it all off at Yogurt Island. Sadly, when you give your camera to the inexperienced cashier, you get blurry! It is what it is!

Thanks girls for another fun night! My birthday can now be officially over!

216: yw boating trip to perris

We took the YW on a boating trip to Lake Perris today! This was an activity that almost didn't come to pass. It's amazing how you can have everything planned out then, at the last minute, things start falling apart. What I learned from this experience..NEVER buy a boat. Every one we had lined up ended up having broken boats! Fortunately, we only had 13 of our nearly 40 girls. So 1 boat fit us perfectly!

215: middle school registration

7th grade, ready or not, here we come! We got Sky's schedule and he had the same teacher for 3 classes. Not hearing very good things about said teacher from various parents, I promptly sent an email off to the principal, and what do you know, it actually worked! He got a schedule change! Still has the teacher, just not 3 times!

214: beach essentials

This is a pretty common site at the beach. My bag..with all the essential elements for a good day!

213: and so it begins!

Skyler has decided to take a break from soccer and try football. Today started "hell" week..which actually lasts a month so I don't know why they don't call it hell month! He has practice everyday from 6:25-8:30 p.m., and rarely do they finish at 8:30. Am I ready for this commitment? I think not!