Can you feel the love? Love our friends!

This summer we have had the opportunity to spend time with many dear friends because vacation has allowed for summer travel.  I love when I end a weekend feeling the love from old friends and longing for the days when we all lived in the same city.

We went through a period several years ago where many friends moved away. It appears that we are hitting another phase of friends relocating.  This makes us sad, but happy for their new adventures.  This past weekend I had to say, "see you later" to one of my oldest friends. She was one of the very first people I met in 7th grade. We have so many great memories.  I hope that she will return to San Diego one day. Until then, I wish her and her family only the best on their new adventure in El Salvador.

It's your "good side", Ceci

Fun when high school friends get together.

The Simpsons are one amazing family. Mike is Sebe's equivalent to my Michelle. How lucky are we to both have such great people in our lives. Tammy and the boys came to visit and we got to spend one fun day together. Jakey was loving all the boy time. Can't wait to see them along with Mike during Spring Break. Yahoo!

Joey, Jakey, Eric and Alyssa
Joey was born 4 days after Lis

Joey, Jakey and Eric - Look how happy Jakey is with the boys.

The Howes' were in the house!  Fun day at the beach celebrating Melissa's birthday. Come back soon!

 Great picture, Mel.  Your new camera is amazing!

Alyssa attended USD soccer camp with her friends Maya and Sarah. What a great experience. Each night she came home and had so much to share about her day. All the girls loved it! They attended as commuter campers which means they arrived at 8:30 am and checked out at 7:30 pm, the only difference from the residential campers was they went home at night. They ate lunch and dinner in the dinning hall, got to swim and spend time in the lounges on campus.  The girls had a sleepover the night before their last day of camp and decided next year they are spending the night at camp. Let's see how they feel next year. Thanks Auntie Michelle for arranging!

Alyssa and Maya on the first day of camp

Sarah, MVP for her age group at camp, Lis and Maya
This threesome made it to the semi-finals in the 3v3

The girls with one of the counselors (the counselors were all USD soccer players)

Her words of wisdom to Lis as we were leaving camp, "Keep shooting the ball, you'll make it almost every time"  Thanks, Emily! Alyssa felt inspired when she left camp.

Alyssa only attended two camps this summer because she wanted some free time. I think she made great choices in her selections and enjoyed both weeks thoroughly. 

She spent one week at aquatics camp in Coronado with Sean. Love that these two spent so much time together by choice. Legoland several times, camp, hanging at home. This summer there was more love than hate with each other. They are growing up.

Aquatics camp friends. Nice photobomb, Jakey

Alyssa showed off her sailing skills on the last day of camp and took Jakey and I out for a spin

Spent the afternoon at the Strand. Jakey LOVES the beach! Fun times.

What are the chances of us showing up to dinner in coordinating outfits?

I LOVED to shop with my bestie and make a day of it when we were young, actually we still do,  guess Lis has also caught the shopping bug.  4 1/2 hours at Otay Ranch Mall with 4 of her girlfriends?!?!?!?!  It's NOT that big! Wow, I was ready to head home before they were. I found myself asking numerous times, ready to go girls? Want lunch girls? Their response...one more store. O.M.G.!!!

Oh Summer, you were amazing and good to us. I'm sad it's over, but grateful for all the wonderful memories. Until next year!

Summer Vacation

We just got back from a very relaxing trip to Arizona.  Spent one night in Phoenix to break up the drive. Our vacation started with Jakey losing his very first tooth. It's been loose for about a week. In the morning he took a bite of a blueberry muffin and casually asks me, "what's this?" Hand out with his tooth. He looks so old with his missing tooth.  He didn't put his tooth under the pillow at the hotel.  He decided to wait until we got home so the tooth fairy wouldn't mess up the pillows at the hotel. 

He looks so old with his missing tooth

Dinner at the Sugar Bowl

Yummy ice cream

We headed north to Flagstaff and spent several wonderful days in town.  Sebastian and I used to spend many long weekends there. It was our happy place. So much so we were married there.  We haven't been back in many years. After we pulled into town and saw the San Francisco Peaks we asked ourselves how on earth has it been so darn long.  It also made me start questing why we ever sold our house. We MUST go back soon. 

Jakey and Lis with Louie the Lumberjack outside the dome at NAU. I'm pretty certain I have the same picture when I was in sixth grade.
Fun to drive around campus and show the kids where I lived and had class.

The real reason we traveled to Flagstaff was to attend the wedding of Kaity Wigman. When I lived in Flag I spent many many hours at the Wigman home and with the entire Wigman family and extended family. They are an amazing family. People who are truly genuine, warm and honest.  After leaving Flagstaff I continued to visit and they welcomed Sebastian into their home just as they did for me.  I will be forever grateful for how wonderful they were to me.

 Kaity was in elementary school when I attended NAU. Can't believe she got married. I feel fortunate that we were invited to celebrate such a special day and it was amazing to spend time with those I knew when I lived in Flag.

Only a few pictures from the wedding because Sebastian's phone battery died early in the evening and then mine followed. Beautiful backyard wedding.  Sometimes when you attend weddings you walk away feeling like it completely represented who they were. This wedding did that indeed. Down to the mom of the bride cutting wedding cake and the bride helping to pass it out. Perfect night. 

Judy, mom of the bride. This picture is perfect.

The beautiful bride, Mrs. Kaity Childers

The balcony of the Hotel Weatherford. The place of our wedding reception. I wish I could find several pictures we have taken in this exact place over the years.

11 years later we have two beautiful children standing in the exact same place

   

Same table and location where we ate dinner at our wedding reception.  Only difference is this time it was almost 100 degrees out, on our wedding night it was more like 30 degrees.

Our wedding day 2-2-02 on the steps of the church

11 1/2 years later.......

we have two great kids.....

and a great family

Took a day trip to the Grand Canyon because I'm the only person in this family who has been.  Jake may have gotten more excited watching the overzealous squirrels. Those things are everywhere and not the least bit shy.