The Jesters

Belated Birthday Post

2012-01-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post some pictures from my birthday for a while now. It is, after all, one of the best days of the year! I was showered all day with phone calls, cards, e-mails, and Facebook messages from people saying they were happy I was born. What's not to love? :)

Also, Dan woke me up with some gorgeous flowers, which I took to work so I could enjoy them all day.

They smelled amazing, and the bouquet got even prettier as all those buds opened up.

Since my birthday was on a Wednesday, we went out to dinner by the beach & had a low-key, relaxing evening. It was perfect! We tried the Firehouse Restaurant in our neighborhood, which shares a building with a firehouse (go figure)

Dan ordered this dainty morsel of halibut

And I got this enormous platter of fish tacos, chips, & beans. :)

And of course no birthday is complete without ColdStone's ice cream!!

Over the weekend, I got to celebrate with friends, too. My friend Cynthia took me to the Aubrey Rose Tea Room in La Mesa for a formal afternoon tea. It was really girly & we had the best time enjoying the ambiance and sampling all the teas & foods. I've read countless historical fiction books set in Victorian England, but this was the first time I've experienced a real "tea time" for myself.

I loved all their personal touches & the pretty decor.

Cynthia & I had three flavors of tea with plenty of cream and sugar. Some of the tea tasted like dessert by the time we doctored it up. :) We also ordered a three-tiered platter of delicious foods. The bottom layer was sandwiches & pastries, the middle layer was fresh fruit, and the top layer was an assortment of desserts. Everything was sample-sized so it didn't look like much food, but we were full by the end!

As a sidenote, while I was sipping tea with my pinkie in the air, Dan went trail biking. He underestimated a downhill slope and ended up flying off his bike! Thank God he had his helmet on, but he's pretty sure he was knocked out for a little while after he hit the ground! After the world stopped spinning, he was able to bike back home sporting a bloody knee, an swollen hand, and a lump on his head. Men ... *sigh* He's been forced to rest for the past few weeks, since he can't play hockey with an injured wrist/hand.

That night, we met one of my old coworkers from Denver, Bob, at the Brigantine in Del Mar. He was in town for a company sponsored event, and it was great to catch up with him! (Sorry the picture turned out so blurry - my camera battery was on its last leg and the lighting was low.)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that we're well into 2012 already! We celebrated New Year's Eve with our friends, Dave and Cynthia, and their daughters, Olivia and Kailey. It was especially exciting to visit their house since it was Kailey's first week home ever! She's had surgeries on her heart and esophagus and other related procedures since her birth day. That little girl has been through more in her 4 months of life than most of us adults have! But God has blessed her and she's doing really well at home. We're so thankful!

As opposed to most nights (ha!) we were not wild party animals on New Year's Eve. We drank sparkling cider and watched the ball drop at 9 pm, which is midnight in NYC. :) But we had a blast catching up with Dave & Cynthia and playing with the girls, and then we headed home at about 10. I'm not too crazy about driving late at night on New Year's Eve, anyway, when there's a good chance of drunk drivers on the road.

Dave & Cynthia, ready to ring in 2012!

Dave & Kailey were happy to sit back and enjoy the live entertainment

Which consisted of Dan & Olivia teaming up to torment their cat, Kobie, with a red piece of yarn. They'd shake it in front of him until he went crazy.

And then Olivia would run in circles around the kitchen to get Kobie to chase the yarn. It only worked sometimes for Kobie, but it successfully wore Olivia out for bedtime. :)

Olivia went to bed before 9:00, but Kailey was right in the middle of our party after the New Year's countdown in Times Square

Dan & I are toasting Kailey's milk (she has a feeding tube for now, since her esophagus is still healing). Happy 1st New Year, Kailey! We're so happy you're home!

And while we're on the subject of babies coming home, we got to meet Chris and Adessa's two-day-old baby, Owen, on Friday night! We drove up to Anaheim for the Ducks vs. NY Islanders game that night. Chris, Adessa, & Owen had just gotten home from the hospital that afternoon, so we bribed them to let us come over by bringing them dinner before we headed to the game.

Owen is so tiny & sweet! He was really alert when we were visiting, so we hope he slept for a good long time that night.

Brand-new dad & mom, Chris & Adessa! Congratulations, guys!

Then we headed to the hockey game, where I had the worst seats in the arena. Seriously, this was my view, and Dan's wasn't much better. And they didn't even warn us that the seats had an obstructed view when we bought tickets. Bad form, Anaheim! The game wasn't sold out, so we moved down a few rows after the 1st period, which was a lot better.

Despite our support for the Islanders, they lost their lead during the 2nd period and the Ducks won 4-2.

And in other news, Dan & I have been making strides towards some New Year's goals. I'm hoping to run another half marathon this year - hopefully in March if I can build up my mileage that quickly, but if not, I'll try for a summertime race. I got a new pair of running shoes from my parents for Christmas and dug my older shoes out of my closet. They'll become walking shoes - one pair to keep at work and one pair for home. Dan thinks it's hilarious that I have three pairs of the exact same shoes, but I hear it's good to buy new shoes every year, and I'm afraid if I change styles I won't like them as well.

We also bought a recumbent bike for Dan! He watches hours of hockey every week on TV, and his New Year's resolution is to work out during the games. It took us 1.5 hours to assemble this baby, but it was well worth it.

This bike was perfect - reasonably priced (at Costco) and it's super quiet, so he doesn't have to crank up the TV volume at all. It also has a book shelf, so I can read while I ride it. So far we both love it!

Christmas Part 2 - in Williamsburg

2011-12-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

We spent the second half of our Christmas trip with Dan's family in Williamsburg, VA. The weather was great - sunny and mid-60s, which is a far cry from last year when the east coast got so much snow our flight was delayed for 2 days! We appreciated the warmer weather, especially the evening we spent outside at Busch Garden's Christmas Town. We had a great time with Dan's family as always, playing games, eating great food, and just enjoying time together.

The nice weather was also perfect for Dad J's Christmas gift: a new shed! One man built the entire thing, and it took him a day and a half - Dad stayed outside with him most of the time to make sure he did it right. :) Dad teaches woodworking to our nephews who are homeschooled, so the shed will also double as his classroom a couple of days a week.

Robin bought tickets to Busch Garden's Christmas Town on Friday night for the whole family. It's become a fun annual tradition to spend one of our evenings there!

Benjamin and Dan stuck together while we walked around the park and rode rides

And Nathan and I buddied up. He's a daredevil on rollercoasters - a man after my own heart!

Tim, Dan, Nathan, and I are in the 2nd to last row on the "Battering Ram"

Benjamin and Nathan rode the hang gliders

Grandma and Aaron rode, too!

Christmas Town is best at night, when the lights come alive and music fills the air.

We wanted to eat dinner at Das Festhaus, which has indoor seating and a show, but the line was insanely long! So we settled for pretzel sandwiches and pizzas under the cold night sky before riding our last ride and seeing our last show of the night.

On Saturday morning, Dan and I drove to Fredericksburg to meet my brother, Steve, for breakfast. He was in Washington DC preparing for a job fair, which is only 2.5 hours from Williamsburg, so we agreed to meet in the middle. It was great to see him during the holidays, even if it was only for a couple of hours!

When we got back to the Jesters' house, Benjamin and Nathan's Christmas Eve gingerbread houses were being built and decorated with tons of candy!

We went to Christmas Eve service at church, and then ate dinner at Peking Chinese Buffet. Pete, Joyce, Christina, and Kimberly King were able to join us, too.

So much good food!!

We went to church on Sunday morning, then met back at the Jesters' house to exchange Christmas gifts.

Then the men got to work helping to assemble the new toys.

Nathan got a Lite-Brite cube! Four times the fun!

And Benjamin got this awesome pirate ship! The pool table was the perfect "ocean" to sail it on.

Aaron's favorite gift was a microphone that made you sound like an elf.

Later that evening, the Kings and the Baileys joined us for dinner, more gifts, and group games. Aaron and Nathan serenaded everyone with the sweet, soothing music of their accordion and harmonica duet. A match made in heaven. haha!

Mom J. and Mrs. Bailey

Christina, Joyce, and Kimberly King

Siblings Dan, Robin, and Tim

Our nephews Benjamin, Aaron, and Nathan, looking sharp in their Christmas Eve service outfits. They're expecting another little brother in March, and we can't wait to come back to meet him!

Christmas Part 1 - in Fort Worth

2011-12-28T12:00:00.001-08:00

Keeping with tradition, Dan & I traveled coast-to-coast last week (from CA to TX to VA) so we could see both our families. It's exhausting, but well worth it since we love seeing everyone at Christmastime! We were able to spend 4.5 days with my family in Fort Worth celebrating in less traditional ways since Paul is in a rehab facility recovering from surgery again. He had been living with my parents, getting his strength back and focusing on pain management after having spine surgery this summer. But a couple of weeks ago, he slipped and fell in the bathroom and fractured a bone in his pelvis. He had pins inserted to hold the bone in place and has been in a 24/7 rehab center since then. We're all praying that he'll continue to mend, get back on his feet, and be back at home soon! It was hard on all of us that he couldn't leave the facility even for a few hours (Medicare will refuse to continue to pay for his treatment if he "releases" himself by even stepping out the door). But it was the best kind of circumstance in which to remember our Savior's miraculous birth, perfect life, and sacrificial death for our sins because of God's great love for us! We know we're not left alone to deal with hard times, and because of our faith in Jesus, we can turn to our Heavenly Father who is our comforter and source of strength. I'm so thankful that Paul is a believer, and his faith in God has been an example to all of us.

It also didn't feel like a typical Christmas in TX because my younger brother, Steve, was in Washington DC preparing for a big job fair and five interviews. He hopes to be hired as a philosophy professor at a university next year, and this was one of his best opportunities to interview without having to travel to multiple locations. We missed him lots, and my mom & I sent him a box full of homemade Christmas goodies so he could enjoy a taste of the holidays on the east coast!

The rehab center was nicely decorated for Christmas and all the staff members we met were so sweet. It was nice knowing that Paul was being well cared for, although of course he wished he was at home!

He had physical therapy every day from 9 am - 11 am, so Dan and I would bring him some of his favorite fast food for lunch & then spend most of the afternoons with him. We brought his laptop and passed the time checking e-mails, showing him funny videos on YouTube, and watching movies.

My cousins, Tricia and Jeff, invited us over on Sunday afternoon to visit them and see their new house, which they recently bought and completely remodeled. They did an amazing (and fast) job! If we ever decide to buy a house that needs remodeling, we're hiring them out! The picture above from L to R: Emily, Tricia, Jeff, Kolby, Addi, Aunt Jane, my mom, Dan and Laura in the front. Tricia and Jeff's son Jackson was there, too, but he was probably playing outside when I took this photo.

The very best part about that picture is Addi, who is pretending to be a cougar. hahaha!

Me and my cool cousins, Tricia and Emily

After our time at Tricia and Jeff's house, we went to a candlelight service at my parents' church. Some of their friends told us about the amazing Christmas lights at the Pier One corporate building in downtown Fort Worth, so we drove there to see them. They had completely coated the trees on their property in different colored lights. It was just beautiful!

Well done, Pier One!

We had an early "Christmas day" at the rehab center on Monday, where we opened all our gifts together. I love calendars! I foresee more trips in 2012!

Paul got some video games to play while he's on the mend.

My dad got wireless headphones so he can turn the TV volume up as loud as he wants without driving my mom crazy. haha :)

And my mom got cozy Crocs and a mug with a hat to keep her drink warm.

Family Christmas Photo 2011

On Tuesday night, our aunts, uncles, & cousins on my mom's side of the family came to the rehab center to spend some time with Paul before we went to dinner at a BBQ restaurant. I love this picture of Remy & Addi!

And I finally got a picture of Jackson! He's a wild one! :)

Tricia is never happier than when her arms are full of babies. Especially Laura and Tucker.

I love that my extended family makes a point to celebrate Christmas together every year!

Then we had one more morning on Wednesday to spend with my parents & Paul before we flew to Virginia to see Dan's family for "Christmas Part 2 - in Williamsburg"!

The Best Friends Are Live-In Friends

2011-12-14T21:44:00.000-08:00

(I'm catching up on December events, so scroll down to read about Dan's birthday weekend, too!)

We got to host our friends, Dave & Cynthia, their daughter Olivia, and their cat Kobie for a couple of nights while they had work done at their house. We had talked about how we hoped we'd get to see them before Christmas, and voilà! Wish granted! :)

We loved spending time with this sweetheart. She's so much fun to play with and she's growing up at an unbelievable pace!

Cynthia created Kobie's Luxury Suite in our living room. He had food, a warm bed, and a litter box all on a cozy blanket with colorful walls to give him privacy. So naturally he spent most of his time hiding under our guest bed with the storage boxes and dust bunnies. Fortunately he has flashlights for eyes.

Dave's birthday was on Wednesday, and Cynthia fixed a delicious dinner with incredibly rich chocolate mousse cups for dessert. Olivia was already asleep by dessert time, so we whisper-sang "Happy Birthday" to Dave and lit a pink candle for him. Because you know, real men wear pink and all that. :)

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

2011-12-14T20:22:00.000-08:00

...Dan's birthday!! His birthday was December 1st and I got the perfect gift for him this year. He's recently discovered a progressive rock band he loves called Dream Theater, and he listens to their albums all the time. So when I saw that they were playing a concert in downtown San Diego on his birthday, I had to buy tickets! I even managed to surprise Dan (not an easy feat), and he absolutely loved the concert! The musicians are amazing technically, and you could tell that the audience was made up of long-time fans (i.e., we were rocking out with a bunch of middle-aged men). :)

It was a blast and definitely a favorite birthday memory!

The birthday week menu consisted of all the free meals we could get by signing up on restaurant e-mail lists!

Over the weekend, we drove up to Anaheim to visit our friends, Chris & Adessa.

Instead of going straight home from Anaheim, we wanted to go somewhere to see Christmas decorations and kick off the holiday season. We were not disappointed by the awesomely over-decorated Mission Inn in Riverside! Get a load of all those lights on their palm trees!

And they had glowing horse-drawn carriages so you could live out your princess fantasy, like this man.

I loved all the lights on orange trees - only in Southern California! And yes, that is an elf sitting on a cannon. I assume he's responsible for the children on Santa's "naughty" list.

Despite all the kitschy decorations on the outside, the Mission Inn was surprisingly classy on the inside

They had life-sized animatronics figures all over the hotel, too. (okay, maybe "classy" wasn't the right word)

A view of the back side of the Mission Inn from Riverside's cute shopping square

By the time we left, we were fully in the Christmas spirit. Mission accomplished!

The Three States of Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this Thanksgiving because we got to combine our favorite things: Travel + Family Time! We flew to Williamsburg, VA to visit Dan's family, and also squeezed in a couple of road trips & hockey games while we were on the east coast. Dan has a "bucket list" goal of seeing a game at every NHL arena, so we try to get to at least one new arena each year. Yes, we're a little crazy, but we both love having a reason to travel around the country.

We flew to VA Monday night on a red-eye, which was awful. I knew it would be before we even booked the flight, but the cheaper price and getting to VA almost a whole day earlier was too tempting. I slept for about an hour face-planted on my tray table, and woke up needing a chiropractor. Dan slept just a little longer than I did on the plane, so as soon as we got to his parents' house on Tuesday morning, we went straight to bed for about 3 hours. I thought for sure we'd get sick from the lack of sleep, but God was good to us.

Once we were awake again, we visited Colonial Williamsburg to walk around. Seeing the beautiful fall leaves made me realize how much I miss them!

The Fife & Drums were playing at CW that night! It's a group of boys & girls ages 10-18 who play military music, and they're extremely talented!

This is where Dan needed some serious caffeine (and maybe a shot of something stronger) before we went country line dancing at a bar with Dan's sister, Robin, and some of her friends. Which is hilarious if you know any of Dan's New York born-and-bred family. I probably had the best time in the group since I actually like country music and grew up with Texans and who cares if I'm an incredibly bad dancer? I did keep a good distance between myself and the next person so I wouldn't collide when I made all the wrong moves.

On Wednesday, we met Robin for lunch before Dan & I drove down to Raleigh, NC for our first hockey game.

Dan & Robin the Line Dancer :)

We visited the Feliciano family in Raleigh, who are the Jesters' long-time friends from Long Island, NY. Mr. Feliciano made an amazing dinner and we enjoyed catching up with them and meeting the newest member of their family.

Then we went to the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens game!

We cheered for the home team, but the Canadiens won in overtime.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Jesters filled their house to the brim with family, friends, and food.

Everyone is full & happy. There were countless side dishes, and all of them were delicious! Fortunately, there were plenty of leftovers for us to enjoy later on.

After dinner, a few of us took a walk along the trail that runs behind the Jesters' house. It was a pretty day, and it felt good to move after all that eating!

Dan's cousins Jon & Carrie and their kids on the trail, & Robin taking a picture in the background

Dylan got to run off some of his energy, then it was time to go back for dessert and games!

After one of the busiest days of the year, this is how Mom J. spent the rest of the evening. Haha! Okay, she was just finishing off the sparkling cider, but this picture is EPIC.

On Friday, Dan & I rented a matchbox car and drove to Washington DC for our 2nd hockey game. The traffic wasn't bad at all, and since we got there earlier than we anticipated, we spent an hour taking a whirlwind driving tour of The Mall.

Occupy DC was in full effect

Dan illegally "paused" to take a picture of me in front of the Capital.

Then we met my cousin Kim, her husband Jay, & their boys, Campbell and Cael, for lunch in Old Town Alexandria. It was our first time meeting Cael, and we loved spending some time with their family while we were in the neighborhood!

After lunch, we walked around the Alexandria streets, soaking in the quaint atmosphere.

Lots of cobblestones, old brick houses and shops, and real gas lamps. I wish we had more time to actually go in some of the stores, but hopefully we'll get the chance another time!

We headed back to downtown DC for the Capitals vs. NY Rangers game.

As a life-long NY Islanders fan, Dan is by default a Rangers-hater. But the Capitals just couldn't pull it together and they lost 3-6.

After the game, we couldn't resist staying an extra couple of hours to see the buildings lit up at night. DC is such a beautiful city with amazing history. We hope we can take another trip there soon to spend a few days.

I know I saw the White House when I was a kid, but apparently it didn't make as big an impact on me as the memorials. So Dan & I walked there from the arena so I could see it again for the first time. :)

We drove by most of the famous buildings, but made a quick stop to go inside the Jefferson Memorial. This honor was bestowed upon Jefferson because he alone had the foresight to demand a parking lot at his memorial. Parking in DC is one of those amazing feats that other people have clearly accomplished, but you cannot figure out how they managed it. They must've gotten there at 4 a.m. like those crazy Black Friday shoppers.

But I digress. Here's a view of the Washington Memorial from the steps of the Jefferson Memorial.

And here's a picture of Dan looking like a giant in our car rental. :)

I have to tip my hat to DC, because it is one of the few places I've ever seen Dan get lost. He has an incredible sense of direction (it's God's way of balancing the fact that He gave me no sense of direction), but he was no match for DC's one-way streets in the dark. Since you will probably never experience it first-hand, I'll describe this unique phenomenon. Instead of driving more slowly and cautiously while trying to get his bearings, Dan drives faster to minimize any time lost. He now depends solely on his peripheral vision and Spidey-senses to see the road and traffic in front of him because he's looking all other directions, taking in landmarks & reading street signs at the speed of light. The act of merging or *heaven forbid* stopping in front of him is treated as a direct assault and his priority becomes getting our car ahead of the offending party. If the space is too small, Dan moves solid objects with his mind a split second before driving through. We hit nothing. No one honks. And then, we are somehow on the right road heading the right direction, our time in The Matrix nothing but a faint memory. And we drive back to the Jesters' house.

On our last day, we hung out with Robin in her apt. for a while before meeting Dan's folks at Friendly's ice cream parlor. Ice cream parlors don't exist in San Diego, but they should. Large establishments dedicated to fried food and ice cream should be impartially available to everyone.

My meal of choice: chocolate ice cream brownie sundae

Dan's meal of choice: French fries and a chocolate shake

We love making memories with some of our favorite people!

Family Visit & A Rainy Wedding Day

2011-11-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

Dan's parents came to visit us last week! We both got a day off for Veteran's Day, so they planned their trip around our long weekend. We love any chance we get to spend time with them since they live across the country in VA. Since we'll be traveling soon for the holidays, we decided to stay home and enjoy some R&R instead of taking a road trip like we often do on holiday weekends. We fixed dinner together at home in the evenings and played games until bedtime. It was perfect because we got to spend more quality time with Mom & Dad and also because Dan caught a cold mid-week and it was better for him to take it easy and get plenty of sleep.
Even though we worked most of the week, Mom & Dad drove to our companies and treated us to lunch. When they came to my work, I took them to my favorite lunch place, Abbey's BBQ.

And Dan took them to his favorite place by his work, In-N-Out. Any excuse to go there is a good excuse for him, since I won't go. I don't like fast food hamburgers in general or In-N-Out french fries in particular, and that's all they serve. Most people like their food, so I *may* be the weird one.

While I'm on the subject of food, we went to breakfast one morning at The Broken Yolk, and they have a 12-egg omlet that they challenge anyone to eat within one hour and it's on the house. We sat next to a table with THREE military guys who decided to try it! On a pizza-sized platter: 12 eggs scrambled with cheese, topped with chili and more cheese, a huge load of hashbrowns, and two gigantic biscuits. Needless to say, their table was completely covered with food. Plus they ordered sodas and alcohol, too. None of them even came close to finishing, of course, but we got some good laughs watching them try. :)

Our one major outing during Mom & Dad's visit was an afternoon at SeaWorld. We all have annual passes, and it was a fun way to spend our Saturday.

In front of the SeaWorld Christmas tree

Dan's parents got a photo with a couple of our nephews' favorite celebrities :)

We saw all the shows. They had really impoved the dolphin show since the last time we saw it in May. The photo shows a guy jet-skiing on the backs of two dolphins!

We went to several animal exhibits, too.

The ghostly Beluga Whales

And Mom & Dad treated Dan & I to a delicious meal at the Cheesecake Factory. My favorite!

On the Saturday during the Jesters' visit, we were planning to attend our church friends' (James & Corrine's) beachside wedding. Unfortunately, Saturday was one of the rainiest days we've seen in San Diego! It poured non-stop, and we knew that James & Corrine didn't have a back-up location, so we bundled up, drove over there, and wondered "What do you do when you plan an outdoor wedding and it's raining?" The answer is: "Buy some umbrellas and get hitched!"

The beautiful bride

I love seeing the groom's face when his bride is walking towards him!

Saying "I Do"

More people showed up than we were expecting to see, but I'm sure more friends would've come if the weather had been nice. Some guests still went all out with their outfits (dresses, high heels, etc.), but I'll bet they weren't nearly as warm & dry as we were! ha!

Shelter Island 5K

2011-11-14T12:15:00.000-08:00

It's become an annual tradition for some of my coworkers and I to run the Shelter Island 5K in November. The course is super flat and runs through a cute section of Point Loma and along the waterfront, which is gorgeous first thing in the morning. The last mile and a half is an out-and-back, where you run straight to a turnaround point then run back the way you came until you cross the finish line. I like this part of the course, because you can distract yourself during the last painful mile by looking for your friends as they pass by on the other side of the street, or cheer on strangers who look like they need some motivation. And the best part of the event is the delicious breakfast buffet at Humphrey's on the Bay afterwards! At other races, you're lucky to get a PowerBar at the end.

I tried talking Dan into running it this year, but he decided to stay away from the site where hundreds of crazy people run nowhere in particular with bibs on at the crack of dawn. He advises everyone else to follow his example for their own safety. :) I did talk my new coworker, Fatima, into joining the group, though! She's a swimmer and a yogi, so this was the first time she had trained for a run. She enjoyed it so much, she's trying to talk me into running another 5K with her in January. Look out, I've created a monster!

The group in the parking lot for registration: Fatima, Sammy, me, Rudy, Janeece, and Michelle

Just about to start the race! We were joined by an ex-coworker, Erin, and her son, Chase. It was great to see her again! Rudy isn't in this picture because he was starting at the very front of the race. He's lightening fast and finished 3rd in his age division!

5Ks are FUN! Especially after running a half marathon!

Scooby Doo!

2011-10-31T16:11:00.001-07:00

My company had its first costume contest this year for Halloween. Tons of people dressed up, but my department was the only one with a theme. Everyone thought it was awesome & I'll bet next year there are other departments who coordinate their costumes, too. The first place prize went to a lady who dressed up as "Cousin It." There's no winning against someone who's dressed in head-to-toe hair. But we had lots of fun! :)

My coworker, Fatima, and I coordinated everything. The guys said "As long as you bring the clothes, we'll wear them." Note our awesome outfit-shoe coordination.

Left to right: Fatima (Velma), Doug (Shaggy), Adam (Scooby Doo), Me (Daphne), and our boss Ralph (Fred)

Animal Watching & Apple Picking

2011-10-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

We've had a couple of fun-filled weekends recently. My company is great about hosting annual events like our summer picnic for employees and their families. This year, our picnic was at the San Diego Zoo! They rented out the private party area and had food, animal presentations, and activities for the kids. They also gave everyone a day pass to the zoo so we could explore for the rest of the day. I got to the zoo early to help some coworkers at registration.

Here are some photos of the gorgeous animals the trainers brought to our picnic area. (These pictures were taken by someone else with our company camera)

After we had eaten & seen some of the animals, Dan & I spent the rest of the afternoon with my coworker, Fatima, and her family.

The weather was perfect and we got to see the entire zoo by way of guided bus tour, which normally costs extra but was included in our company package for that day. The San Diego Zoo is huge and we're usually exhausted from walking around the park for hours, so riding the bus & seeing the major sights in 40 minutes felt like a treat!

This past weekend, we had another first experience - apple picking! We drove to a little mountain town called Julian with our friends, Paul & Ann and their son Eli. Julian is well-known for their apple orchards and fresh apple pies, jellies, candy, etc. We had heard about their fall apple harvesting season, so we jumped at the chance to join Paul & Ann when they mentioned they were going apple picking.

The apples were tiny, but crisp & delicious!

Since we went late in the season, we had to search pretty hard for good apples. Many of the trees had been picked over and what was left on the branches was beginning to rot. It was like a treasure hunt, but it paid off in the end.

Eli picked his first apple!

And then he held onto it the whole day.

Getting there...it took us longer than we expected to fill our bag!

A few of the apple trees had pretty fall colors

Ann, Paul & Eli

After we left the orchard, we hit some horse-and-carriage traffic on our way back into Julian

There were more horse-drawn carriages in town, including this tiny pony cart!
We walked for a while around Julian's main street & shops

And then finished the day with freshly baked apple pie - of course!

Mmmmm... apple caramel crumb pie

The whole group outside Mom's, the best apple pie in town!

Team Kailey

2011-10-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we met our friends Dave, Cynthia, & Olivia at SeaWorld for the "Shamu & You" fundraising walk to benefit Rady Children's Hospital. Dave & Cynthia's youngest daughter, Kailey, had to undergo heart surgery when she was just one and a half months old. She's thankfully recovering very well because of God's amazing grace and the excellent care she received at Children's, and is currently awaiting another surgery to repair her esophagus. We were excited to form "Team Kailey" and represent her at the walk!

Team Kailey (left to right): Cynthia, Dave, Katie, Dan, me, and big sister Olivia in front

Sweet Kailey

We wore signs saying "I'm walking for Kailey," and we got a nice shout-out from the announcer at the start line! The walk was SO crowded that it was slow going a lot of the time. It was great to see so many people supporting Children's, but man, they had us packed tight!

SeaWorld brought out some animals for the kids to meet along the way. The highlight for Olivia was meeting Pete the penguin!

She also met this llama, whose name we didn't get because she was less than thrilled about getting too close to him. (He freaked me out a little, too, I'm not going to lie.)

Finishing up the one-mile walk. There was another path that continued for 3 more miles, which we opted out of because we were starving!

Afterwards, we ate a hearty breakfast at the Broken Yolk. Dan stood no chance whatsoever against that smile & those flirty eyes. :)

We love this family! Please keep Kailey in your prayers! We hope next year we can do the walk with her, too!

As a sidenote, this was Dan's first event with a "race bib." He's now rocking a personal best time of 1 hour and 15 minutes for a 1 mile race. I told him he might want to work on his pace a little. Ha!

Get On Your Boots!

2011-09-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

Get on your boots and cowboy hat...

It's Dan's first rodeo!

We went to the Poway Rodeo this weekend, and it was so. much. fun. It never occurred to me that anyone had gone their whole lives without seeing a rodeo - much less my husband! So when I heard the rodeo was in town, it became Priority Number One. It was kind of like Dan's shock when he learned I had never been to a circus before we got married (which we rectified at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus a few years ago).

There's something refreshing about watching people who work with horses as a profession. It's easy to forget that not long ago, everyone had horses because they were our primary source of transportation. And now tons of people live their whole lives without ever seeing one except on TV. Dan didn't know what to expect, and he was surprised at how fun it was to watch the rodeo contests. The thing I like about it is that all the skills demonstrated are practical skills for a cowboy or rancher. They're not just showing off "tricks" to entertain the crowd - well, except for bull riding. That's clearly just a pissing contest. :)

They had lots of fun events to watch, and I didn't bother getting pictures of everything since our camera + low lighting + movement = really blurry pictures. A couple of things they had at this rodeo that I hadn't seen before were Mexican riders on dancing horses who performed during a Mariachi song, and a contest for kids (ages 4-6) riding bareback sheep. Most of the kids didn't stay on for more than 2 seconds, and I'm pretty sure they all got stepped on by their sheep after they fell off. But they bounced right back up afterwards, confirming my theory that children are made of rubber.

Here are some of the photos I did take that turned out pretty clearly.

Some rodeo ladies marched in formation to patriotic songs to kick off the show

They got right to the action with bronco riding! Some riders rode bareback and others with saddles. Many of them made it until the buzzer went off, so then it became a contest of points earned from their technique.

They had calf roping & tying, which made Dan feel sorry for the calves. They got jerked & thrown around by the cowboys for a few seconds, but they all bounced up and ran away afterwards like nothing had happened. (children = rubber)

And some of them were quick enough to get away from the lasso. (Be free, baby cow!!)

They had ladies' barrel racing, where they raced to a barrel and made a tight turn around it before racing to the next barrel. I remember watching my cousin Tricia compete in this event as a teenager.

And of course - bull riding! I was happy to see that they make the riders wear helmets & chest protection now. It was cool to watch the "clowns" in action, too. As soon as the rider got thrown, they were in the bull's face, distracting him from trying to trample or gore the rider. Hardly any of the riders made it till the buzzer went off, so the ones who did were pretty much guaranteed to win money.

Dan looking a little nervous during the bull riding

One of the victorious bulls. They probably have their own contest going in the bullpen to see who can throw their rider the fastest. Or the farthest. :)

Although Dan didn't turn into a cowboy overnight, he said the rodeo was a lot more fun than he expected! If you haven't been to a rodeo before, you should go! It's well worth it!

The Great Southern CA Blackout of 2011

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

You may have heard about it last week, but western Arizona and southern California experienced a massive blackout last Thursday (9/8) when a high power line was knocked out. It was a huge mess! All of San Diego's power went out at around 3:40 that day, and once people realized the extent of the outage, companies started sending their employees home. The problem was that all the traffic lights were out, no one could pump gas, phone lines were out of service, and the cell phone towers were too busy to get a call to go through. Plus, the first game of the NFL season was that night and no.one.could.watch.it. It was straight from a horror movie, people!

I had to wait at work for an extra hour until traffic died down a little (my car overheats in stop-and-go traffic), but I was so thankful that Dan & I already had enough gas to get home from work! It took us each about an hour to drive home and we saw plenty of people in accidents or stranded without gas on the way. The police & firefighters were of course overwhelmed, so they said to resolve any accidents among yourselves unless there were injuries. They warned us to not expect power for 24-48 hours since the outage was so extensive. All the public schools announced closures the next day, and so did Dan's school. I'm sure many people had a very rough night, but I know God was watching over our city since I didn't hear of any related deaths or too many issues with vandalism or violence that night.

When we got home, our house was really hot, so we opened our windows and went for a bike ride to see how people were faring. Everyone was outside & enjoying the last light we'd see for the day. It was so crowded it looked like a holiday weekend on the beach.

Once it got dark, almost the only lights you saw were headlights from cars. This intersection is the busiest in our neighborhood & is usually all lit up at night. You can just make out the reflective vest of the traffic guard in the middle of the intersection.

I know you can hardly see it, but this bar was completely full of people sitting in the pitch dark, drinking beer. Maybe the beer was half price since their refrigerator wasn't working, but we didn't stop to check.

Then we saw the Beacon Of Light. The Vons grocery store had an emergency generator & still had lights on! We rode over there to check it out and this is what we saw. A line of people wrapped around the front of the building waiting to get in to buy supplies & food at the only functioning store in the area.

They had Vons bouncers at the door who were only letting in a few customers at a time, because let's face it, I can easily see a fight breaking out over the last flashlight & pack of batteries.

We made it home safely and decided in retrospect that it wasn't our best idea ever to go biking in the dark of night when the rules of the road are suspended and everyone is feeling panicky. We broke out all our decorative candles, pulled out our flashlights and camping lanterns, turned on the battery operated radio, and enjoyed a (slightly) quieter night than usual. Although it was hot in our bedroom and I hate to sweat while I sleep.

I woke up at 1:30 a.m. to go to the bathroom, and as I was walking back to bed, I saw Dan's alarm clock flashing! My first thought was "YESSS! The power's on! I can turn on the A/C!!" and my second thought was "Aw man, I'm going to have to go to work tomorrow." :)

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

There's been plenty going on this past month, but I've been forgetting to carrying my camera around recently. The camera came back out for my mom's family reunion during Labor Day weekend, though. We flew to TX and spent most of the weekend at the Ranch House, where we've established fun annual traditions like playing an evening game of whiffleball. Playing during the day was not an option since TX has been beating records with two months of over 100-degree weather. They had a "cool spell" while we were there, where the high was around 98, I think. *gack*

The family playing whiffleball in the Ranch House backyard

Aunt Margaret is fully ready to get Addi out, nevermind that she's 6 years old. Addi was definitely most improved player of the year, getting to base every time she batted!

Jackson getting some coaching from Uncle Brian.

Kolby taking off Flash-Gordon-style.

Baby Tucker isn't sure what he thinks of whiffleball quite yet. He will reserve his final opinion until next year.

We played until you couldn't see the ball anymore. The sky was looking pretty as we went inside.

The friendly competition continued with "Catch Phrase" once we got indoors. The hardest part about the game is that when you get the disk, you have to make yourself heard over everyone else who's still laughing, making fun of the last person who went, asking whose turn it is because they can't hear, etc. If you pretend you're making an announcement to 100 kindergarteners in a gymnasium, you'll be fine.

And finally a late night game of One-Bounce. Everyone is demonstrating their best swing.

The next day, we started early on the "big meal" of the weekend. Tricia and Remy made delicious hand-made flour tortillas!

Mom working on fajita toppings

Emily and Addi made the most.amazing.peanut.butter.ice.cream.ever.

Cookies in their finest form. I *may* have OD'ed on cookie dough that day.

While the kitchen elves slaved away, others caught bugs

And chatted (wait, wasn't she just in the kitchen?)

And cuddled. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

It was a great meal! I'm pretty sure I see "food coma" in Dan & Paul's eyes.

Some extended family joined us for the afternoon and evening, and we even got them involved in whiffleball that night.

Dan & I flew home on Monday evening, and after work on Tuesday we headed to the Padres vs. Giants game. Sorry the picture is so dark, but Dan couldn't keep from blinking with the flash turned on.

I won these tickets at work, and they were great seats right behind 3rd base! We loved sitting so close to the action and getting to see the little details you miss when you're in the nosebleed section. Like this guy's batting stance. Cracked me up every time he came up to bat! The Padres stayed with the Giants through about the 6th inning, then it was pretty clear that the Giants were going to win. We left during the 8th inning since it was getting late on a school night and we just can't hang like we used to.

Joy and Sorrow

2011-07-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

This past month has felt like an emotional roller coaster for Dan and I. There's been a lot of grief, but always intertwined with love, thankfulness, and joy. Dan and I rarely travel separately, but last weekend he flew to Williamsburg, VA to visit his family, and specifically his Aunt Irene, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last Thanksgiving. Her health seemed to stabilize for a while as she underwent treatment, but in the past month it was clear that she was quickly declining. Dan hoped that he'd be able to spend time with her when he flew to VA last Thursday, but God called her home the Tuesday before he arrived. Aunt Irene was a follower of Christ, and her family saw Him work in her life to simultaneously soften and strengthen her even as her body was failing. We're thankful that she's with God and free from pain, although we'll miss having this special woman in our lives. Dan was there for her memorial service and said it was a blessing to spend time with his extended family and others who loved Aunt Irene.

While Dan was in VA, I spent the weekend in Ft. Worth, TX to visit my family, and specifically my brother Paul, who was diagnosed with cancer in his spine earlier this month. Our family has been through the gamut of despair and hope as the doctors have explored Paul's treatment options. The great news is that he's receiving care from specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas who have treated similar cases. I don't think that any of them has met someone like Paul, who thrived for 32 years after having cancer in his brain at age 4. Most children with the type of cancer Paul had didn't live to adulthood or experience the rich life he's lived. Paul's had surgery to remove part of the tumor in his spine, and true to form, he's recovering better and more quickly than the doctors expected. (Now you know why my younger brother, Steve, and I are so crazy - we had an older brother who's a walking miracle and always exceeds expectations! Ha!) He'll heal for a few weeks before starting radiation/chemo, which we're praying will eradicate the rest of the tumor without damaging the nerves in his spine.

Since my parents retired in Ft. Worth, visiting their house is a new & fun experience. All our extended family also lives in TX, so we had visitors every day, which was so fun! Kind of a sporadic family reunion. Our families are really close, and we could definitely feel the love from all sides!

Obviously pictures weren't the main focus of our visits, but here are a few anyway.

Dan and Aunt Irene last Christmas in Williamsburg

One of my favorite guys in the world, who is teaching me a lot about faith in the Lord when the rubber meets the road. We'd all appreciate your prayers for Paul as he heals and continues treatment!

Me and my parents at their new house. They've mostly settled in, but my mom and I did a little shopping for furniture and found places to hang pictures on the walls. I like how my dad is using my mom and I to give himself an amazing hourglass figure in this picture. Well played, Dad. :)

Steve was there, too, and this is the only picture I took of him all weekend. Dan & I & my mom pitched in to buy him new shoes for his birthday, and they were apparently more important than his face. Heh. Sorry, Steve! :)

4th of July Fun

2011-07-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

We were thankful to have a 3-day weekend to celebrate Independence Day. I got a free ticket to a Padres game because I ran in the Rock n Roll half marathon, so we took advantage of it and chose seats closer to the field than usual. You got a lot more action from the mascots and vendors down there! As opposed to our usual seats where our noses bleed from the altitude and the view is sometimes obstructed by low flying clouds. I was hoping for a ball to come flying our way (my fool-proof plan was to hit the deck while screaming "CATCH THE BALL!!" to Dan), but alas, I had no opportunity to exercise such brilliance. But we did get on the fan camera! They were doing one of those "pick the hat that has the prize in it" games right by our section, and you better believe we were jumping up and yelling in the background! Soaking in those 5 seconds of fame, baby!

As you can see, there was hardly anyone at the game that night. Apparently, we only make it on camera when there are slim pickings. :)

Dan's favorite part of going to a baseball game - tripling up on hot dogs. gross.

A very large Petco cat drunkenly danced through "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

Speaking of very large cats, we met our friends Chris & Judy and their sons Ian and Jon at the zoo on Friday evening! We'd never been there at nighttime, and we saw a lot more activity from the animals as the day got cooler. This is the closest I'd ever been to a lion before, and man, I was glad about that tall fence. Of course the fence provides zero protection from his "7-10 foot spray"! Fortunately, he decided not to mark us as his territory.

This mountain lion looked hungry and was slowly pacing back and forth, looking right into our eyes. You didn't need to speak his language to know exactly what he was thinking.

It was so fun to spend the evening with these cute guys. I tried to get Jon's attention, but there were elephants behind me that he was saying hi to.

Ian was the best guide - he knew exactly which animals were around every corner and all the best places to stop & play along the way.

Hopefully he ran off a lot of energy and slept well that night!

Great company in a fun setting!

On Saturday, we helped our friends Kat and Burton paint a room in their newly purchased condo. For some reason, they weren't fans of the original baby blue color. :)

We work for cheap!

And on the 4th, Kat and Burton came to our house along with my co-worker Sammy to have dinner, play games and walk to the bay to watch the SeaWorld fireworks. It was a great weekend!

Celebrating in Florida

2011-06-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

My parents will celebrate their 40th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, they asked Paul, Steve, Dan & I to reserve a week this summer to spend as a family on the gulf coast of Florida. Um, let me think about that ... YES!!! So right after the Campbell family reunion ended, we all flew to Tampa where we rented a minivan and drove to our condo on Indian Shores, just north of St. Petersburg. We had the most relaxing, fun week! The weather was in the 90s and sunny every day, and we stayed right on the beach and enjoyed swimming in & walking along the ocean every day. I have the best family in the world, and we love spending time together no matter what we're doing. I posted tons of photos below, so you can see for yourself.

There was something magical about waking up to this view every morning.

And the harbor was just across the street from us, with restaurants and shops.
We enjoyed a lot of long walks on the beach.

And gorgeous sunsets

40 years later & still in love!

We like each other alright, too. :)

We played lots of games in the evenings, but once Dan showed Steve how to play "Dominion" online, we just about lost the two of them for the rest of the week. Now that we're all back home, they still find each other online and play.

Most of our breakfasts & lunches were at the condo, but we did a lot of eating out for dinner.

Fact: Dan goes crazy if he's forced to be a passenger. After two days, he decided it was worth it to pay the extra charge to be able to drive our rental van.

We spent an evening in St. Petersburg to see the sights and go to dinner & a movie downtown. Dan & I bought that cute purse for my mom as an early birthday present. The strap on her old one broke mid-week, so it gave us the perfect gift idea.

A beautiful banyan tree near the St. Petersburg bay

Looking across the bay

The St. Petersburg Pier is behind us on the left

Steve's fiancee, Sheila, flew down to spend a couple of days with us, too! It was great to spend time with her, and we went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure while she was with us.

Ready for a day of fun!

I'm glad Dan & I aren't the only cheesy ones in the family. heh.

We rode one of the best rides in the park, the Jurassic Park ride, and got soaking wet! We were wringing our shirts out for the next hour and of course we all looked like we had wet our pants. classy.

Then we moved on to the newest section of the park - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! It was really well done.

Standing in front of Hogwarts! There was an incredible simulator-type ride inside Hogwarts that took you on a virtual adventure with the Harry Potter characters. It was half 3-D movie and half roller coaster - can you say "sensory overload"? It twisted you from side to side nonstop & tipped you onto your back several times. Most of us could hardly walk by the time we got off. My mom had to close her eyes through the whole thing so she wouldn't puke! So fair warning if you get motion sick, but it's a really cool ride otherwise! I'd like to ride it again, but I probably need a year before my stomach can handle it.

After that ride, we did a lot of sitting. :) I think Sheila & Paul handled all the roller coasters okay, but Steve almost had to be carried out.

The Hogwarts Express

How cool is this? I could've just hung out in Hogsmeade village all day.

There was a cute show in Ollivander's wand shop where a kid got to try out all the wrong wands & make magical explosions with them before getting the right one.

Stopping inside the Three Broomsticks tavern

Tasting a butterbeer (it was okay)

Side story where Steve's worst nightmare comes true: For the rest of the day, we were on a quest to find fun things to do that wouldn't unsettle our stomachs again. We watched all the shows, ate dinner, and only rode the kiddie rides. Except our last ride of the day was an innocent-looking Cat in the Hat ride that was actually a teacup ride on a track that you couldn't control! We all hate teacup rides and never saw that coming! You sat in a 3-person car that sped along a track, taking you through a life-sized version of the Cat in the Hat storybook. But every time you got to a new "page" of the story, it would spin you around and around before shooting you off to the next section! Steve spent the whole ride yelling "NOOOOOOOOO!! Let me offfffffff!" like he was being tortured. :)

The next day, while Mom, Dad, Paul, and Steve took Sheila to the airport, Dan and I rented a scooter and visited Fort DeSoto.

We saw the outer walls and cannons

But we couldn't walk across the top of the fort *sad face*

The ranger in the visitor center completely ignored us

An aerial photo of the fort

Our last night in Florida, we took Mom & Dad out to dinner at Crabby Bill's to celebrate Father's Day and Mom's birthday early. There was a little bit of a wait to be seated, but fortunately there was a nasty gator head to entertain us.

We did our hair and wore something besides our bathing suits. Take a picture!

The food was really good! Mostly fried of course, but really good!

And we followed dinner with an ice cream cake to make the celebration official.

Happy Birthday & Happy Father's Day!

Side story where Debby's worst nightmare comes true: Our last afternoon was spent swimming happily in the ocean, when suddenly I saw fins! They were pretty far away, but it is not cool to see fins when you're up to your neck in the ocean. I calmly and quietly (yeah right) directed Dan's attention to them but we saw them again just seconds later and it was clearly a couple of dolphins swimming by. That is beautiful and cool, but there is a rule that if I'm swimming in the ocean, nothing else is allowed to. haha! Relieved, I went back to paddling around until I looked at the people fishing 12 feet from us who had just caught a SHARK. It was small (maybe 8-10 inches long) but WHO CARES. And then, the unthinkable happened and they threw it back in the water. I'm pretty sure my legs moved so fast I was actually skimming across the surface of the water back to the beach. It was a modern day fear-inspired miracle. Thank you, fishermen, for allowing the infant monster an opportunity to grow up and eat your children someday. You only have yourselves to blame.

I kid you not, they caught the half sized version of this. I wouldn't even go in the swimming pool after this, so I'm glad it was our last day!

After we dropped Steve off at the airport the next morning, the rest of us drove to the Greek-influenced town of Tarpon Springs to shop for souvenirs until we needed to be back at the airport.

They have tasty Greek food & cute bakeries

At the end of the week - we were all relaxed, happy, and possibly a little bit tanner (okay, maybe not)

Campbell Family Reunion

2011-06-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

I feel extra blessed to have extended families on both sides who love to get together for reunions. It's difficult to schedule a time that works for most of us, and everyone has to deal with the cost & hassle of traveling, but the end result is so much fun! This month, my dad's side of the family met at the Ranch House in TX for a long weekend. The Ranch House was built by my Uncle Brian & Aunt Margaret on my mom's side, and they generously offered to let us use it for the Campbell family get-together (thank you guys!). In the past, we've rented condos from a vacation resort and we all agreed that we LOVED having everyone together in the same house instead of splitting up into different units. This way, we got to eat every meal together and when something fun was going on anywhere in the house, we all knew about it and could join in. The weather was warm and sunny so we spent plenty of time outdoors, too. We also took an excursion to the nearby town of Waxahatchie to eat dinner at a catfish restaurant.

The weekend was full of catching up with each other's lives, playing games, eating good food, and lots of laughter. I love how much we enjoy spending time together despite the fact that we live all over the country. We're planning to have a Campbell family reunion every other summer, and I'm already looking forward to the next one!

When my family got to the area, we visited Waxahatchie to look around and make sure we knew how to get to the Catfish Plantation restaurant.

The courthouse building had an interesting legend of the "Unrequited Love Carvings". To read the story, click here. We walked around the building to see all the carved faces.

We arrived at the Ranch House, and other members of the family quickly followed.

The first night, we taught all the cousins how to play "One Bounce" on the ping pong table. It's a great game that involves everyone who wants to play, and it made for many fun hours.

The lake is filling in nicely, and this year there were paddle boats and some medium-sized fish to go fishing for!

Some of the cousins warming up their baseball arms

There was a cool breeze that made the porch extra relaxing

About 15 of us played a fun game of whiffleball and the rest of the family enjoyed watching from the patio

And of course no Campbell reunion would be complete without the Men vs. Women Trivial Pursuit game! The women won, largely due to our aunts' collective age ... I mean intellect. :)

A dark picture of Table A at the Catfish Plantation, which apparently is a very haunted building. If you look closely at Steve (2nd from the right), I think we *may* have caught the reflection of a ghost in his glasses. (eerie cackle)

Table B waiting patiently for their food.

My cousins' kids, who were infants a minute ago and are now graduating from high school & college.

My cousins (I'm not sure why it chopped us off at the legs)

The requisite family photos, starting with my family (Steve wasn't able to make it this year)

Matt and Aunt Lillie

Uncle David, Aunt Ann, Christina, Ronda, Cal, and Cole

James, Steve, Jillian, Angela, Jordan, Aunt Wanda, Jackson, Uncle Larry, Alyssa, Anne, Emily, and Allan

The Campbell Clan - we missed some cousins and their families this year and we really hope that everyone will be able to come in 2013!

Check It Off the Bucket List!

2011-06-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

I ran the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon this Sunday! It was an amazing experience, not only because of the beautiful day & fun race event, but if you had told me a few years ago that I was capable of running that far, I would’ve laughed out loud. I honestly didn’t think I could run at all when I was in college because it hurt so badly whenever I tried. Needless to say, when you keep it up, and especially when you increase your mileage, that first short distance that you thought was going to kill you actually starts to feel relatively easy! Having a 13.1-mile goal pushed me way past my comfort zone, and I'm so thankful that God gave me the health and ability to experience it.

Again, by the grace of God, I had a really awesome first race. The day certainly wasn’t perfect, but overall it was a fun & exciting experience! I slept horribly the night before (maybe 3 hours) because I was so excited! This is typical for me, but not really conducive to running well. Dan & I sat in extremely slow traffic to get to the start line, so I ended up arriving a half an hour late. I missed my corral start time, so I just jumped into the next corral of runners once I was ready. They start the runners based on their speed, so the fastest runners start in corral 1 and the next fastest in corral 2, etc. all the way to corral 50 or so, which is filled with the slower walkers. This keeps the faster people from having to Frogger their way around the slower people. It turned out fine for me to start late, since I wasn’t much faster than the runners I started with but eventually I passed most of them, which made me feel like a speed demon. :) But next time (if there IS a next time!), I’ll factor in more time to get to the start line so I won’t feel so rushed.

It was a gorgeous sunny morning, which was a blessing because it was beautiful with low humidity, but I was kind of counting on that cloudy marine layer to keep things cool all morning! It heated up quickly when we were running on the sunny streets, so I grabbed two cups of water at the water stations if I felt really thirsty. I saw a few runners who had either passed out or had to sit down in the middle of the race with medics helping them, so I was pretty paranoid about staying hydrated.

We started the race at beautiful Balboa Park and got to run straight through all the museums and past the zoo. Then we ran right onto Hwy I-163 (which they had closed for the race) and started the long uphill climb to Friars Road. It was so cool to see thousands of runners on the prettiest highway in San Diego. Some people who ran in previous years complained that the highway is on an angle, so they wore out one side of their bodies running on it more than the other. Knowing this ahead of time, I looked for the flattest area of the highway to run on (usually along the edge) to keep from getting painful blisters on one foot.

There were way more hills on this course than I had prepared for during training. Many of them were long & gradual instead of short & steep, but by the second half of the race, my body was protesting against all the extra work! I did most of my training runs along Mission Bay or the beach, which are pancake flat. Sometimes I’d throw in a few hills for good measure, but I definitely could’ve been more prepared in this area.

Even though the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon series is known for providing live bands along the route, someone online said to bring your iPod if you depend on music to get you through a long run. The bands are set up at every mile, but once you pass the stage, you can’t hear the music anymore. And sometimes you‘d pass a band that was taking a break. I was thankful I had my iPod playing quietly in my ears to fill those silences. I don’t want to hear myself wheezing while I’m running - it just makes me feel worse.

It felt like the first 8 miles sped by, and I was soaking in every moment and enjoying running through the middle of San Diego with thousands of other people. Before I knew it, I was past Fashion Valley Mall and looking for Dan on the sidelines. We spotted each other easily and he jumped in and ran by my side for the rest of the race! The section that I struggled with the most was somewhere between miles 9 and 11. There were a couple more long uphills to deal with and I was so tired! I didn’t feel like I was shutting down or anything, but I really, really wanted to walk. I knew from my practice runs that I WOULD survive, though, so I kept running although my pace slowed down quite a bit. Then I saw the 12 mile marker and the rest was downhill (literally & figuratively)! I really pushed myself in that last mile and finished with a bang!

Dan was absolutely amazing the whole day! He woke up at 5:00 a.m. to sit in traffic and drop me off at the start line, then parked the car as close as he could to the finish line and ran through the spectators along the course route until he got to mile 8 so he could wait for me to run by. Early mornings, traffic, and running are three of his most hated things, so I know without a shadow of a doubt that he loves me! Then he ran beside me for the last 4.5 miles to encourage me and take pictures. It was so uplifting to run with him, especially when I was struggling to push through “The Wall” at the end! He’s such a blessing to me! Here are some pictures from the race weekend – enjoy!

There was a race expo on Friday & Saturday where you could pick up your race bib and other goodies the vendors were giving away.

I wanted to make sure I had my pose just right when I won the race & broke the ribbon. I'm such a dork! :)

I met up with two of my co-workers, Sammie and Janeece, who were running the half marathon relay together.

6:00 a.m. on race day - Dan is really excited to be awake & sitting in traffic.

He dropped me off a block from the start line, which was in the park behind me. I'm all bright eyed and bushy tailed on adrenaline after hardly sleeping the night before! I had a handful of Kleenex since I was getting over a cold, but I ended up needing it before the race in the porta potty that had no TP (yuck). Thankfully, my sinuses were fine while I was running.

Dan met me at mile 8.5 and I was SO excited to see him! I'm the one with the big shadow, and I think I'm saying "pick me up and carry me!"

Starting to hit "The Wall" at the uphill around mile 9.5, but pushing through!

Feeling better at mile 12 (yay, downhill!) and excited to only have 1 mile left! I could also see Mission Bay from that point so I knew I was close (the finish line was at Sea World).

I looked online and this was the only picture I could find of Dan & I running together during the race. It was just a few yards before the finish line and I was waving at the photographer who I spotted on a crane above us. I think they tried to cut Dan out of the shot because he doesn't have a race bib.

FINISH LINE!! The most beautiful sight in the world!

Still panting, but happy!

My first half marathon medal

Finish time - 2:11! I was shooting for 2:10, but with all those hills I wasn't ready for, I'm glad I even came close to my goal time. Plus I didn't get there early enough to run with the 2:10 pacer, so I had to try to gauge my pace on my own.

Dan deserves a medal for most amazing support team! He is my hero and I couldn't have done it without him!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-31T10:42:00.001-07:00

Dan's sister Robin came to visit us for Memorial Day weekend, and we had so much fun! She arrived the evening of Dan's last day of school, so between the school year ending and having Robin in town to do fun things with, it really felt like summer vacation was here! We only had Saturday & Sunday to spend with her, but we made the most of it. We spent the day at SeaWorld on Saturday and had the best time seeing fun shows & animal exhibits. On Sunday after church, we went downtown for lunch and a musical - "MixTape - the musical journey through the 80s". Dan and I had seen it before and we knew Robin would love it since she grew up in the 80s and appreciates good music and cheesiness. :) It's such a good show if you're in San Diego & have the chance to see it. Dan & I enjoyed it even more the second time around. We made sure to take a nice long walk on the beach and stopped for frozen yogurt in the afternoon, and then we watched Dan play roller hockey that night. Robin had to fly out on Monday morning, but we were so glad she made it out to visit us! She has a full-time job and also serves as her church's music minister, so we know how hard it is for her to get away and we appreciate it! Here are some pictures of our fun times.

At the penguin & puffin exhibit at SeaWorld

These penguins seemed to really enjoy the sunshine & warmth!

We saw two hilarious sea lion shows - one during the day and another show at night where the sea lions made fun of all the other SeaWorld shows. :)

He didn't quite make it over the bar, but he kept the ball balanced on his nose! Impressive!

The magical floating dolphin show!

We went through the shark exhibit, where they did their best to make sharks seem interesting and beautiful instead of nightmarish. But directly afterwards, you go through the shark aquarium where they play music that sounds like a heartbeat while the sharks float eerily over your head. Yeah, I'm going to stick with nightmarish.

Then you get to see the world's largest (prehistoric) shark mouth!

Robin bites back. :)

They have a summertime Cirque de la Mer show with clowns & acrobats. The preshow was hilarious, where they pulled a couple of burly men from the audience & had them prove their manliness in a variety of embarrassing ways.

The most spectacular show of the day was of course the Shamu show!

As we were waiting for the fireworks show at the end of the night, we spotted these sleeping seals. a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e.

Dan & I have seen this fireworks show dozens of times from across the bay where we live, but this was the first time we saw it from inside SeaWorld with the music playing.

Going old-school with 80s music!

The Final Push

2011-05-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend, full of friends and activities. On Friday night, we went to see Christopher Titus (a comedian) perform live in Escondido with Eric and Millie. Dan knew Eric back on Long Island, NY and hadn't seen him in at least 15 years! He and Millie and their two sons were recently stationed in San Diego (he's in the Marine Corps), and we were finally able to connect with them. Christopher Titus was hilarious and his comedy act was almost 2 hours long! That's a long time to keep an audience engaged & laughing! Dan & I liked the fact that he had a real message in addition to being just plain funny. He threw some serious issues out there, like racism, parental responsibilities, abortion, etc. There was quite a bit of language, but his topics were pretty clean, although controversial.

On Saturday morning, we helped our friends Paul and Ann move out of their condo (they just purchased their first house!), then went straight to a farewell party for my friend, Amelia, who is moving to Ohio this week. Amelia and I have been in a Bible study together for the past couple of years, and when my company moved to a building that was close to her workplace, we started meeting up for lunch dates on a regular basis. I'll really miss her!

Dan, me, and lovely Amelia

We had time to take naps late that afternoon before getting ready for PROM! Dan's favorite event of the year - haha. Actually, since prom always falls so late in the year, it's a good indicator that Dan's in the final push towards the end of the school year. In other words, he is s-t-r-e-s-s-e-d. I'm sure all the other staff & students feel it, too. They only have two more regular weeks until finals week, and then graduation is on May 27th! No pressure!

Anyway, prom is always a fun time because at Dan's school, there are clear expectations & guidelines that keep everything innocent and fun. Lots of parents & staff get involved and attend, and the kids don't seem to mind at all because they're all like one big family. They just want to be together and have fun, and it's a breath of fresh air to not have to watch out for indecent dresses, alcohol, drugs, kids sneaking off to have sex, etc. One teenager even danced with his mom during a song, which got me all choked up because it was so sweet and it would've NEVER happened at my high school. Private Christian school payoff right there, people. I'm sure it's now worth every penny of the thousands of dollars that mom has paid over the years. :)

Our grown-up prom duds

Dan bought a brand-new tie for the occasion, and I battled valiantly to accomplish something pretty with my hair before admitting defeat and pulling it back in a bun. Note to self: Hairspray is a non-negotiable. Buy some next year.

On Sunday morning (after about 5 hours of sleep), I dragged my tired butt out of bed at 6:15 to get ready for my half-marathon practice run! I've been slowly working up to the full distance during my training, and I decided that when I got to my 13 mile long run, I was going to simulate race day as much as possible. Hence the early morning, and actually the terrible night's sleep was probably good too, since I'm sure I won't be able to sleep much the night before the race. I wore all the clothes I plan to wear on race day, ate a peanut butter & banana sandwich, drank plenty of water, stretched, and took off. I ran a route where I'd have to confront a few hills and I took the shortest breaks possible to drink at water fountains along the way. And two hours & nine minutes later, I had run 13.1 miles! I was really happy with the time, since on my registration packet I said I'd finish in about 2:20. So I hope I'll be able to keep the same pace on race day! They have official "pacers" who run the race as guides to help other runners finish at the time they want, so I plan to follow the 2:10 pacer during the race if I can.

So now I'm in the final push to my first half marathon on June 5th! I'll cut back the mileage on my long runs for the next few weeks to give my body a breather. Apparently, tapering during the last couple of training weeks is supposed to help you perform better during the race. And I will cheerfully accept any advice that tells me I don't have to run that far again, because it hurts. For days. But at least I know I can do it! This is actually a pretty recent revelation for me since I was never an athlete in school. I stayed in shape, but stuck to aerobics, weights, the elliptical machine & walking - things that didn't involve competition, bruises, or ice packs. But about 10 years ago, I decided to run a mile. Then I eventually worked up to my longest run of 3 miles. When we moved to San Diego 5 years ago, I saw recreational runners everywhere and we moved close to the beach, which is the most beautiful place to run & bike. Dan & I cheered on the runners during the Rock 'n' Roll marathon one year (it went right past our neighborhood) and I saw people who looked a lot like me running 26.2 miles. Who knew you didn't have to look like a distance runner to be a distance runner? And at this year's Rock 'n' Roll half marathon, there will be a girl at the end who looks just like this:

Red-faced, sweaty, and smiling! Dan took this picture before I jumped in the shower & hobbled to church. Then I put my feet up and watched movies for the rest of the day. :)

The "7 Year Itch" is Bunk

2011-05-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our 8th anniversary on Tuesday, and I don't know what the 7 year hype is all about, but I think marriage just gets better & better every year!

I took my gorgeous roses to work so I could see & smell them all day and make the other ladies jealous.

We enjoyed a gourmet Italian dinner at Il Fornaio on Coronado Island. The restaurant has a breathtaking view of the harbor and downtown San Diego. V-e-r-y romantic. :) I ordered the butternut squash & walnut stuffed ravioli and it. was. incredible.

Nope, no itching here. :)

The Amazing Day

2011-05-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend, our friends Chris and Adessa came to visit us! They moved to Anaheim last year, which is only about an hour away, but it's sadly far enough that we don't get to see them very often. They solidified their status as some of my favorite people when they brought dinner with them on Friday night, so I was greeted with the aroma of warm delicious pizza when I got home from work! We followed that up with Coldstone's and a walk on the beach, and then played Carcassonne until we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore. Carcassonne is Dan's & my new favorite board game. If you haven't played it yet, you're missing out! It's really fun with anywhere between two and four players. Trust us, even people who normally don't enjoy board games love this one!

Saturday was EPIC as far as packing as much as possible into one amazing day! We started the morning off with a big breakfast, then walked down to Mission Bay near our house. Five ladies from Dan's school were competing in outrigger canoe races there, and we made it in time to cheer for them during their last race of the day.

Next, we met our friends, Paul and Ann and their son Eli, at Lil' Piggy's Barbeque on Coronado for lunch. Paul, Chris, and Dan met each other through work years ago, and it didn't take long for the six of us to start hanging out. Since then, Paul and Ann had their little boy Eli, and Chris and Adessa have moved out of San Diego, but we still spend as much time together as possible. It was a gorgeous afternoon, so we walked off some of the heavy lunch afterwards.

But wait, the day's not over yet! We had made reservations for a sunset kayaking tour at La Jolla Cove that evening. None of us had been in a sea kayak before, and of all people, Chris seemed the most nervous about it (he's the only surfer in the group)! The lady who made our reservations said that it's more fun to rent double (tandem) kayaks if it's your first time, so you've got someone with you to share the experience.

All geared up and ready to go!

We didn't have a waterproof camera, so I double ziplocked our digital camera and hoped for the best! Our guide stopped the group a few times once we were mid-ocean and had us link together by holding onto each other's kayaks so he could point out landmarks and tell us about the area. The good part was that sitting still for a little while gave me chances to take a few careful pictures on the water. The bad part was that just sitting still & feeling the waves made me realize I was getting very seasick. I tend towards motion sickness, so I pulled out all my tricks - gazing at the horizon, drinking cold water, breathing deeply, etc. The thing is that when I feel sick on a windy road or in a turbulent stretch of air, usually everything is smooth again within a few minutes. When you're on the ocean, the. waves. never. stop. So eventually, the inevitable happened and the fish got a nice BBQ meal served over the side of the kayak. Suffice to say, it was not my most glamourous moment. We were linked in with the other kayaks while our guide was talking, and I remember looking back at Dan and saying "I think I'm going to throw up." He acted fast & paddled us away from the group a little bit, but unfortunately he was stuck with a front row view. I guess that's what the "in sickness & in health" part was about at our wedding - haha! Afterwards, Adessa said that she was feeling horribly seasick, too, so I'm glad Dan got me out of eyesight so I didn't start a chain reaction! He is yet again my hero.

I felt better then, and got to enjoy the fact that we were watching a beautiful sunset from the middle of the water. We didn't get to kayak inside the sea caves since the tide was too high that day, but we got good views of them from a short distance away. We had a huge pelican swim *this close* to our kayak, and man, they are scary looking up close! We also saw a curious harbor seal poke its head out of the water & watch us as we paddled our way back to shore. It was adorable!

Our guide tried to prepare us for the rough ride back into the shore with some tips on staying upright, but nevertheless the ocean won this round and Dan & I got dunked about 12 feet from the sand. We rode a big wave and it was awesome for about 3 seconds until we turned to the side & flipped over! I was so busy trying to escape from underneath the kayak and hold the camera out of the water that I forgot to hold onto my sunglasses. They, along with my lunch, were left behind as a memorial to our sea kayaking adventure. And I was reminded of exactly why I don't spend more than $15 on sunglasses.

Dan soaked from head to toe after our less than graceful landing.

Chris and Adessa made out much better than we did, and I got this amazing picture of them looking like pros with the ocean & cliffs behind them.

And thus concludes The Amazing Day.

Chris & Adessa joined us for church, lunch, and one last beautiful walk on the beach on Sunday before heading back home!

Dan's Haircut

2011-04-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post these videos for a few weeks. Dan was asked to make a cameo appearance during his school's spring concert. They had an opera theme this year, so every grade sang classical opera songs in different languages. It was really impressive and the kids did a fantastic job, as always! I posted the video in a a few parts since there's a file size limit on downloading video. Sorry it's so choppy, but hopefully you get the idea of how cute it was. Enjoy!

The kids did an amazing job!

Who is that hairy man?

Ahh, much better!

Viva Las Vegas!

2011-04-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Dan was on spring break for two weeks, and his parents flew out to spend time with us! I didn't expect to get any time off from work, but thankfully some big projects were postponed, so I asked for a week of vacation time. There's nothing better than getting unexpected time off!

Dan's folks had a timeshare week they were itching to use, and we were more than happy to help them out! :) Plan A was to spend the week in San Francisco, but all the timeshares were booked solid there. So we quickly moved to Plan B ... Vegas, Baby!! All of us had been there for very brief visits before, but we were excited to explore the city and enjoy the hot summery weather for a week.

The iconic sign: Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada!

Soon after we arrived, we met up with my former co-worker, Gary. He lives in the area and introduced us to one of our favorite new spots - Serendipity 3. They had the most decadent desserts, and it was fun to catch up with Gary since our days in Colorado.

Some of the best places to visit "in Las Vegas" are outside the city. We packed a picnic lunch and took a day trip to Hoover Dam.

We took a tour to see some of the inner workings of the dam, like the power generators.

Standing on the state line. Dad & Mom are in Nevada and Dan & I are in Arizona!

The new overlook bridge they built recently. It is high.

The spectacular view of Hoover Dam from the new bridge

Back to Las Vegas to enjoy The Strip at night!

No visit would be complete without watching the beautiful Bellagio fountain show

Or the volcano eruption at The Mirage

The next day, we went bargain hunting for show tickets

We saw "Jersey Boys: the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons". It was a great story and the singer who played Frankie Valli had the most incredible voice!

We spent an evening at the "Fremont Street Experience". This is in an older section of Las Vegas that's not super clean or safe, but they've worked hard to make Fremont Street more attractive to tourists. I was in sensory overload most of the time we were there - it was bustling with crowds, nonstop loud music, flashing lights everywhere, and crazy people dressed up in an assortment of costumes. I had to post some videos to give you an idea of how entertaining it was!

One of the street performers we enjoyed

Every hour, they showed a music video on the "ceiling" of Fremont Street. Everyone just stopped where they were and watched. We were told to keep one hand on our wallets, since this is a pickpocket's dream come true!

There was even a zipline above the street, so on top of everything else going on, you'd randomly hear people shreiking overhead.

This street artist was absolutely amazing! He sculpted people's faces in clay while they sat there. We saw him sculpt two people, and he really captured them!

We *somehow* found ourselves back at Serendipity 3 for dessert at 11 pm. You know what they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! (tell that to my scale - ha!)

We ordered two "Forbidden Broadway Sundaes" and split them. They were as big as our heads and full of chocolatey goodness!

We actually did no gambling while we were in Vegas, but we stopped in several casinos to see their decorations. The Bellagio had a gorgeous botanical garden.

The Venetian had elaborate ceilings (like the one above), and a canal that ran through their shopping mall, complete with gondolas!

New York, New York was fun to view from the outside. It wasn't as picture-worthy on the inside.

While we were in the area, we HAD to stop in the M&Ms store. Look at all the colors! Plus, you could personalize your M&Ms to say whatever you wanted.

This is what happens when Dan leaves me alone with a giant chocolate candy man. I just can't help myself! :)

The M&Ms race car

The MGM had a lion exhibit. Two lionesses were sleeping right on top of the viewer walkway when we stopped there the first time. I think it is so they'll be closer to their prey when the glass finally breaks!

They looked like roadkill from below. We walked back there later that day, and they were actually awake and playing with rubber balls.

We spent another fun day outside the city at Red Rocks Canyon.

Proof that the CR-V is still kickin' and taking us on fun road trips!

It was SUPER windy that day! Dan & Dad are leaning into the wind so they won't get blown away.

A beautiful view of the canyon and some Joshua trees

Our last night in Vegas, we saw Cirque du Soleil's "Ka". It was different from the typical Cirque shows we've seen, but I really enjoyed it. It told a clear story and the special effects they created with the stage were incredible!

It was a wonderful vacation, and we were thankful that Dan's parents could come and spend spring break with us. They're so fun to spend time with, and they're up for any adventure! :)

We weren't sure at first how we'd fill an entire week in Vegas since none of us is into gaming & gambling, which is all you hear about Las Vegas, but we actually ran out of time to do everything we wanted to! Besides all the sight-seeing, we also enjoyed our nice pool at the condo since the weather was in the 80s and 90s, and I squeezed in a couple of 4-mile runs, too, since I'm getting close enough to my half marathon that it's not a good idea to skip a week.

I think Dan and I may go back to Vegas again sometime soon to lounge by the pool and catch some shows that we weren't able to fit in last week!

March Madness

2011-03-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we're so far into March already - February just flew by! Work for both of us has gotten busier, but other than that things have been pretty normal. Except on Feb. 15th, we were leaving Dan's high school guys' basketball game and stopped at a red light, when we were rear ended by a pickup truck! We were talking to each other at the time & never saw it coming, so it took us a few seconds to take in the situation and make sure we were each okay. In the meantime, the other driver used those few seconds to take off! Neither of us got a good look at the guy's face as he drove away, but I did get his licence plate number. God took care of us and neither of us was hurt (just headaches & neck aches afterwards) and the CR-V was minimally damaged.

We called the police and reported the hit-and-run, but we don't know if they'll ever catch the guy. He probably just didn't have insurance, but who knows, he could've been drunk driving or been a criminal for all we know. Fortunately he hit the spare tire dead-on, which was kind of like head-butting a unicorn. There's a metal pole protruding from the center (a remnant from an old bike rack) that we think may have punctured the guy's radiator based on all the fluid he left behind. We hope it was expensive for him to fix, because our car's now a little more beat up but still drivable, thankyouverymuch.

Classy? No. But it packs a punch.

On a much more fun note, I got to have dinner recently with Mrs. Dottie Myatt, my college roommate Lili's mom! I lived with Lili during my Junior & Senior years of college and got to know her family better during that time. Mrs. Dottie is the chair of the education department at Union University, and was visiting San Diego for an education conference. She's the sweetest lady, and it was wonderful to get to spend time with her catching up on the past 10+ years. Having dinner with her made me miss my mom like crazy, though!

As far as daily stuff, half marathon training has been going well. I've been running 4 days and weight training 2 days a week. Since it's dark when I get home from work, I've been working out at 6:30 a.m. and shockingly I'm still alive. Early mornings have always been my Achilles heel, but it is so nice to have it done for the day, and now when I get home from work I can spend the whole evening with Dan instead of going for a run at 6 p.m. Dan's surprised me by keeping up with most of the running on my training schedule - he hates running (or any form of exercise except hockey, for that matter). I'm really proud of him! He's even joined me on all the Saturday long runs, and we ran 7 miles yesterday!

(If you don't complete the workout, you deal with Taz)

Since I've been running more, I've been trying to eat at least one banana every day for the potassium. I just found a trick that makes eating them so much more fun! Banana soft serve! Just cut or tear a banana into bite-sized pieces and put them in a baggie or tupperware and place in the freezer overnight. Then put the frozen pieces into a food processor or chopper and blend until creamy. Sometimes I have to add a tiny amount of water to get it to blend well, but the final consistency is like soft serve ice cream. It's delicious, healthy, and perfect as the weather get warmer! You can add a little peanut butter or other frozen fruits, like strawberries. It's basically a smoothie, just less liquidy.

I have a small food chopper, which is the perfect size for one banana.

Banana-strawberry soft serve. Yum!!!! I foresee ice cream for breakfast in the near future!

His & Hers

2011-02-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Dan and I have very different opinions about what constitutes "fun" exercise. I prefer running, and he says nothing is as fun as a game of hockey. Neither of us even remotely enjoys the other's activity of choice. I submit to you the facts.

Running

The gear: Pretty, new running shoes. Okay, pretty is optional, but new is at least better on your joints than old shoes.

The look: You must dress like a ninja, to better intimidate the other runners and their dogs.

The view: I usually run along Mission Bay, which has ruined me from enjoying running on a treadmill for.the.rest.of.my.life.

Debby in action during the Shelter Island 5K.

Bonus Points: Running can be either a social or an "alone time" activity. Depending on how often & how long you run, it can require no training or a lot of training, so what you accomplish is up to you. Also, you don't need high tech gear besides the shoes, so it can be very affordable, although of course you could spend thousands on name brands, gadgets, and races if you wish.

Bummers: It can be a monotonous and lonely sport, especially when you're running longer distances. So it's easy to slack off since no one is watching you or depending on your performance. You can get overuse injuries from using the same muscles in the same motion constantly, so you may need to shake things up with activities you enjoy less. Plus, bad weather = treadmills. bah.

Roller Hockey

The gear: hockey sticks (a second one for back-up in case of breakage), and in the giant duffel bag - skates, pads, gloves, helmet, face shield, and the optional knee braces to prevent twisted knees. (cute children not included)

The view: I don't have any problem with what the roller rink looks like, but if you could smell that place...the aroma of dozens of sweaty men. I guess when you're one of those sweaty men, it doesn't seem so bad.

Dan in action

Bonus Points: Hockey is fast-paced with a lot of sprinting, so you won't get bored. It forces you to get into shape fast and you can try playing different positions for more of a challenge. It's a good way to meet friends and form camaraderie over teamwork. It's competitive and your team counts on you, so you have fewer opportunities to slack off.

Bummers: It takes a lot of practice to move well on skates and handle the puck with a stick. There is really no way to play the game without cost, since you need the equipment and you have to pay to rent a facility (whether it's indoors or outdoors). Also, the body-to-body contact and flying projectiles means you will acquire bruises. BIG ones.

Yeah, you have fun with that, Dan. The worst injury I had this week was a grass stain on my shoe.

Can you say Æbleskiver?

2011-01-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Dan and I had Monday off (thank you, Martin Luther King, Jr.!), so of course a road trip was in order. We've been wanting to visit a quaint Dutch town called Solvang since we heard about it a few months ago. The drive along the central CA coastline is really scenic, too (if you can just get through L.A. traffic), and Solvang is nestled in beautiful wine country just east of Santa Barbara. The town was founded by Dutch settlers who wanted to start a school within their own community. The original school is no longer there, but the Dutch-inspired architecture, history, restaurants, and shops are well worth a visit. We had a great time sight-seeing, and it was the perfect 2-day getaway so we still had Monday to relax at home before the work week started!

We loved seeing the colorful buildings, beautiful brickwork, cobblestone sidewalks, and hand-crafted gifts and foods

And windmills around every corner!

We split a sausage plate for dinner. It was delicious, but it made my stomach angry later. :(

There were Danish bakeries everywhere, torturing us with their sweet, buttery aromas

We visited the Hans Christian Andersen museum where we learned that he was the son of a poor shoemaker who made his own way in the world through his writings. Also, he was spurned in love many times, but the ladies probably regretted it after he became famous. :)

Dan is practicing his pose for his own statue someday.

The Solvang tour

Mission Santa Ines

Their cute wooden telephone booth. I'm not really calling anyone, or even holding the phone against my ear for that matter because I don't welcome ear cooties.

The whole town was this adorable

We tasted our first Aebleskiver at Solvang Restaurant. They are spherical Danish pancakes with raspberry jam and powdered sugar on top. Delicious!!

It is also the world's most fun word to say: "ee-bul-skee-ver"

We visited the nearby town of Los Olivos, where I was shocked to discover that olives grow on trees (like the tree right behind me)! If you had asked me before that moment, I would've maybe guessed that they grow on a bush like berries.

But nope, there they are hanging from tree branches! My brain just got a new wrinkle.

We continued to explore the beautiful countryside, and found this Ostrich Farm in Buellton.

Kind of random, but I like it!

One of the many vineyards in the area

Posers :)

One last deep breath of country air before we go back to the city.

Let the Holidays Continue!

2011-01-13T15:11:00.000-08:00

I used to not appreciate the timing of my birthday very much, but I've changed my mind. As a kid, my January 11th birthday meant the holiday break was over, so I spent the day at (blah) school, and it was of course too cold to have a pool party with my friends. I dreamed of a nice warm summertime birthday in those days, and I think we even postponed my party until summer one year, but it was too weird.

Now if I stretch the celebration as far as it will go, I can get a good week off from cooking. :) The trick is to sign up for all the restaurant e-mail lists you can think of so they'll send you free meal coupons for your birthday! It's perfect timing since I'm semi-comatose at night from working full time after our two-week vacation with family. Having a birthday two weeks after Christmas also gives me a good excuse to postpone any responsible New Year's resolutions. You say "procrastination," I say "mental and emotional preparedness."

Anyway, it was a great birthday this year. I woke up to this beautiful sight:

Then these pretty ladies took me out to lunch

AND I had a hot dinner date at The Cheesecake Factory!

You should be more jealous of that cheesecake, so here, take a good look. Decadent chocolate...rich creamy peanut butter...mountains of whipped cream. :)

It. Was. Amazing.

And the good food continued this week with a delicious apple cake from my Bible study group and a birthday lunch at Buca di Beppo with my co-workers. Yum and yum!

Speaking of New Year's resolutions, I decided that this was the year. Actually, last year was going to be the year, but I made my decision too late and they ran out of space. I've been toying with the idea of it since we moved to San Diego, and I think it's going to be lots of fun! I mean, not that I'm doing anything about it right now exactly, but maybe (I'll give it a 50/50 chance) I'll start preparing next week.

Are you curious?

:)
:)

Wondering what it could be?

*******drum roll********

I registered for the 2011 San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon!!!!! It's one of the biggest events of the summer around here, and Dan & I have gone out to cheer on the runners in past years. They used to only offer a full marathon distance (I can't get motivated enough for that), but last year they added the half marathon course for the first time. It's something I know I can do, although it'll push me farther than I'd push myself without a goal to work towards. I'm excited about it! But not enough to start training just yet. Just give me a few more days of laziness...it's my birthday week, you know.

Coast-To-Coast Christmas

2011-01-10T13:51:00.001-08:00

We had yet another amazing Christmas this year, filled with the people we love. Dan and I took two weeks off from work, and we planned to spend Christmas week with my family in TX and New Year's week with Dan's family in VA. We spent fun time with many aunts, uncles, and cousins in TX and also enjoyed hanging out with just my family at home. The east coast winter storm threw a minor kink in our plans and delayed our flight to VA for two days. It turned out to be a fun kink, though, because we were originally scheduled to leave TX the day after Christmas. So on Christmas morning, we opened all our presents and realized how little time we had to actually enjoy playing all the new games, listening to the new CDs and watching the new movies together. *dismay!* So when we unexpectedly got extra time to spend in TX, we put it to good use! Now we have a new house rule that "Christmas morning" will be scheduled at least a couple of days before everyone leaves. :)

When the east coast airports finally thawed out, we arrived in a beautiful winter wonderland covered in snow! We visited Busch Gardens Christmastown one evening, where they had decorated everything in Christmas lights and had special holiday shows & foods. They had a few rides & attractions open, too, and whenever the lines got too long, we threw snowballs at each other to pass the time. :) Friends & extended family came over to the Jester house for meals & games, and we even got to visit with some good friends from Colorado! We had our second "Christmas morning" and spent the rest of our time playing with our nephews' new Legos and Toy Story characters. Our nephews were involved, most of the time. :) We enjoyed every minute and can't wait to get to see everyone again!

One of our first evenings in TX, we got together with my mom's side of the family at a Mexican restaurant, then went to Braum's for ice cream afterwards.

My brother Steve, my mom, me, and cousin Tim enjoying the. best. frozen. yogurt. ever.

Cousins Kyle, Jeff, Laura (the cute one in the front), Addi (the cute one in the back), and Tricia

My brother Paul gave us a tour of his house & workplaces. This is the store where he works that sells hand-made canned goods & candy

Dan was especially attracted to the pickled quail eggs. haha!

Me, Aunt Wanda, Aunt Lillie, and my mom during an afternoon visit

Dan, my dad, Uncle Larry, and my brothers Steve & Paul

Cousins Emily & Kolby (at the head of the table) invited us over for dinner at their house

In Williamsburg, we all enjoyed a beautiful (and COLD) night at Busch Gardens Christmastown with the Jesters

Guess who we saw there!

For some reason, no one but Dan & I and our nephew Aaron wanted to get a picture with some of the most famous stars in America.

Some of our best friends from Colorado were in VA and came to visit us! Courtney spent the day with Mike & Kate and their kids, Charlotte & Cameron, and they all made the drive to Williamsburg to see us one night. We loved it!

We spent New Year's Eve with lots of family & friends, including Pete, Joyce, Christina & Kimberly. Christina and Kimberly were the flowergirls in our wedding once upon a time!

Dan with Uncle Tony & Aunt Irene

We took some family photos before we left - I love this one of the original Jester family! L to R: Robin, Dad J, Mom J, Dan & Tim

The whole gang

Definitely one for the Christmas card

And I'll end with something that will make your day. During Dan's work Christmas party, they had a game show theme based on "Minute to Win It". They pulled random (yeah, right) names from a hat and those people had to compete to win a prize. Dan's name just *happened* to be called for this competition, which was to shake/dance all the jingle bells out of a Kleenex box the fastest. He got all the style points, I'll tell you that much. :)

Christmastime in San Diego

2010-12-13T16:32:00.000-08:00

Dan & I love the crazy, busy weeks before Christmas. There are so many special events and opportunities to hang out with friends, which make the weeks fly by until it's time to visit our families! Last weekend, we joined our friends Kat and Burton at the annual December Nights festival at Balboa Park in San Diego. It's a HUGE event every year, which is the main reason we haven't gone in years past. Hundreds of thousands of people descend upon Balboa Park (which is in downtown San Diego) over one weekend, which means tons of traffic on the roads and zero parking spots around that area. I'm sure the local residents love it. (haha)

Kat and Burton go every year, and they know that the trick is to get there early enough in the day on Saturday before the sun goes down. Because the party really gets started once they turn on the Christmas lights around the park and the museums open for free after 5pm. We got there before 4pm, and it honestly wasn't so bad...until an hour later when all mayhem broke loose! Suddenly it was dark and entirely too crowded. We had meeting points set for when we lost each other in the crowds (it happened more than once). But we had a good time listening to the performances, visiting the art museum for free, and most of all, enjoying all the international food! They had food vendors representing every country you could think of, and it was delicious. Our dinner was at least 4 courses that night.

Dan, me, Kat, and Burton

In front of Santa's sleigh

Getting in touch with my Swedish roots!

Funnel cake = happy Dan

This weekend was packed with Christmas events, too! Friday night was my company Christmas party, which is always a nice, semi-formal event somewhere downtown. Dan's school Christmas program was the same night, but he was still able to be my date since he didnt' have any responsibilities for the school program. He had gotten to watch the kids during dress rehearsal that day, and he was glad he got to see them perform. I hated missing the kids' performances - they're always so cute! Hopefully our event dates won't overlap next year.

On Saturday night, Dan's high school staff got together for a potluck and game night before the holidays. They didn't tell him that it was also a surprise birthday party for him! So when we arrived, there were birthday party decorations and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to him. It was fun and it's really hard to pull one over on Dan. He *may* have gotten a little suspicious that something was happening right before we arrived at the house and it *may* have been my fault because he can read my attempts at hiding something like a flashing neon sign, but I did my best.

The fun & sweet ladies who hosted/organized/cooked for the party

Dan got more birthday presents! He likes how I immediately refer to the gift cards as "our" gift cards, because it's times like these when we need to remember that the two have become one. :) We played three rounds of "The Couch Game". The ladies got 4 members of our team on the couch and won the first game

Then before we had time to blink, the guys crushed us during the second round

But the ladies killed it in the final round for sweet, sweet bragging rights

To top off the weekend, our neighborhood, Pacific Beach, had its annual holiday parade. It was 85 degrees and poor Santa was sweating buckets. It was fun to wish everyone a merry Christmas in flip flops & shorts, knowing that we'll be bundled up against the cold soon enough!

The Christmas parade firetruck

Santa looks a lot like this in our neighborhood

Thanksgiving Road Trip 2010

2010-12-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

It's become our tradition over the past several years to take a road trip during Thanksgiving weekend. Since we have a longer period of time to spend with our families at Christmastime, we usually skip the hassle of flying during Thanksgiving weekend. One of the things I am most thankful for is that Dan & I have the same love of traveling and seeing new places. We forgo extra luxuries and full-price purchases most of the year (thrift stores are my friend!) for the sake of saving money for our trips. Having fun experiences together & making lifelong memories are much more valuable than owning the latest name-brand stuff, in my opinion.

For instance, our 1997 CR-V has 212,000 miles on it. There are more dents in it than I care to explain, the paint is chipping, it whines when you drive it up a steep hill and shudders when you’re going faster than 70 mph. But it always gets us where we need to go and we’ve taken it on enough trips that we can predict within inches how tight a U-turn it can make, and don't even need to discuss the fact anymore that when the gas gauge “empty” light comes on, we can drive 30 more miles before we have to start panicking. Plus it’s paid off, which is equivalent to auto-sainthood, where all flaws are indulgently smiled upon and re-labeled as “quirks.”

We had the best time exploring a section of Utah we’ve always wanted to visit. Utah is one of my favorite states to drive through because the landscape along the highway is interesting and dramatic. I always appreciate that, since we’ve driven through so many parts of the country and there are areas that you wish you could sleep through. *cough*Kansas* We toured three national parks – Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands, and got to stay at a beautiful small town called Moab, which is a gathering spot for mountain bikers and 4-wheel drivers. We saw snow, which put us even more in the holiday spirit, but fortunately the weather was sunny for driving & hiking during the days. There were so many highlights from the weekend – like the feeling of absolute freedom when we hit the road and drove away from all our responsibilities for a few days! And having hours of time with just Dan and I and Christmas music. We saw some of the most stunning areas in America and reveled in God’s creation. But there were a couple of things that we’d forgotten from our Denver days that came flooding back as we traveled through the similar climate & altitude in Utah.

Utah + winter = static. My hair spent the weekend either floating eerily around my head or clinging to my face like tentacles. We got a massive shock every time we touched the car door. Once we forgot to "ground" ourselves (by touching hands) before we kissed and the resultant shock to the lips almost knocked us to the ground. We didn't touch for the rest of the weekend (haha, okay we did, but there was always an element of danger involved).

Utah + winter = dryness. There was that dehydration-induced head achy feeling that I had forgotten from my Denver days. Not to mention the chapped lips and waking up in the middle of the night with a parched, sore throat. There is something to be said for humidity, although I could write a much longer list of its down-sides. But that has nothing to do with Thanksgiving ... so I'm refocusing with some pictures from our trip! Enjoy!

If you've ever driven the I-70 through Utah, you'll understand why an operating gas station is one of my favorite sights on the drive!

Dan thought this was awesome! It was a 20-mile "test speed limit" that he hopes will catch on across America.

We arrived at Capitol Reef National Park on Thanksgiving day, and got to tour the park for about 4 hours before the sun set
Castle Rock, probably the most well-known formation from Capitol Reef National Park. We took a few other pictures there, but this park was surprisingly un-photogenic. We were glad we hit it before the other two parks, since it would've been a let-down afterwards.

Here was our weather forecast for the rest of the weekend. The mid-30s turned out to be great hiking weather, and we were on our way home before the snow hit on Sunday.

One of our first views of beautiful Arches National Park on Black Friday. This beats shopping in a crowded mall, hands-down!

Walking along the Park Avenue Trail

In front of the Tower of Babel

Balancing Rock

North Window Arch

Turret Arch

At the foot of Turret Arch with a view of North and South Windows Arches in the background

Cashews + Almonds + Granola + Banana Chips + M&Ms = Lunch of Champions!

After a pretty strenuous hike, our reward was this view of Delicate Arch - an icon of Utah

Standing at the base of Delicate Arch

The Fiery Furnace

We took another hike to see Landscape Arch - the longest & most delicate arch in the park. They're not sure how long it'll remain intact since the thinnest point of the arch is "only" 6 feet deep.
We went to see the latest Harry Potter movie in Moab. We had to stand in a line outside the theater, waiting for it to open only 20 minutes before the 7pm movies started. Then they courteously waited to start the movie until everyone had time to buy their popcorn & find their seats. Gotta love small towns!

On Saturday, we visited breathtaking Canyonlands National Park

Mesa Arch

Buck Canyon

The Grand View Overlook

Dan standing way too close to the edge!

On the Grand View trail

Upheaval Dome, which may have been caused by a meteorite! There was another theory about salt pushing up the earth, but I'm sticking with the meteorite!

Dan taking one more opportunity to get a great view (and make me nervous - you should've seen how he got up there!) before we started our 11-hour drive home.

That's What You Get For Being Awesome!

2010-12-01T15:49:00.001-08:00

Today is Dan's birthday!! We've been celebrating all week by spending free meal coupons because I *may* have gone a little nuts a couple of months ago and signed us up for any restaurant e-mail lists that promised free stuff on your birthday. Monday night, he got a free meal from Noodles & Co. Tuesday night, dinner was compliments of Rubio's. He's still got free birthday meals from Benihana, Black Angus, El Torito, and free ice cream from Cold Stone to pack in there, too. Man, we love to stretch out a celebration!

Today we made plans to meet for lunch at 1:00. What Dan didn't know was that the kids & teachers had planned a big birthday lunch party for him at 12:00! Everyone brought food, celebrated Dan's birthday, and made him feel special. I. Love. Them. It warms my heart that the people he works with appreciate & love him so much. He was kind of hoping his birthday wouldn't be a big deal today, but that's what you get for being awesome. And he loved every minute of it! He still met me for lunch anyway, because aren't birthdays all about treating yourself? He'd better pace himself, though, because we're going to have some awesome Phil's BBQ for dinner tonight.

And then he gets to open these:

And maybe eat some of this: (someone was celebrating early with the chocolate creme pie!) (okay, it was us.)

This is how he looked when he met me for lunch today. He's wearing a USPS label that says "Birthday Guy," holding a homemade dessert that one of the kids made for him, and wearing a huge smile that his staff & kids put on his face.

Happy birthday to the most incredible blessing in my life! I love you more every year!

Ringing in the Holidays

2010-11-18T16:34:00.001-08:00

Dan's parents spent a fun-filled week with us this month. Until they came, I didn't feel like the holidays were even remotely close (the 75 degree sunny days in San Diego didn't help), but we knew Thanksgiving was just around the corner once his folks got here! Somehow we managed to fill 80% of their time with sporting events. The other 20% was a mix of shopping at Costco, taking walks outside, fixing and eating meals, and playing Carcassonne (the new board game we're obsessed with). Okay, we did sleep a little bit in there, too.

It was really beautiful that week. Here are some lovely photos that Dan's mom took as they were walking around Pacific Beach, where we live.

The day after they flew in, we drove to Anaheim to watch the NY Islanders vs. Anaheim Ducks game. Dan has enough Islanders paraphernalia to clothe a family, so we all raided his closet and wore team colors.

Our friends Chris and Adessa live in Anaheim, so they joined us for the game too!

Dan and I both had Veteran's Day (Nov. 11th) off from work, and we spent the day enjoying the beautiful sunny day in La Jolla. One of the perks of having visitors is that we have an excuse to visit cheesy tourist attractions. We paid $4 each to walk down a long steep staircase into one of the sea caves beside La Jolla Cove. You can also kayak on the bay into several of the caves, which Dan and I plan to do at some point. Except Dan keeps saying "we'll do it when the water isn't so cold," which means that it may never happen, because the Pacific Ocean is always cold.

Mom & Dad Jester inside the sea cave

We walked along the water and saw some of my favorite local wildlife

I think pelicans are by far the coolest sea bird. They look like pterodactyls when they fly! And there were tons of sea lions at La Jolla Cove that day. These young ones were really cute.

We did a lot of walking and worked up an appetite for our picnic lunch at La Jolla Shores. Dan is filching Oreos while I'm getting the "real food" out.

On Friday night, we cheered on Dan's high school football team. They won the game and got into the playoffs for the first time! Go CCA!!

On Saturday night, there was another Islanders game against the Los Angeles Kings so we went to our 2nd hockey game of the week. On our way up to L.A., we stopped by Farrell's, an old-timey ice cream parlor that Dan grew up with on Long Island. I had never been to a place like that before, but it must be one of the best places to take your kid on his/her birthday! We must've seen 6 birthdays being celebrated in the hour we were there.

On Sunday, we went to Dan's roller hockey game (hockey game #3 if you're counting). It was the championship game, and although Dan's team put up a great fight, they unfortunately lost. But Mom & Dad took us out to Macaroni Grill afterwards, where we drowned our sorrows in plates of pasta.

Dan and his two biggest fans

On their last day, Dan left work early and the three of them went fishing off the pier in Pacific Beach (it's shown in all 3 photos at the top of this post). While fishing sounds like lots of fun in theory, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have enjoyed touching/smelling/seeing the bait or the fish for that matter, so I was probably better off at work. :) We had a great time with them, and we can't wait to see them at Christmastime - only a month away!!

Five Hours of Driving for One Awesome Spades Game

2010-11-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

Was it worth it? Absolutely!! Our friends, Chris & Amy flew through Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago on their way to Taiwan to adopt their precious daughter, Ava! They had a layover for several hours, so Dan & I drove to LAX to spend time with them between flights. We got to know Chris & Amy through our church when we lived in Denver, and the four of us love to play Spades. It was always our game of choice when we were together. Amy had the foresight to bring a deck of cards in her luggage (love her!), so we played a few rounds for old-time's sake while we caught up with each other. The guys tried to make a come-back before the game was over, but the girls declared victory before we had to see them off on their next flight. Everything went really smoothly in Taiwan, and Chris & Amy arrived home with Ava this week - she is officially their daughter and an American citizen! We're looking forward to hearing more about their new adventures as parents of that sweet baby girl.

Uncle Dan & Aunt Debby

2010-10-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

Dan's brother & sister-in-law, Tim & Dawn, and our three nephews, Benjamin, Nathan, and Aaron came to visit us for a week! We had so much fun with them and loved getting to spend one-on-one time with their family. The boys grow up so quickly, there are new aspects to their personalities every time we see them. The week was full of fun activities, and we had a blast seeing everything through their eyes.

We set up our camping tent & sleeping bags in the office so Benjamin & Nathan would have their own "room." Nathan was sleeping hard when I took this photo!

Benjamin's rubber fish became infamous - you never knew when it would fly across the room and hit you! Dan kept putting it in the fridge and threatening to eat it for dinner. :)

Aaron's favorite room in the house - so much toilet paper, so little time!

Our first big adventure was Legoland! Benjamin and Nathan love playing with Legos, and Legoland is tailored for children under the age of 7, so it was the pefect place to spend a fun day!

This ride was actually a lot of hard work! You had to pull yourself up with the rope before getting to free-fall to the bottom.

We raced down the slides and Nathan beat us all!

The guys raced against some other teams in a fireman challenge, where they had to drive their firetruck to a burning building and extinguish the fire. We all got our exercise at Legoland!

Crashed out in the car at the end of the day!

On Sunday afternoon, we spent the afternoon at a playground on the bay

Everyone enjoyed playing in the water & sand, except for Aaron

This sums up his feelings about the wet, sticky sand between his toes! He had a lot more fun on the swings.

On Sunday night, we went to the roller hockey game to cheer Uncle Dan's team

Dan's team won 11-2 and Dan scored 3 goals! Whoo hoo!

I was able to get off from work a little early on Monday and meet them at Old Town

Nathan got to dress up like a soldier

Then we went panning for gold. Dan's excited about all the gold they're finding! Maybe Nathan and Aaron will buy dinner tonight.

Tim & Dawn took the boys to the zoo one day

Watching the animals

Joining the animals

Those days without naps are a killer!

Dan got to spend a day with Tim & Dawn & the boys at Balboa Park, Coronado, and Torrey Pines

Benjamin & Nathan love exploring and climbing things, so they had fun wherever we went!

This is one of the only shots we got of everyone. We saw a "Lego Jester" at Legoland and had to get a group photo!

San Diego has a ton of family-friendly places, and Tim, Dawn, & the boys had a great vacation. We enjoyed spending as much time as we could with them, and hearing about their adventures each day. We miss them and wish we all lived closer so we could see them more often. But we counted the days until Christmas, and we'll see them again in 70 days! We can't wait!

Miramar Air Show

2010-10-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

Dan and I went to the Miramar Air Show last night at Miramar MCAS to see their twilight show for the first time. We had been to the daytime show years ago with Dan's parents, and I had seen it again since then with my coworkers. It's a fantastic show that culminates with the Navy Blue Angels' performance. They run the show for three days every year in Oct., and last night they had a one-night-only twilight show, which we (well, mainly me, but Dan was game) wanted to check out. We got to the base just as the Blue Angels performed at the end of the daytime air show, then waited through a long intermission while they set up for the night show. It did not disappoint! Here are a few highlights we enjoyed.

They added lights and sparkler effects on the planes and people who performed during the night show. Here's a video of a guy (the announcer said he was a paraplegic) flying a hang glider that was shooting off fireworks. The effect was beautiful!

The night took a turn towards redneck when they strapped jet engines to this truck and ran it down the runway at full speed. Awesomeness. You can hear Dan laughing at the end of the video. :)

They had a big fireworks show set to patriotic music at the end of the evening, and the grand finale was the "Wall of Fire." Fun times!

Labor Day Weekend & Saying Goodbye to San Diego

2010-09-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ha ha, gotcha didn't I? Dan and I aren't saying goodbye to San Diego, our friends Eric and Jenn are. More on that later - first I want to talk about our super fun Labor Day weekend in TX with my mom's side of the family! It's become a new annual tradition for our extended family to get together at my Uncle Brian and Aunt Margaret's ranch house over Labor Day instead of trying to coordinate time together at Christmas. Christmastime get-togethers worked before several of the cousins got married, but now there are just too many family schedules to work around.

Unfortunately, our weekend started with a bang - literally. We spent Friday night at my parent's house and loaded their brand-new Hyundai Veracruz on Saturday morning. And then ... accidentally backed out of the garage with the car hatchback open. It wasn't pretty. The "safety glass" in the back window hit the top of the garage door and it didn't just crack the glass - it shattered it into a million pieces! I guess the idea of safety glass is that it gives way if a person hits it in an accident, instead of holding strong and forcing the person's head to give way. It was a horrible, sickening way to start the weekend, especially since the car was so new. But we cleaned up the best we could and drove it to the dealer and picked up a rental while my parent's car went to the shop.

Cleaning up all the glass that shattered inside the car and garage. Don't worry, Steve and Dan stopped smiling as soon as my dad turned around.

**Warning** DO NOT use your fingers to pull glass out of the crack in the seat. This could happen to you!!

Sad Mom with a sad Veracruz

Once we got to the ranch house, though, the weekend was great! We had the best time catching up with our aunts, uncles and cousins. There are so many fun things to do around the ranch house, like playing whiffleball, eating, card games, ping pong, eating, relaxing on the back porch, riding the 4-wheeler, eating, stargazing through a telescope, tree-climbing, napping, laughing at each other, and eating. Our cousin Kolby would disagree that tree-climbing was part of the *fun* since he got roped into climbing a monster tree to rescue a kickball, while everyone else stood around laughing and calling out generally unhelpful suggestions. And Dan is probably the only one who would classify napping in the fun category, but hey, there's a little something for everyone at the ranch house!

Great Uncle Jim and Great Aunt Astrid

My mom with Cousin Beryl Ann and Aunt Merle

Praying before the meal

Playing a family whiffleball game

A great shot of everyone playing whiffleball with the ranch house in the background

My cousins made up an awesome new ping pong game called "One Bounce". It was the source of many many hours of hilarity.

The cutest members of the family, Addi, Jackson, and Laura. That's a cricket on Addi's arm. Jackson is also holding a cricket in his hand, and this photo was taken right before he ATE IT. I wish I was kidding. My cousin Emily took these awesome pictures of the kids.

Emily, photographer extraordinaire

Emily also took some family photos of us with her nice new camera. Somehow she managed to get fantastic shots, despite the "I don't want my picture taken" crankiness and "I can't sit still and smile nicely" goofiness going on that I'm sure didn't make it easy for her. I won't name any names, but it wasn't me, Dan, my mom, or Paul. Anyway, a few of my favorites are below. It was a perfect weekend full of family time, which we fully appreciate every chance we can!

This is where I suggested that my Mom & Dad kiss in one of the pictures, and Steve said "Well why don't we ALL kiss!" He's trying to sell Paul on the idea, but Paul is having none of it.

The following weekend, we had dinner with our friends Eric & Jenn and Dave & Cynthia and their kids. Eric & Jenn are quitting their jobs as pathologists for the Navy (do you "quit" the Navy? or "un-enlist"?) and moving to North Carolina, where Eric has been hired at UNC. They have two kiddos, James and Sarah, and Jenn's dream of being a stay-at-home mom will finally come true. They're so excited about the next chapter in their lives, so we're excited for them, too. Even though we wish they could start a new chapter in San Diego instead so we could have more time with them. They're an amazing family and have been a part of many of our happiest memories here. We're going to try to meet up with them when we visit Dan's family in VA, so we'll see you guys on the east side!

Left to right: Debby, Eric, Jenn, Sarah, James, Cynthia, Dave, Olivia, and Dan

We'll miss you guys!!

(How awesome is the crayon in James' mouth? He liked them better than his dinner, I think.)

Clean Comedy

2010-08-05T11:52:00.001-07:00

Dan & I went to The Rock Church in San Diego last night to see a comedy show. It was awesome! I love clean comedy, but someone needed to redeem it for me after we saw a couple of horrible comedy acts at Spirit West Coast earlier this year. Horrible in the sense of "if they were performing for anyone except Christians, they'd be booed off the stage." See, here's the problem for a lot of clean comedians - they perform for Christian audiences. Christian audiences don't get drunk, so you have to actually be funny.

Anyway, the comedians last night were hysterical, and we had a great time! We saw three acts from John Branyan, Bob Smiley, and Tim Hawkins. They each had different styles, and I'd recommend going to see any of them if you get the chance. Here are a few videos of them from YouTube so you can pretend you went with us - enjoy!

John Branyan - knows how to find the hilarious in everyday things
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJPKwZ5Acb8&feature=related

Bob Smiley - likes to get your mind going in one direction as he tells a story, and then BAM! throws a curveball at you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6St4-5E79A&feature=channel

Tim Hawkins - does a combination of stand-up comedy and musical numbers based on popular melodies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsJHqstPuNo

The Big Island

2010-07-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

Dan and I visited the Big Island last week for summer vacation! We figured we'd better take advantage of living in southern CA where it's *relatively* close and inexpensive to travel to Hawaii! Plus, I wanted to see molten lava before I die, and I can now check that one off the bucket list! We had a great time and saw sights we'll never forget. But there were a few things that took us by surprise, so I'll let you in on some secrets now in case you ever decide to visit the Big Island.

Surprise #1: The entire airport is outdoors. The gates, the baggage claims, everything. Although nothing screams "vacation destination" like a place with an outdoor airport, it would be less than lovely to fly in or out of Kona on a rainy day!

(Somewhat obvious) Surprise #2) When they say "Big Island," they mean "BIG." We stayed on the west side of the island all week, which made for long days when we visited sights on the east side. We love all-day road trips, but if it's not your thing, you should book a couple of nights on the opposite side of the island when you go.

Surprise #3) The most popular side of the island is also the ugly side. Since the Big Island is relatively young and the west side gets hardly any rainfall, there are lots of lava fields that aren't covered by vegetation. It's great weather-wise, but the terrain looks like the aftermath of a nuclear bomb. Dan says the dementors from Harry Potter's world would feel right at home there. The other side of the island is gorgeous and lush, but of course it rains there every day. So there is no perfect place to stay, unless you plan to never leave your posh resort. We're not judging you, but you are boring.

This is what a LOT of the Big Island looks like. You're not gonna see that on a postcard!

But on the bright side, here's the weather forecast. The challenge of being a Hawaiian weatherman: How many creative ways can you say "mid-80s and partly sunny"?

Surprise #4) The cops on the Big Island drive their own personal vehicles, so they're hard to spot! It's only a problem if you tend to speed *cough*Dan* We saw the police driving all kinds of autos, so there wasn't a specific make or model to be wary of. We called them "KMart Cops" because they had the "blue light special" on top.

KMart cop alert, 2nd in line

Okay, enough advice - on to the pretty pictures!

Day 1: Looking for Signs of Life

Once we drove north, everything looked alive again. We could see Haleakala Crater on Maui from 30 miles across the ocean!

Another beautiful view at Pololu Point at the northern tip of the island

Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site - an ancient Hawaiian temple where laborers also doubled as human sacrifices. What a deal!

Day 2: Molten Lava or Bust

On our way to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we took a detour to the southernmost point in the United States! We had already visited the southernmost point in the Continental U.S.in Key West, FL. Too bad they didn't have a sign or anything here - you'll just have to take our word for it!

We also stopped at Punalu'u black sand beach, where a ton of sea turtles live!

We didn't have an underwater camera, but you can see the turtle that was munching on seaweed just a few feet from where I was standing!

At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Kilauea Crater is behind us, where a pool of lava below the surface creates a steam cloud

Kilauea Crater

Thurston Lava Tube in the park is awesome - you can walk through a lighted section, then keep exploring the dark recesses with a flashlight.

All over the park, you could see where the lava flowed into the ocean at one time or another.

A sea arch made of lava

In March 2010, lava flowed through the National Park, partially burying the road!

Yeah, no kidding!

After dark, we went back to Kilauea Crater to see the steam reflect the orange glow of the lava below. So cool!!

There actually was a new lava flow that we got to see from about a mile away! We heard that if the lava flows through National Park land, the rangers will allow visitors to walk right up to it. But this lava was flowing through either privately-owned or state-owned land, so no such luck. Still, we're fortunate to have gotten to see such an amazing sight!

Day 3: Debby Almost Ruins Dan's Vacation

I would like to publically apologize to Dan for making him hike the trail to Kealakekua Bay. Do you see that trail that forms an "L" shape from the top of the hill to the bay? It took us about an hour to hike 2 miles with a 1,500 foot drop in elevation down a dirt/gravel trail to the bay, which I read was the best snorkeling on the island and a dolphin hang-out place. The coral and fish were gorgeous, but there were no dolphins - bummer! Then we hiked back up the muddy trail in the pouring rain. It was the anti-vacation day.

But after hot showers, we felt alive enough to go to dinner at Quinn's Almost By the Sea.

They had KILLER fish & chips there, made with Ono. It tasted way better than Cod.

And then we enjoyed a beautiful sunset at Anaeho'omalu Bay, which made everything better.

Day 4: Dan's Payback

Dan wanted to drive to the top of Mauna Loa, one of the dormant volcanoes in the middle of the island. We did a lot of mountain driving in CO, but we have never traveled up a road this steep! We went from sea level to almost 14,000 feet! Here's a view of how fast the road disappeared behind us.

And then it turned ugly when the pavement ended and we had to drive 5 miles of steep, unpaved, gravelly road!

Dan's rock solid concentration is the only thing keeping us from plummeting to our deaths. Why am I taking pictures of him?

I was a little nevous, too, but I think I masked my emotions well.

At the summit of Mauna Kea, we got to see the world's largest astronomical observatory. The air is so clear, eleven countries have mounted telescopes there.

We enjoyed the view for a while, but we were feeling a little sick and light-headed from the sudden altitude change, so we headed back to sea level!

We drove to the east side of the island, which looks exactly the way you expect Hawaii to look. We're standing in front of Rainbow Falls near Hilo.

We took a break from driving and walked through a beautiful park in the town of Hilo

We drove along the Old Highway, which had phenomenal views

Before racing back to the west side to catch the sunset!

Day 5: Would Someone Please Teach Us How to Relax?

We drove to beautiful Waipi'o Valley at the northern tip of the island.

This area used to be heavily populated until a tsunami filled the valley in the 1940s, wiping everything out. Eventually a few people decided to move back there to get away from it all. They said you can hike down there, but the residents don't like soft city folk.

We hiked down about halfway before turning around. We thought the mountain road yesterday was steep - parts of this road had a 25% incline. Our car would've never made it! We spent the rest of our day walking along a coastal trail behind some of the fancy resorts in Kohala. We were beat by the evening!

But it was all worth it for the ultimate treat - Hawaiian Shave Ice! None of that crunchy "snow cone" mess, they actually shave the ice so it's like eating powdery snow. And just when you think it couldn't get any more delicious, you find the scoop of ice cream hidden in the bottom of your bowl and the last few bites taste like a Creamsicle. *bliss*

Days 6 & 7: Nothing Exciting (Finally)

Our last couple of days were truly relaxing. We ate out at restaurants and took leisurely walks. Our last morning, we rented a stand-up paddleboard and played in the bay beside our hotel. But that was relaxing, too.

Boarding our flight home!

June Fun

2010-06-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated since there's been something going on every weekend recently! It's been busy but fun! A few weeks ago, we spent an entire Saturday at "Spirit West Coast," which is a Christian music festival they hold in California each year. We saw the Supertones, Manic Drive, Matthew West, Jars of Clay, & Steven Curtis Chapman, along with some great local Christian bands. During the other June weekends, we got to celebrate with our friends at a wedding, a baby shower, a graduation ceremony, and several birthday parties.

I've spent time with some friends from out of town recently, too. One of my Denver co-workers, Kristen, came to San Diego to meet with her clients and we spent a fun two hours at dinner catching up. Another friend from high school in Nashville came to San Diego for a conference and Dan and I met up with him, too. Jon and I knew each other well as teenagers and reconnected through Facebook recently, so it was great to get reaquainted as adults.

Sadly, we're also losing some of our San Diego friends soon. Chris is one of Dan's coworkers at school, and he and his wife, Adessa, have become good friends to us over the past few years. They're moving up to Anaheim this week so Chris can start his master's program. It's only an hour and a half away, but we're going to miss having them in town! They'll live right across the street from Disneyland, so they can definitely expect to see us! Because *one* of us is a bald-headed Disney freak. :)

Dan's school year ended in mid-June and he still works all summer, but it feels like a completely different job without the kids & teachers there. He gets a lot more quiet, uninterrupted time to work on his computer and plan for next year, which he enjoys. Plus he goes in later in the mornings, so he's taken up roller hockey on Wed. nights as well as Sun. nights again. More hockey=more joy as far as he's concerned. My work load has taken off this summer with several new proposals we're bidding to try to win more work for my company. I've also started a Photoshop class, to help me with the ads and flyers I'm responsible for since we lost our graphic designer during layoffs in January.

Here are some pics from Spirit West Coast and a couple of birthday parties this month.

Jars of Clay is one of Dan's favorite bands. They sounded awesome in concert!

Steven Curtis Chapman has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. Two of his sons played in his band (drums & electric guitar), which was awesome. He made me cry like a baby when he sang two songs dedicated to his little girl who was tragically killed.

We celebrated my co-worker, Kat's, birthday this month with lunch and a hike.

Ready to go!

The scenery was breathtaking, and the strenuousness of the hike reminded me of hiking in the CO Rockies.

We celebrated another special birthday with Olivia, who turns 1 this week. I think I've got some competition from that little heartbreaker! She thought Dan was the coolest!

Reason #437 Why We Love San Diego

2010-05-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

Three words: Dog Surfing Competition.

Sorry the video is shaky at first, I was being pummelled by a wave.

More Family Time!

2010-05-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Dan's parents came to visit us for a week, and we loved having them here! Dan & I had to work all week, unfortunately, but they got to see what a normal work week looks like for us, and had plenty of time to tour San Diego during the days. They made time to pick one of us up for lunch each day, though, and it was really fun having them at home every night when we got off work!

When the weekend finally arrived, we took Dan's mom out for a belated Mother's Day celebration at the Cheesecake Factory (obviously she is a woman after my own heart). We kept Saturday and Sunday laid back with shopping, walking on the beach & the bay, touring Old Town, church, and of course afternoon naps. :) Dan played roller hockey on Sunday night, and I think it was the first hockey game they'd seen him play besides the street hockey games he played with neighborhood kids growing up.

They're hoping to visit us again in the fall, and we can't wait!

Mother's Day meal at the Cheesecake Factory

Shopping at Old Town for...um...cow's feet???

Dan playing hockey (in the center). I tried taking pictures of him when he was really in action, but he was too fast for our camera & looked blurry in the pictures!

Prom Night

2010-05-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

A hot guy asked me to prom this year, so I said yes. It's still surprisingly fun, but an altogether different experience for us now.

Debby getting ready for Prom - 1995: "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! Prom is FINALLY HERE!! I should've gotten my nails done yesterday - how will I EVER get ready in only 4 hours? Sooooo nervous! I hope my nail appt. doesn't make me late to my hair appt., because then I...Oh.No. IS THAT A ZIT???" (you get the picture - hours of endless angst and frantic rushing around)

Debby getting ready for Prom - 2010: "Ugggh. Prom's tonight, isn't it. (Digs through closet for faithful black dress) Hang on, give me 15 mins to do something to my hair. You wanna grab fast food for dinner on the way?"

Dan getting ready for Prom - 2010: "I would rather have a root canal than go to this thing. Next year, somebody else is going." (He says that every year)

But we did have a lot of fun and Dan loves seeing his high schoolers have a great time together. The kids looked great, the venue was beautiful, the music was loud, I wasn't voted prom queen (still mad), Dan danced the Electric Slide and showed those kids how it was done, and a good time was had by all.

Prom 2010

Just for kicks: Prom 1995 (No, that's not Dan with hair...)

THAT'S Dan with hair!!!

Seven Years and Counting

2010-05-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

This Monday, Dan & I celebrated our 7th anniversary! Seven years! Wow, that's a long time ... er, I mean, boy does time fly when you're madly in love! :) Honestly, I think we've had the closest thing to a 7-year honeymoon that's possible, and we're so thankful because we know it's all because of God's grace. Not that we haven't had our down times, but maybe they haven't seemed so bad because we've always been in each other's corner, offering support and creative ideas to make things better. But as much as we cherish one another, we don't depend on each other for ultimate purpose, security, or love. God is the only one who can meet all our needs, and knowing that sure takes a lot of pressure off our relationship!

Dan's much more of a visionary than I am, and he's occasionally said that he envisioned his life a lot differently than it's turned out so far. Reading between the lines, he obviously means "I had a really boring life planned until I met you and it took a turn towards AMAZING!" :) I, on the other hand, am neither visionary nor reflective by nature. I live in the present and think about the present, plus or minus 6 months or so. But we both rest securely in the knowledge that we were designed for each other, and that God has brought us through the past 7 years to develop us individually and together as husband and wife. We're exactly where He wants us to be today, and it feels perfect.

A little of this...

And a little of that...

= an awesome 7th anniversary celebration!

The day that started it all.

Our friend's kid who's blowing bubbles in the background has his driver's license now. sigh.