lately

*On Monday we met a few of my friends from high school. The beach we went to had HUGE waves (borderline scary). The kids were able to go a little way out into the water, but we were all quite happy when the sand occupied most of their time.

*To make sure there were no room for complaints about the lack of swimming this summer, we headed to Yucaipa Regional Park again a couple days later. :)

*Last week I was telling Kendall how some people have, "Christmas in July" parties. She jumped on that train right quick and wanted to plan one for the neighbors. It was a very simple party of just Christmas cookie decorating (with a little Pandora Christmas music in the background), but they all had a blast.

*Yesterday we went school lunch box shopping. It was made much more fun with my Starbucks. A friend of mine had given me her, "treat receipt" from her purchase earlier in the day, so I got my drink for only $2.50!

*I was quite pleased with their choices. I've said before that I do NOT like cartoon character clothing, backpacks, etc. I was willing to indulge if that was what they wanted...but luckily it wasn't :)

*Chris and I started West Wing again from the beginning. We watched the whole series back before kids and it is still one of my favorite series.

*Confession: I do not wash our water bottles very often. Not often at all. Oops.

soup plantation

*I've been watching an old season of Food Network Star on Netflix. One of the contestants made risotto using riced cauliflower. I make riced cauliflower about once a week, but I'm the only one who eats it (poor Chris can't stand the smell). Maybe this recipe will help ease he and the kids into it...I'll keep you posted. :)

*This past week I took the kids to a VBS down the street. Cameron wasn't quite into it and ended up staying back with me each day (Kendall LOVED it). I must admit that I had made a few plans thinking I wouldn't have either kid for a few hours each day, but Cam and I were able to have some fun times together, including some marathon Harry Potter reading sessions and a bike ride.

*We took the kids to Soup Plantation today to celebrate their new shoe-tying abilities. It's funny that both kids only ate mac & cheese and bread. I guess just the idea of having unlimited varieties of food is the exciting part. :)

*I'm hearing, "Our summer is going so fast!", from a lot of people. I must agree and I don't like it one bit.

*Our health insurance "fun" continues. I must say that last year we felt very helped by it and were very grateful. This year? Not so much... :(

visit with jen

*I finally quit dragging my feet and taught the kids how to tie their shoes. Actually I ended up finding a Youtube video because I was horrible at teaching. Kendall REALLY got into it. :) Their reward for learning was a trip to Soup Plantation (a favorite restaurant), which we will take this weekend. :)

*Last weekend we took a trip to Winco. We stopped at Panera beforehand for bagels. The visit was made even more fun by the thunder and lightning outside. The kids loved getting excited over every flash.

*Yesterday we drove out to visit my friend, Jen. It was so fun to just hang out and talk while the kids swam, and swam, and swam some more. :) I love thinking of us 23 years ago when we first met. And to see all these little kiddos, who belong to us,  running around is so surreal. :)

*I needed some new snacks for the kids so I went back to my Pinterest "Done it" board and found an energy bar recipe I had made in the past. The kids love them and I like that they help Kendall with her poop troubles (since they are made with so many prunes).

No Bake Double Chocolate and Prune Energy Bars

chicken sandwich

*If I were to list what we've had for dinners over the past few weeks, it would be way too embarrassing. We have had the same things over and over and over...

*I HATE when people crack their knuckles (or any bones for that matter). Not only do I hate the sound, I literally turn my face away from them because I can't watch. It also grosses me out when you have to make a tight fist before a nurse draws blood. I can't even look at my own hand when she makes me clinch.

*Chris is in Vegas right now with two friends. After he left on Sunday, we went to hang out with one of the other wives, Ana, and her kids. The kids LOVED their swimming time and I LOVED my talking time with her. :)

*I introduced the kids to Chick-fil-A's chicken sandwich the other day. I sold them as, "big chicken nuggets on a bun". Despite their faces in the picture, they loved them. :)

*Bachelorette: Team Nick. Definitely.

*I can't believe that in all the years Harry Potter has been out, I still have never heard or read how the series ultimately ends. I'm so glad since Cameron and I are only a few weeks away from the conclusion.

*I came across this recently. Wow. I need some sort of excuse to make it. This is my all time favorite dessert flavor combination.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Overload Cake

mt. baldy

*A few days ago we went to Barnes and Noble so the kids could pick out their free book they earned through the summer reading program. I told Kendall that she could read her's to me when we got home. I didn't quite realize how loooooong the book was. Yikes! :)

*Yesterday my dad and I took Cameron on a hike up Mt. Baldy. We didn't intend on making it to the top, but we got pretty far and it was such fun!

Cameron was VERY excited about all his gear. Unfortunately his $17 Altimeter turned out to be just that, a $17 gadget that didn't fully work. But he had a good attitude and enjoyed at least telling us the temperature as we went along. :)

Here is a 6 second video to give you a taste of our descent. 

One of the highlights of hiking is running into fellow hikers. Some aren't too keen on chit-chat, whereas others are eager to talk about the trail and other trails they have done. We ran into several people on the way down, which was quite fun.

In wanting to make sure Kendall had a fun day as well, I arranged for her to spend her time at my friend, Jessica's house. She had a great morning. :)

By the evening, Cam was pooped! When he gets really tired, he gets pretty emotional about simple things. After a back and forth on whether he should go to Taekwando (he wanted to, but didn't, but did, but didn't...tears...etc.), I pulled out my "never-fail" when it comes to calming him down. He rested on his bed while I read Harry Potter. :)

cap'n crunch

*We've been enjoying a few of the summer programs offered at the library. Last week we went to, "Meet A Firefighter". A few days later Chris took the kids to a magic show, where Cam was chosen as a volunteer. In a few hours we'll head to, "Meet a Guide Dog". 

*Yesterday I took the kids to a birthday party for one of Kendall's school friends. We ended up leaving before the cake was cut. I told them that we would get a treat on the way home since they missed out. Cam chose a couple McDonald's cookies and Kendall chose....get ready for it...Cap'n Crunch Delights (from Taco Bell).  Yuck!!! I don't even want to think about what they were made out of! :)

*Part of the reason we left early from the party was because I had a headache and was exhausted. This was in large part due to the 4th of July "round two" some neighbors decided to do the previous night. Apparently people sleeping wasn't a factor in deciding to light their fireworks late into the night. Grr....

*The kids and I just got back from Kendall's gymnastics class. I decided to have us bike there since it's isn't too far. Luckily the uphill part was first, making it so getting to her class was motivation to keep going (she can lose steam pretty quickly). :) 

downton abbey

*We went to the beach yesterday with my sister, her girls, and my mom. Cameron only asked me about 20 times if it would be the last time we saw them. Luckily it wasn't, but we still will only get to see them once more before they leave... :(

Whenever we go to the beach, we always stop at McDonald's on the way home for a treat. My ever hungry boy needed a hamburger AND a cookie. :) Kendall ordered her usual ice cream sundae.

*Speaking of ice cream, a friend recently asked me about my favorite ice cream flavor. I would have to say Peanut Butter in Chocolate from Baskin Robbins ranks #1. Their peanut butter isn't all sugar'd up, so the salty contrast is yummy with the chocolate ice cream. 

*My parents (especially my dad) are big fans of Downton Abbey. My dad bought the entire series and really wants us to watch it. Chris is skeptical. :) I told him to at least give it a few episodes. I know we are late to the game, but this was (and still is?) quite the show to watch, right???

jurassic park

*I did end up getting called in for Jury duty. Luckily my group was dismissed by 2:00. :)

*While I was gone, Chris took the kids to the outlets to get new backpacks for the fall. They chose well as I was crossing my fingers they wouldn't veer toward cartoon/Disney ones. :)

*I've officially decided my favorite frapp comes from Costco. No Starbucks, no Coffee Bean, just my $1.49 "Latte Freeze". :) Here is one I got on our trip home from Pismo. They are a MUST on road trips.

*The other day we made a parenting blunder. We mistakenly thought the kids could handle the first Jurassic Park movie. This smiley picture was taken toward the beginning. Kendall lasted half the movie and although Cameron watched the entire thing, he was pretty clear in telling us he will never watch it again. Oops. :(

*I'm half way through last night's Bachelorette. So far I'm team-Nick. I think Shawn is almost too good for her.

*Tonight, as usual, Kendall was taking forever to finish her vegetables. Chris teasingly threatened her with a bucket of water, which turned into wanting daddy to pour water on her AND Cam. :)

costco

*Today after church we headed out to the desert. I'm not kidding when I say that Kendall talked or read aloud (basically we heard her little voice non-stop) the ENTIRE 45 minutes. Even after Costco, she started right back up reading a "story" from our receipt. Wow :)

*We had a lot to get today:

-Eggs

-Ground Beef

-Meatballs: Cam LOVES meatballs, however they are a tad labor intensive. I finally broke down and bought the frozen ones. Hopefully they will be good.

-Sunblock

-Melatonin- Chris has found this really helps him fall asleep quickly. The only problem is that it doesn't last the entire night. :(

-Feta

-Socks for me

-Pineapple & Bacon Chicken Sausages

Best sample today: Cheesecake Factory Original Cheesecake. While I would never order it at the restaurant (I think people who order plain there are just silly), it sure was amazing.

*Most kids will make up for lack of consistent sleep at some point. Cameron? Not so much. Even after a week of vacation and a late firework show last night, he woke up pre-6:00 a.m. this morning. However, he has been somewhat of a walking zombie today. After Costco we went to Barnes and Noble and he didn't really move from this spot.

*I think this is such a funny picture. Rebekah and I are in a jacket and pants, yet it somehow wasn't too cold for our kids to be in the water. :)

*I'm currently on "stand by" for jury duty this week. Hopefully I'll never be taken off and can miss it all together. I'm all for serving, but not when I have kids at home.

pismo pictures

Yesterday we got back from a super fun week with Chris' family at Pismo Beach.  We packed in plenty of activities, but also plenty of relaxing. :)

One morning the four of us took a long walk on a bike trail which ended at Avila Beach.

We met up with everyone there for a picnic lunch.

The picnic was followed by ice cream. The kids were so spoiled getting to spend an entire week with their cousins. :)

One morning Chris and I took Cameron on a more strenuous hike in San Lois Obispo. 

A friend of Chris' parents (who lives in the area) told us about an amazing wrap she gets in downtown Pismo. Chris and I left the kids one day and went for lunch. It consisted of Tri-tip, avocado, cheese, BBQ sauce, and fries all inside the wrap. It had tons of flavor (although a tad spicy for me). :)

Many hours were spent playing games. :)

Debbie bought each cousin a Lego set. Here they are putting them together while chatting with Grandma W. 

The cousins with grandma and grandpa.

I can't believe I don't have any pictures of the actual beach. We stayed right on the water and the kids LOVED getting to go down to the waves so often. We had such a fun week and as usual, it went by way too fast. :)