Winter

Tulips usually help me through the dreaded winter blues.

And that they get to wear these coats to church.

And the snow has not been lacking.

I am probably the only mom here that hasn't built a snowman with their kids. Not that they aren't asking they are.  I just really don't like the snow. It's cold and wet and gets in every nook and cranny.  Sand castles, that is up my alley... snowmen not so much.
But the forecast says more days of snow so I keep telling myself I will have plenty of opportunities.






But those snow covered mountains (insert emoji with the heart shaped eyes).

 So we've been doing plenty of indoor activities. I have implemented a new system. I was tired of Saturdays feeling like they were wasted. Planning on getting soooooo much done, to only just sit around all day long and realize by Sunday night it was a wasted weekend. One that was not fun filled or productive. I blame it on winter blues. So we do chores in the morning. We have a list and everyone has a job. If we finish the job by lunch then we can go somewhere fun. This particular Saturday was the dinosaur museum. 

I thought it would be busy since it was a Saturday but I was pleasantly surprised.

Cancer Sucks

 This is how she rolled for 14 days. She had more mast cell tumors, so we got them removed. She is just shy of her 14th birthday, so our days of putting her under to remove the tumors are limited.

She doesn't act her age so I think she still has many more years, so when I hear things like "cancer" and "the tumors can show up over night", "you need to consider her old age will take her before the cancer", it kind of sucker punches me in the gut.

Our days our limited with her, I know that. However, it could be next month or who knows another 3 years. Seriously, though the amount of stuff she has ingested we're lucky she made it to 14!

All I know, is I will enjoy her presence while I have it. When she follows me from room to room. Barks at the UPS man. Wakes me up with her dog breath in my face. I will cherish it all. Because she was my first dog, at let's me honest I am gonna be a mess when she goes.

Hello There 2017

It's the early hours of a New Year, so I thought I would dust off the ol' blog.

I've taken a bit of a break from social media since before Christmas; something I really wish I would have done sooner. I love social media, particularly for family, but it's the other stuff that comes with it I needed a break from, so I thought for this year less social media more blogging (ironic since I remember a time I needed to take a break from blogs).

2016 has not been a personally low year for us, in fact it's been very good to us. I however, have never had so much gut wrenching reactions while reading the news like I have this year. I get a pang of distress every time I open a news website (funny no more newspaper) and sometimes read it with one eye open in hopes that will soften the blow to what I will read next. I know throughout human history there is darkness and there always will be. It's just a bit darker than I imagined it would be in my lifetime, and so I turn to my blog. My little space in the world.  My space where I can share goodness, light and laughter. I can come here and write the good things I have done, seen and experienced. (For some reason it feels a little less braggy than posting it on instagram?)

According to instagram this is my top 9. These are the 9 pictures that received the highest amount of likes. And although, yes, I do love these pictures. I decided to make my own 9, except I couldn't just narrow it down to 9... I made my top 16 pictures.













1. One of my favorite pictures from Kaua'i. This is on Pihea trail. Pihea Trail over looking the Kalalau Valley.
2. I am just going to own my narcissism, this is probably just one of very few pictures I actually like of myself. Is it weird I want to frame it? Not to put in my house for all to see but for me? In my little inspirational shelf in my closet?
3. Our last minute trip to Disneyland. We loaded the kids in the car at midnight and drove all night, to make it to Mickey's-Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party. Best Party Ever,
4. PINK! (Favorite thing I ever did to my hair... and I've done a lot of things to my hair)
5. Because he makes me laugh and I love National Parks. 
6. Highlight of the year, I got to spend Mother's Day with my Nanny and Mother. Afternoon Tea at the Grand America.
7. Our little Califlower learned how to lock the doors but not how to unlock them earlier this year. (She now knows how to unlock)
8. Little Miss Broccoli insisted we throw Sydney at 13th birthday party, it was small. This year she has been planning another one and it will be bigger.
9. Exactly one year ago today we started our year in Del Mar with our entire little family. It was one of the best mornings I have ever had.
10. This is probably my favorite picture of us.
11. What Santa brought Syd for Christmas
12. One of the many camping trips we went on this year, and she is in her element.
13. Because I love how they love each other. They both just brighten my day.
14. I find random lengths of toilet paper all over the house because Califlower likes to pretend she is an animal, and of course, she needs a tail. She loves being a wolf, and here she is in a wolf costume. Cutest little wolf. She wore that trail until it there was nothing left.
15. Probably my favorite picture of the year. I love her adventurous spirit. 
16. Friendship. Me with my childhood friend who came for a visit. If there is one thing I can say I am truly blessed with, it's friends. They bring a lot of fulfillment and laughter in my life.

And a little year review...

Our year in numbers

418 loads of laundry
200 pounds of Alaskan caught fish
26 miles totaled hiked as a family
2 ER visits
7 stitiches
0 broken bones