Another year has come and gone.
Holding onto {ALL} that 2010 brought our way…
It was a success…and now we’re sitting down, buckling up, holding on and looking forward to what Twenty Eleven will bring.
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“From success you get a lot of things, but not that great inside thing that love brings you.”
~ Sam Goldwyn ~
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Wishing you {LOVE} today and always…
Have a safe and joyous New Year!
Skating into the holidays…
…one tradition at a time.
Turkey & cranberries, mashed potatoes & gravy, sweet potatoes & marshmallows, green beans & fried onions and apple crumb pie & whipped cream have all been consumed.
Sat in front of the fireplace sipping coffee and admiring the holiday decor in this month’s Coastal Living {drool} and jotting down oodles of festive recipes and beverages.
Annual family ornaments have been purchased.
And, yes, Santa has been visited……TWICE!
We’ve already had SO much fun and it’s all just started.
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
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I’ve learned that if you don’t scurry, take it all in early and enjoy EVERY minute, it’s gone.
Not gonna let that happen.
‘Tis the season!
…and the 2010 NFL season will be in full swing!
Hitting up the UCLA vs. Stanford game this Saturday evening, too.
Football is in the air.
I LOVE the sound of whistles, referee calls, cheerleaders and commentators.
Now to put together some tailgatin’ eats for the Rose Bowl….
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Yup…we’ve been to the mountains!
Flip Flop Follies National Park Edition coming up…
Have flip flops, will travel!
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As always on the way up, we stop in Bako @ Sonic for a quick lunch and my all-time fave…
{Don’t bother me, I’m enjoying my Blended Root Beer Float!}
Note to self: Don’t bother me, I’m covering my grays!
Temptation:
We made it to “Camp Duke” just in time for Happy Hour on the deck.
Followed by good ol’ Camp Duke fare….Grilled Chicken, corn and salad:
S’mores for dessert!
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Good morning, Wawona!
Grilled veggie frittata:
Our annual stagecoach ride with Beryl:
Hiking to the swimming hole:
Waterlogged:
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It was a treat to witness two of the four baby bluejays leaving the nest!
Mama bird was squawking up a storm ~ I’m sure she was half yelling at us to get away from her babies and half scolding them for leaving the nest!
Sweet baby bluejay.
We cordoned off the deck so the pooches wouldn’t “harm” the baby bird!
This is the third little sweetheart that didn’t get the courage to leave the nest just yet. There is one more sibling in the nest behind him/her:
These were the most spoiled babies! They have grown up on peanuts, almonds and bread crusts thus far. The kids had fun putting the food out for Mama bird to swoop down and grab. She would go up in the trees above the deck, get the peanuts out of the shell and then fly off to feed her brood.
So fun to watch.
{She’ll eat your peanuts all day long, but DON’T get too close to her babies!}
We also caught the rear of a deer at the neighbor’s house:
The kiddos thought this was the bee’s knees.
We saw squirrels that tried to eat our lunch leftovers at the swimming hole!
Grunc saw a 10-point (5 “points” on each side) buck while walking home from the barn dance.
Yikes!
Nature is so busy with all our little animal friends.
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Next on the agenda, tri-tip dinner, more sweet corn, fresh green beans and salad:
More s’mores for dessert with the sweet neighbors, The Lowry’s!
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The next morning we took a short hike to some local waterfalls.
Holdy and I were on the “leisurely hike” plan!
He walked the whole way, though ~ bless his heart.
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Later that evening we went to our usual Summer BBQ at the gorgeous Wawona Hotel.
Holden demonstrates how to eat watermelon on a stick:
Elliott LOVES her some ribs:
Miss Elliott was also the most loved by the ‘squitos this year, unfortunately.
They LOVED her forehead!
Poor sweetie…
A true mountain girl!
After the BBQ, we always go listen to live piano music in the parlor of the hotel and sip:
…THEN, we go down to the barn dance and do a little do si do!
…and sit outside by the campfire:
Nothin’ like sittin’ in front of the horse stables at a campfire in your flip flops!
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I LOVE that we can kick up some dirt in the mountains, frolic in the sand & surf, enjoy the art at The Getty or spend an afternoon in bustling LA or Hollywood.
But we also love quiet time at home.
So great to live in Southern California and have all this at our fingertips.
After a few days away from real life, I am reminded of our family’s mission statement:
Strive for SIMPLICITY.
SEEK beauty in “the everyday”.
SAVOR these special moments.
Thank you, Unc for {again} being the host with the most with all the delicious, healthy Camp Duke fare and providing your tour guide services and cozy cabin.
Thank you, Gramma, for getting us there and back by filling up the car along the way and filling us with snacks, meals and Starbucks while on the road.
Dust and mosquito bites aside, it was another wonderful trip to Wawona!
Our Summer is now complete.
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I’ve been asking Jay for weeks, “What do you want to do for Father’s Day?”
I guess men and women are different in that guys don’t really care or put a lot of thought into certain things.
So, yesterday morning at 9:00am he was still pondering…
Santa Monica? Beverly Hills?
He settled on The Grove since there are plenty of places to choose from with the Farmer’s Market, The Cheesecake Factory and The Farm.
We strolled around the market checking out all the different options.
Cajun. Kabob. Italian. Mexican. Korean. Chinese. BBQ. Seafood. Breakfast dishes. Sandwiches.
Now, I too, was indecisive!
We shared a sushi roll while we decided on something else.
Jay got beef kabob (which I was glad because he’s been talking about kabob for awhile) with hummus, pita and some middle eastern take on potato salad with mint which was delish.
The kids got pepperoni pizza, of course.
I finally decided that I wanted some spicy Jambalaya from The Gumbo Pot. The line was long…
We also tried the hushpuppies…
…and the beignets for dessert!
Trying to cool theirs off:
Powdered sugar everywhere.
Yum!
We were successful and got out of there without buying anything other than our lunch.
NOT EASY!
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I wanted to fix dinner, of course, but Jay wanted to do Sticky Brown Sugar Glazed Babybacks on the grill. I went to the store and grabbed a slab and a half along with the fixin’s for some Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad and Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. I prepared the dry rub (cayenne, salt & pepper) and made the glaze (brown sugar, beer, cider vinegar, red pepper flakes and mustard powder) and he did the grilling. Thanks, babe!
Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad:
Sweet, sticky ribs:
This was our first time doing ribs. I was a little nervous, but they turned out fantastic. Next time Jay said he will not have as many coals going so they can cook “lower and slower” so to speak, but they were outstanding.
The tater salad was a new find, too and it was perfect with the ribs.
We made our second batch of ice cream…
Peanut Butter Cup ~ Jay’s fave!
In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re indecisive or have the perfect plan in your head.
All that matters is that we spent the day together as a family and reminded ourselves what an honor (most days!) it is to be parents to E & H.
From the moment the Clear Blue Easy stick told me Jay was going to be a daddy, I knew he was going to be a wonderful one.
That was almost 6 years ago!
These two HAVE decided that they have the best daddy in the whole wide world!
We love you, Daddy!
XOXO