Hello Collins

My big guy turned 45! His work had a lunch for him and I got a text to join them which was fun!  Leda had asked me what his favorite food is... (mashed potatoes with brown gravy)  She ordered it with some very good tri tip and beans (wait, that's my favorite!)  Oh, and the most delicious tres leches cake!  I basically showed up for the surprise :) The next day we woke up at the crack of dawn to bring Clay down to LAX for his "work trip" He was invited along with the president of Fisk and 2 others to take this break. (Nice timing for his bday!) I can tell he is excited about going :) Happy Camper The text I received after he landed.  A full week with no wifi, breathing in fresh air, no disruptions, just time to completely decompress.  Fish, read, eat, sleep, repeat :) Sitka, Alaska There is his boat pulling in for his trip :) (looks like the SS Minnow to me) I was so happy for him to do this. The b

It happened.  My first kindergartner has entered her senior year of high school. So many thoughts and emotions ran through my mind after I sent her off :) I rummaged through all of my old photos. (I may have choked up)  Turns out I had one with her on that first day at Spruce Elementary.  I also have one of me and Chester at Mesa Elementary   but not with Henry and Audrey.  I was disappointed by that discovery :(  But I think it kind of reflects the order of children. The first one seems to be well documented with ALL the firsts! (oh, she said dada!she is holding a spoon! she is reading!she is going off to school!) And the last is like...all the lasts...sniff sniff  (with a tear, oh...now I'm alone...there he goes! off to walking, and talking and school!) And then Henry and Audrey.... the middles.  Not forgotten. I swear!  but as a mother, apparently I fell down on recognizing their first day of kindergarten.  this is IT! how did this happen

We attempted a bucket list for summer.  We made our way through half of it... It's all in the trying, isn't it? We put down "all the beaches" on the list Zuma Beach in Malibu  on a mess of towels :) Petersen Automotive Museum with Audrey and Chester I love hotrods So does Audrey :) Luke Skywalker's landspeeder behind us :) fuzzy picture taking by Chester in front of us picked up Lucy from her Duke Math Camp amazing opportunity to say the least. Smarty pants. We called it "practice college" and our reunion was sweet💙 documenting flowers smiling at me beach day with Aud while Lucy played in a tournament apres beach time our go to before we head home! my mantra for summer except I realized it works when you live in a place like the Milkbarn not Los Angeles it's go go go here San Francisco trip (I wrote a whole post on it  here , still feels like home) beach