San Diego

The last few months have been filled with upheaval for us. Daddy went on the road and we do not get to see him everyday anymore. We moved to a new house. Revamped school and I decided to go back to school and finish my degree. We have been very busy and had a few bouts with some gnarly illnesses. So, when Daddy called and asked if we wanted to come to San Diego to visit him and our extended family, we jumped!

My sister and her husband have a boat and we were fortunate enough to be invited to go out deep sea fishing for the day. What a fun adventure.

The kids were so excited. They had never been out in the open ocean in a boat before.

The baby was happier with Daddy in the cabin at first.


But after awhile she decide it was ok to lounge with me and soak up the California sun.


The bait fish proved to be way more fun than the actual act of fishing.

The kids decided to try to catch birds instead.





Anna decided she had no fear and was running all over the boat which caused me to be terrified and enjoy exactly zero relaxing in the sun!



Wyatt decided to be king of the world and had an absolute blast seeing how far he could hang out of the boat.




It was an amazing day and we were so blessed to get to experience it! Thank you Captain Matt.

The Beach

What a wonderful thing it is as a parent to watch your children experience the beautiful earth we live on. To see them wonder at God's creation. To see pure joy on their faces and sand on their feet.




There is no toy or T.V. program or video game that will leave the lasting memories that time well spent will. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be home with my children. To teach them myself. To watch them grow every step of the way.

Taylor Creek Salmon Run

My Grandparents were close by in Lake Tahoe this Fall. Visiting them there is always a special treat for us. We get them all to ourselves and get to enjoy all of our favorite place, TAHOE! They were camping in a different spot than usual and there were trees that were climbable everywhere. The kids had a ball giving me a heart attack.



One of the things on our bucket list has been to make the trek to Taylor Creek to watch the Kokanee Salmon run. Somehow we manage to miss it every year. My Grandparents visit was timed perfectly for us to go all together. Taylor Creek Visitor Center has a short hike called, The Rainbow Trail. The hike is beautiful, easy and has a steam profile chamber, where you can observe see the creek from underwater and watch the fish in action through a panel of windows.



The hike is shady and stunning. There are markers explaining the different plants and animals you might see on your way.



There are a ton of areas to get right up to the waters edge and you could reach out and touch the thousands of fish filling the creek.





There were also plenty of bugs! This little guy was a huge hit.





They were just fascinated with how he moved and how soft he was. We spent a good twenty minutes examining him. It always amazes me, the wonder of children!



My Grandparents took the kids into the viewing chamber but I had my dog in tow so I had to stay on the trail. I went around and found a beautiful spot where a butch of fish had accumulated. When they can out the other side I brought them to my secret location.

As we sat there ooohhhh and ahhhhhing the fish, I heard a very low guttural growl. I looked at my dog and back up to the creek and saw the BIGGEST bear I had ever seen in Tahoe! This picture does no justice to how close and giant this guy was. Jacob snapped this photo as I quietly gathered the kids to leave. The creek was maybe a foot deep here and it would have taken seconds for him to cross. I was so proud none of the kids screamed!

Seattle Science Center

While in Seattle we spent at lot of time at the Seattle Center. From all the awesome museums, to the live musicians to the fountain that is timed to music, we were awash in culture and did not want to leave. After our first amazing trip to the Children's Museum we knew we had to go back for the Pacific Science Center. They have a butterfly exhibit that I knew the girls would just tremble over. I am so glad we went because it was a great adventure.


Sarah was a trooper in her "boot". She broke her foot in three places right as summer started. She told me she tripped on the stairs but she later confessed she did a kamikaze dive off the balcony.


Bugs are always a boys favorite right? The bug exhibits were very interesting and had just enough of the "ick" factor to entertain the teenagers. The Butterflies were a huge hit as I expected. It is very warm and humid in the exhibit and there were a lot of rules to follow. Watch where you step and sit, butterflies are everywhere. No touching and if you are lucky enough to have a butterfly land on you, stand very still till it flies away. The girls were wishing with all their little hearts a butterfly would land on them but as hard as they wished the butterflies stayed just out of reach. Owen was a butterfly machine though and several landed on him. The first time he was thrilled but by the third time I think he was wishing they would go for the girls. Poor kid ended up standing stock still the whole time we were in there.



The Baby area was a big hit with the littlest ones. There were things to climb. Water tables to splash in. A music room to make lots of loud noise and a quiet area to read and relax. The Grandparents and I played with the little ones in there for a bit while the older group went off to explore the tide pools and other amazing exhibits.




After all that education who could resist playing in the fountain. It was built for the 1962 World's Fair. It is a wonder to be sure. Covered in spouts the water shoots in time with music playing through the park. After looking on in envy last time, we came prepared with our swim suits.

I've Got a Daisy On My Toe

Ever since I can remember we have camped. We camp at Fallen Leaf in Lake Tahoe. Some of my best childhood memories are of camping with my mom and her family. Hiking, fishing, swimming, getting dirty, cooking smores and singing around the campfire. Those are some of the things my childhood was made of. I am so blessed to be passing the tradition to my own kids and they love it as much as I did.

Over the years my Grandparents hauled 11 children camping. Their friends the Castanso's camped with them as well. Campfire songs were a Castanso specialty and they wrote the one that we have passed down the family tree.

I've got a daisy on my toe
It's not real, it does not grow
It's just a tattoo of a flower
So I look neat taking a shower

It's on the second toe of my left foot
A stem and flower but there's no root,
cause it wouldn't look good!
I got a daisy on my toe,
my right foot loves my left foot so

This song represents a lifetime with people who mean the world to me. It reminds me of singing and laughing with my mom. It reminds me of the undying, unchanging love of my Grandma and Papa. It reminds me of my Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. It is funny how a simple campfire song can bring so much emotion. So in honor of all those memories and my Grandparents and Mom, I got a daisy on toe.

Turtle Bay

We were lucky enough to get to take a trip to Washington this summer. My Aunt and BFF was getting married. The drive is long, like 15 hours, So knowing I had all the little ones to entertain I planned a few stops.

Turtle bay is in Redding, CA. There are outdoor exhibits like the Paul Bunion Forest Camp and the walk through aviary with beautiful Lories.


They give you a cup of nectar and the birds land right on you. Ava was a magnet and had about 7 on her at one point.

There is also an indoor museum with interactive exhibits like underwater fish viewing, a tree situated on a glass floor so you can see the whole root system, and historic recreations of the Sacramento Valley.

While we visited they also has a visiting exhibit called Grossology. What can I say about Grossology? It was gross and the kids LOVED it! There were exhibits and games about boogers, gas, burping, there was a life sized operation game and the best part? A climbing area where you scaled the esophagus, traveled the digestive system and slid out the anus. I kid you not. I couldn't make this stuff up.

Owen is building a burp.
Shooting boogers
Jacob chasing Anna through the stomach and sliding out the anus!

As you got ready to leave there was one last stop. The identify the smell station! WOW! As you can see the kids were horrified. They were so traumatized they played with it for 15 minutes!