january????

We live in Modesto California.  It's a lot of things, but 69 degrees in January is not one of them.  This year however, it is gloriously warm and beautiful.  I am not a terribly optimistic person--when is it going to be normal and cold and gray and foggy?

In the meantime, I'm enjoying it immensely.  My sister and her kids were here this weekend.  We had a great time bowling...notice the scores....

Then it was up to Columbia.  We couldn't have asked for a nicer day!  I haven't been up there to look around in years---The kids LOVED climbing on the rocks...

riding the stagecoach...

and we all loved shopping for candy....



Newport

Newport is pretty important to our family:


The Barton's annual beach house vacation
Newport Beach California July 2008



Jessica and Adam (now living in Portland Oregon)
 Newport Oregon August 2009



Michael (from a train while serving a mission in England)
Newport Wales October 2011



Ocean Girl

Something to share from my favorite niece:

I love the ocean too.  I miss it.  I wish I could make a visit to the ocean this weekend.  Every once in a while I find that I just need to smell the beach and it has been way too long. 

I read Sunset Magazine (scary thing for my family--I come up with all kinds of adventures that I would have never known about had I not read about them). There was an article recently about the new Open Sea exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  I want to see it.  I want to see it even more because of this:

A few years ago they had a great white shark on exhibit at the aquarium.  Jessica and I went to Monterey just to see the shark.  We were going to the aquarium on Saturday morning at 10:00 am.  I was super excited.  The shark got "overly aggressive (think eating other animals)" and they had to release him back to the wild at 5:00 am.  So close.  In the ensuing years Jessica has determined that she's terrified of sharks, so I don't think she would go with me, but maybe Steve.....?????

and then....exhausted--both of us

We had a great day today--exhausting--but great!  And here is a retelling, as Cameron tells his stories.

And Then...

We got to the lake.

and then.....

we went for a hike.

 and then...

we went throught the skinny place.

and then....

we saw the hellercopter.



 and then...

we went on the lake in the motor boat.

and then...

we took a little rest.



and then...

we ate a whole ice cream cone, a swirl because you get chocolate and vanilla, whatever you want.

and then....

we went fishing.

and then...

we build "dodger stadium" with rocks (so we wouldn't throw them in the lake and scare all the fish away)



and then....

ps.  funniest statement of the day:  Cameron saw some bird poop, and a lot of birds flying around.  He stopped, put his hands on his hips and said, "okay, which one of you did this?"  "I said, which one of you did this..."

The visit

My nephew is here for a visit.  He is 5.  I feel very old.  We went to Boomers today and had a great time. 

He is finally tall enough to drive the "Rookie Raceway" cars all by himself.  That is good news because I don't have to take him for a ride in the "big cars".  I've never seen a kid so happy as when he passed someone else (he'd had a lot of practice--he rode the cars about 12 times).

He loved to play miniature golf--his version--which would be the 5 year old version--which is a little dicey.  I'm not sure a full swing on the 12th hole is entirely necessary (especially when you are about 4 inches from the hole).  But he had fun.  When we were all done he said, "that was fun, I won".  I said, "yep, you sure did".  Made him happy. 



And then the dreaded "inside" games.  I really don't like (read: I hate) the "inside" games, but kids love them.  So $5 and 15 minutes later we have our prizes:  an annoying whistle (what was I thinking), a tootsie roll (hard as a rock) and a badge.  The worst job in the world: ticket redemption lady at Boomers.

Olympics, Trains and Hupcakes

Katie and Cameron came to visit for the weekend while their mom and dad were on a little vacation in San Francisco.  Grandma came along for the visit--but we promised her she wouldn't have to work!
On Friday night (February 12) it was the opening ceremonies of the 2010 winter olympics in Vancouver.  We had our own olympics kick off party in Modesto!


We had olympic ring placemats (all the right olympic colors)...

And Olympic ring pizza.  We also had gold medal apple cider and olympic antipasto salad (for the grown ups).  For dessert, bunny slope white chocolate fondue.  (Lesson to self:  fondue and 3 year olds--not a good combo)  Our "Olympics Party" was complete when Cameron and Katie put on their snow-themed pj's and we were able to enjoy the opening ceremonies together. Actually, they drifted off long before the opening ceremonies really got underway, but it was a nice effort!

Katie, of course, had to make a visit to Boomers. She was driven around by Michael, who is quite a good race car driver--and she also got to drive herself around on the mini cars.  Michael used his amazing golf skills to try and teach Cameron the game. Cameron has a whole new technique for golfing. You swing at the ball with the club, and if you don't make it--you run, pick up the ball, and dump it in the hole. Works well for miniature golf, I'm not sure if it would go over very well for Michael at a tournamant!

ALL ABOARD! Cameron LOVES trains!!!! So on Saturday we took a trip to the train museum in Sacramento. He was like a wild man, running from one train to the next. He couldn't believe there were so many trains! So many things to see and touch and climb on...He was in little boy heaven!

After the train museum there was the requisite ice cream--which of course was delicious!

But, best of all was Cameron and his cupcakes--in Cameron language they are HUPCAKES. Cameron is not a good eater. In fact if sugar is not the main ingredient, he is not interested at all. I had these cupcakes I had made and if you told him he could have a cupcake if he ate all his dinner--he would eat all his dinner--it was that simple. But watching him eat these cupcakes, it was pure focused joy for him. At that moment in his life there was nothing more perfect or more enjoyable than that simple cupcake!