Monday, March 31, 2014

March Round-Up

March was beautiful here on the Central Coast.  We even got some rain, which turned the hills green.  It was busy, too.  I wish I had sat down and blogged about a few of these things individually, but I chose to do other things instead.  A few highlights: St. Patty's Day with Mike and Zabrina; a visit from Portland friends Ellen and Joe; cousin Ethan's birthday; and exploring Montaña de Oro State Park. Here's a photo round-up of the fun.

Peter is now a full time PERMANANT employee of SLO county.  Wahoo!

Jeremiah made the Principal's Honor Roll (GPA 3.85!)

Thanks to the rain for these pretty hills!

St. Patrick's Day fun!

(maybe not for all of us)






Cousin time to celebrate Ethan's birthday



 Visiting with Ellen and Joe




About to eat chocolate-covered crickets!


 Montaña de Oro











 Bike rides and beaches





And, Snape, doing what Snape does....




Monday, March 10, 2014

Random Long Weekend in March

It's the end of the 2nd trimester at the kids school, so they got a bonus 3-day weekend (plus a half-day) for conferences. Unfortunately (but fortunately!), we couldn't go out of town or anything because Peter had a 12-hour work day right smack dab in the middle of the "break", but, we had some fun besides all that.

Friday, I was on my own with the kiddos.  We rode bikes to a park and played, watched a movie, and made pizza from scratch (including the dough--a first for me).  After dinner was the start of unplugged day, so the kids and I played Phase 10 and Rummikub.

On Saturday, Peter needed to sleep after an all-nighter, so I took the kids out to Atascadero to go to the small zoo there and play at the park. We got home and Peter was awake and "getting started" on what will be our raised garden beds.  So, the kids and I "dragged" him off for an afternoon at Avila Beach.  Poor guy.  That night, the kids decided they wanted to camp out on the back porch.  Ok, then.

Sunday was church, serving with People's Kitchen, followed by a "playdate" for Jeremiah at a friend's house and some one-on-one time with Alayna at home.  We "worked out", played Minecraft, and continued working on the garden beds.

Kids are now heading into their final 3 months of this school year.  It's been speeding by.  Before you know it, August will be here and I'll have a middle-schooler, a 4th grader, and I'll be back in nursing school.  Time is a funny thing.

Enjoy the photos.

Pizza dough!

Ready for the zoo?

The Emu playing stare-down with the kids



We need rain.  This lake was almost empty...

Found some free wood to start building garden beds!

Gorgeous spring day

Chasing waves




Mickey Mouse pancakes for dinner

Camping out

Snape, doing what he does.
I had to take out his cave to get this shot.  He's clearly not amused.