Merry Christmas & Happy 2011!

San Francisco - summer 2010

20 on the 20th

Just had our 20th anniversary!

Cassie pointed out that it was 20 years on the 20th of November and it's funny that we hadn't even realized that. Pretty cool. I think that's a good reason to just keep celebrating!

So many great years together with lots of love and plenty of laughter ;)

Spooky stuff

Ethan and his hippie friends

Our last trip to Disneyland for the year

And a Disney themed party...of course Wayne couldn't just be Prince Charming!

Still more Disney= Alice in Wonderland
But what's up with Lady Gaga?!

Finally 14!

Happy Birthday Cassie!

Here she is sitting at one of her favorite places.
She is becoming an amazing pianist and we love to hear her music fill the house. Not to mention, she's been playing on the tennis team and singing in the high school choir....busy!

Some of her other favorite things=
the color turquoise, shopping,
cleaning the house (seriously), Fiji water,
Cake Boss, Project Runway and sunchips

Love ya Cass!

Love it/Hate it

I have a love/hate relationship with this boat. I find it annoying that it is still sitting in my driveway from the summer. Why?

Because sometimes it lives up to it's name:

...so we are still waiting for a part from when we had starter issues during the youth trip in Aug!

But how can I be too mad when it has brought us a lot of family fun over the years? Sigh.
Weather is gloomy outside today, so for now, we'll just be grateful for sunny boating days.

Discovery Bay 2010:

Jones & Clarke crew = good times!

In session

First day of school
(Only two schools this year...yeah!)

Our 5th Grader

Our two high schoolers

And first day back to school for me too! Just got a job with the school district working in various elementary school libraries. Should be fun! As opposed to the Alcatraz library:

Summer stuff- part 2

Love this city! It's been years since we lived near San Francisco and the kids were too young then to remember our trips to the city, so we took them back and did all the fun "touristy" things like Lombard St, plus a few other personal favorites.

Alcatraz--Cassie looks like we might leave her there!

Wayne's favorite San Fran restaurant did not disappoint.
I love how it says "Wayne's liquors" in the background!

Ethan said finding Mythbusters studio was the highlight of his trip--even though we couldn't go inside.

If you can blow up this photo, you can read the funny sign taped on the Mythbuster's door.

Cassie and I pretended like this was our charming Pacific Heights house for a moment.

and my fav, the Painted Ladies. The one on the left end was for sale and it was green, too!
It's just waiting for me ;)

Summer stuff-part 1

4th of July w/Bruce & kids-
Weather was a little cold in July, but we had fun anyway. We froze waiting for fireworks and at the beach, but it LOOKS pretty.

the boy cousins made a great cake

The "before" and "after" pictures of the house:
Here's the "before", complete with faded paint, pink flamingos, signs on the door/garage and old boat. Pretty sweet!

"After" - now that's MUCH improved!
(Still with the boat, but at least it's been running this summer.)

Got rid of the play structure.....

to make room for this.....

The kids literally jumped for joy and have used it every day since.

Driver's License

Pretty good summer for Brynn!

when they are bored

Here's a few things the kids have thought of to keep themselves busy this summer:

Baking bread (thank you YW leaders!)

Making crazy moustaches--you wouldn't believe how much time this killed, how much they laughed and how many pictures were taken. And it's cheap, too!

Making a banana cream pie...are you sensing a food theme?

Cassie made this cute chalkboard for her
camp secret sister...

And talented Melissa W. was so sweet to have the girls over to sew these darling wallets--fun fabrics, fun project. Thanks Melissa!