Last few days with the Palmer's

Andrew and his dad got to go kayaking on Friday. Here they are posing with all their gear. They said it was a really cool experience and they got soaking wet! Andrew was glad he only wore his board shorts!Having a quick lesson. You can just barely make it out but the ficus tree in the back ground behind the stop sign is the tree that canopies the outdoor eating area at Piatti! Yum yum!
Out in the ocean!
Yesterday we drove the Palmers up to Redlands to spend sometime with more family and so they could fly out of Ontario airport today. Here we are with Andrew's cousins.
Lucy was very cautious around the pool but had so much fun running around the backyard! I could hardly get her to come back inside!
All the relatives. Andrew's mom's sister and brother and most of their families.
After we left their house we got to meet up with Mark, Jennilee & Eli! Got to snuggle me some cutie Eli! It's always so nice to catch up with good old friends. And to talk about how it is so much nicer down here this time of the year. And how much we all know it will get really really hot and dry and brown here this summer and how we will miss how beautiful Oregon is!
Jlee, Eli & I!
We love us some Eli!
Then in between Redlands and San Diego there is a WinCo so we just HAD to stop! We were like little kids in the candy store! Everything is so cheap and it was huge! I love that they carry everything we love! Even organic roasted red pepper tomato soup! Yum Yum! The things that you just don't even realize you will miss until you move! haha
Now we are happy to just have some relaxing time today!

I finally

answered the tag from Amanda two weeks ago so you will have to scroll WAY down if you want to read my answers:) I guess post go up based on the day you started them! It took me a little while to say the least!

Wild Animal Park!

While I was at work today Andrew and his parents met Heidi and the boys and Andrew's aunt Kate at the Wild Animal Park! They had a great time but said it was really hot!

Andrew and James
Jeff and Heidi


They even had baby elephants! Here is Jeff roaring like the lions.

So beautiful and so much room for the animals to roam.
Just the boys being silly with Andrew's dad.


Next time maybe it won't be tax season and I can play too!

What have we been up to?

Andrew's parents flew in Friday night and are here for the week. Andrew has spring break so he is hanging out with them. I on the other hand have tax season! I did get to hang out for the weekend though. We took them on the Torrey Pines hike and to the Del Mar Farmers Market where we found some yummy kumquats and beautiful tuberose and then had breakfast at Swamis. Acai granola with yogurt anyone?
With all the rain we have had, (I know ha ha) but really we have for down here, everything is in full bloom! It is just beautiful!
On Saturday night we stopped by a going away party for James and Melissa before them move Tahoe.
What do you do for Easter when you live in Southern California? Go to sunrise service on the beach! Here we are at 6am waiting for the shuttle that took us the two miles to the beach from the church. Like our backpack chairs?

So many people were there! I think next year we will try to get there earlier! It can be foggy at the beach but it was clear and gorgeous to watch the moon set into the ocean.
The sun is starting to rise behind us. It was a very peaceful and reflective service.

At the end they released doves as a symbol of how Jesus left us his Holy Spirit after he rose!! Don't they look like they are forming one big dove?!
Packing it up to head back home!
We went back to our apartment and picked up Andrew's parents to go meet Andrew's aunt and uncle and cousins at the beach. This next picture is of Andrew's cousin Heidi's little boy James. He is so cute!
How cute is Andrew's aunt to put our silverware in an Easter basket!
Family picture!

Building Sandcastles . . .

My heart feels heavy

I wish I had words right now.

But nothing feels like the right thing to say.

I praise the Lord we will all see her again some day.

http://rebekahsauter.blogspot.com/

I've been tagged

A - Attached or Single: Very Attached!

B - Best Friend: Andrew, my sister & my mama

C- Cake or Pie: Hmm flourless torte's are a weakness but I have always loved apple pie!!

D - Day of choice: Sundays! I have had a chance to catch up from a busy week and now it's time to just relax!

E - Essential Item: probably my cell phone!

F - Favorite Color: I'm with Amanda big fan of pink!

G- Gummy Bears or Worms: love gummy bears!

H - Hometown: hmm born in Hawaii, lived most of my life and did most of my growing up in Salem but now I live in San Diego!

I - Indulgence(s): love pedicures but biggest indulgence is probably a massage!

J - January or July: Definitely July! Love the summer!

K - Kids: none for now!

L - Life is incomplete without: my Lord, My family and my friends and maybe some pineapple sorbet:)

M - Marriage Date: December 18, 2004. We just celebrated three years last December!

N - Number of Siblings: 2 Daniel & Kelly

O - Oranges or Apples: Apples

P - Phobias or Fears: I hate spiders and bees and pretty much anything creepy and crawly

Q - Quotes: right now, John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

R - Reason to smile: Pineapple Sorbet and Amy Butler stationary!

S - Season: I pretty much like them all but in San Diego we don't get seasons really. One season I miss the most from Oregon is fall.

T- Tag Three Friends: Alissa, Erin & Chandra and whoever else wants to answer this!

U- Unknown fact about me: unknown or known I probably way over think everything hence why it has taken me this long to post a silly little Q&A. And I love taking baths! They are the most relaxing thing ever!

V - Very favorite Store: Target I could buy everything there!

W - Worst habit: checking my email multiple times a day!

X- X-ray or Ultrasound: I have never had an ultrasound but I'm guessing that would be my favorite!

Y - Your favorite food: probably Japanese curry or Pineapple sorbet among many other things. I think I just pretty much love food in general!

Z - Zodiac: I have no idea

It was one of those days

that the littlest thing at work brought me close to tears more than once! And then on my way home from work I stopped by Michaels and found this 50% off!!! That was nice and all but the real topper was when my hubby walked in the door with this:
That's right!! Two family size pineapple Dole whips!!! Yahoo!!! I am one happy girl! It is crazy how the littlest things can bring us to tears or make us gleeful! Hmm is it just me? At any rate now I am sitting here enjoying my Dole whip!
Here is my hubby on Sunday after surfing. Yes he is training to run his first marathon and yes he is reading! I am an avid reader. I can go to the library and borrow five books and read them all before they are due back! My hubby on the other hand is not much of a reader so I had to capture it for proof! Sorry for the shirtless photo!

What I have been up to . . .

Pretty much I have been working, working and then working some more. However last week I went to a client's to help them with their accounting and this was the view. Now if only I could have enjoyed it instead of just capturing it on my way into the office:) Friday night we got to go out to the Cheesecake Factory for my friend Kelly's birthday dinner. 25 people at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner was so much fun! We even got to sit outside which I have never done there and it made it so nice! Try not to be blinded by the bling in Andrew's teeth! I don't know why the camera picked up that sparkle but it cracks me up!
Lest you think I have given up everything crafty for the sake of tax season I have included a few small bits of craftiness for your viewing pleasure.
Oh and on another note last week I ran out of soft scrub with bleach cleaner and when i went to Target I looked for a less toxic cleaner thinking we would give it a try but it probably won't work as well. Was I in for a happy surprise! It worked better in my opinion than soft scrub and on top of it all I have less toxins in my house and I'm not rinsing chemicals down my faucet! I have been slowly making the switch to the "green" side just trying to make our lives more chemical free in little ways. I figure we are exposed to way too many anyway so why not change what I can. I think the last two things I have to find alternatives to is laundry and dishwasher detergent. I'm not really sure if there are any economical substitutes for those but to be honest I haven't really looked all that hard either!
Oh and on another bright note my hubby bought me these this weekend:I can't get over how much the smell of Tuberose transports me to Hawaii! The smell is just heavenly! We saw some citrus trees at costco this weekend oh how I wish I lived somewhere I could plant them but since they need full sun I'm just not sure my patio could provide that:( Aside from the space factor. But someday! Well I better try and get a couple more hours of work in! I can't wait until tax season is over so I can attempt this pattern.

Dog Beach

Andrew and I took Lucy to dog beach on Coronado today and she had so much fun! She loves to meet other dogs so much that as soon as she sees another dog she starts whining and wagging her tale like she is so excited she can hardly stand it! She is the same way when we go to the vet. She gets so excited because she gets to see other dogs. We started out on the leash.

Look at her! She doesn't want to move on and leave the other doggie!

Then we decided to do an experiment and see how she would do off her leash. Would she be responsive and obedient?
She did so well! Here she is running back towards us after we told her to come back. She is in pure bliss!!




We will definitely be taking her back there! Now it is time for a haircut and a bath!