we had So mUcH fUn with the cousins *and aunts and uncles*. avila valley barn, the beach, crafts, cookies and riding bikes in the backyard. i am exhausted but so happy. david slipped last night and hit his head on the corner of the armoir where we keep out tv. he cut his head and cried and cried. he gave me a good scare, but seems to be just fine. now that the house is quiet, i think i’ll make a pot of decaf and bake a few chocolate chip cookies!

sterling keychain $32

AKA set the pins up before David knocks them down! We have a long hallway between the living room and bedrooms that is just perfect for a little bowling alley. We picked up this set of plastic pins at Target. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Target?
STRIKE!

my boys got me a nikon D40 this year. wow! i am seriously thrilled. i want to play and experiment and learn and get better at photography. below are some of the first pics on my new camera…

david having fun with daddy. good times!
matty and his pancakes with strawberries and whip cream. i won’t tell you about the tantrum he had right after this photo…

silly david. sometimes breakfast is so funny!

matty tripped while playing and split his lip. ouch! he got some good loving from daddy and then from me. it just looked like he had collagen injections for a couple days!

candy store love. matty was in heaven.

the camera takes great photos with lots of detail. i am focusing on learning about ISO (film speed) now. then i’ll move onto other things! gotta say, i still love my casio exilim. that little guy is easy to throw in my purse and he takes amazing pics. i am not ready to give him up!

Longs Drugs has some great summer toys. These battery operated bubble blowers were $5 a pop and so much fun. David is able to push the button independently which makes for a great cause and effect toy. And hours of fun…well, maybe more like 15 minutes, but still!

And BIG NEWS! Yesterday we raised $983.40 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. What a huge blessing. Thanks so much to everyone who participated!!

Today 20% of all sales will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in honor of Tricia, Nathan and Gwyneth Rose. They have an amazing story that I know will challenge you just like it has me!!The Gwyneth Rose necklace is an original necklace (under something simple) with a hand-stamped rose that was designed just for Tricia (see first pic). The lettering goes up one side and the disc is hammered. If you would like the same design just request ‘Gwyneth Rose design’ in the notes section. Of course, you can order anything and 20% will go to the CF foundation. Happy shopping!!

Here is a close-up of Tricia’s necklace (the Gwyneth Rose Necklace)…

we recently discovered lolo’s mexican restaurant in morro bay. yum!

great food, kid friendly, 2 minute wait (max.)

and the kids can learn spanish while coloring their placemats. perfect!* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I’ve slowed down on email this weekend, but hang in there, I will get back to you! Tomorrow is the CF fundraiser!!!

we are spending some great time with family. i love seeing the cousins play so happily together. just a couple bits of info…

*simple mom has amazing blog with lots of ideas for organization and living life in the real world. we are doing a giveaway on her blog…so go enter!

*confessions of a CF husband tells the incredible story of Nathan, Tricia and Gwyneth Rose as they journey together throught life. I’ve gotten completely sucked into their lives (in a good way) as many of you probably have, to! On Monday 20% off all sales on the website will go to benefit the Cysitic Fybrosis Foundation. Mark your calendars and shop for a good cause!!

strawberries. sleep in. swim. sunshine. sisters. sand. sidewalk chalk. slow down.  i’m so ready…

es·tu·ar·y (sch-r)
n. pl. es·tu·ar·ies
1. An arm of the sea that extends inland to meet the mouth of a river.

Our neighborhood borders an estuary, where the fresh water from land meets the salt water from the sea. I took this picture last night as we were driving home from dinner (Lolo’s, but more on that later!). Funny thing, when we bought this house we didn’t realize it! It is simply beautiful. The tide ebbs and flows. At low tide there are twisty streams and at high tide the water comes all the way to the road. Low tide at sunset is breathtaking.