A mini vacation

A few weeks ago, Sharla emailed and said she had a surprise trip for Jim planned in San Diego.  She had made reservations to go on a sunset cruise one night and would David and I like to join in?  Um, yes.  Thank you very much.  So we decided to make it a vacation for us too.

We got to San Diego and checked in at our hotel and then spent an hour reading by the pool.  L.A. is having a heatwave; not San Diego.  It felt great to just lay out and catch up on some reading.

 There's a cookie cutter for every occasion.

 Jim, our skipper, David

Coronado Bay

 The Coronado bridge

 "Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be . . .

 Me, David, Shar, Jim

Trust me, the sunset behind us was spectacular.  Washed out.

 The San Diego skyline

 Coronado Island in the background

 The Navy Seals on their way to do manly stuff.

"Just a dream and the wind to carry me . . "

 "Well, its not far down to Paradise, at least it's not for me..."

 And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility..."

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 San Diego at night.  The weather was perfect.  Okay, not windy, so not perfect sailing weather, but still pretty darn good.

 Jim and Shar stayed at the iconic Hotel Del Coronado.  

They had reserved a fire pit on the beach for after our sailing trip.  The staff had a fire ready and four beach chairs around it when we arrived.  And then they brought us a bucket full of everything we needed to make s'mores.  Life is grand.

This morning we got up and went running.  We found a trail behind the hotel.  We stopped a few times to take pictures of the rainbow.

 See the double rainbow below?

  And then we met Jim and Shar at the temple and did a session. 

 After the temple, we drove to Phil's to get take-out.  Michael introduced us to that place when he and Laura lived in San Diego.  We haven't been back since his graduation.  We had to take a picture in front of the restaurant to send to him.  (Not included here because it was a selfie.  Those are always gross.)  But we had to rub it in.  We're nice like that.  And then we drove home.  Exactly a 24 hour vacation.

So so so much fun.  No traffic (amazing!), perfect weather, good food, fun experiences, and best of all -- great company.  Thank you so much Jim and Shar!

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

It's Labor Day Weekend.  I LOVE summer and now all of a sudden it's over.  We had a very cool summer (temperature-wise) until this past week.  Now that the summer is officially over, it finally gets hot.  Murphy's Law I guess.  I'm not ready to let go though!

My friend Nancy Sienicki came down from Santa Barbara at the end of July.  We celebrated her birthday a couple of weeks early by going to a salon for facials and massages.  Fun for both of us.

 Cheri and Spencer and kids came down for a few days.  We spent quite a bit of time at the beach and at a friend's pool.

 Sunday dinner with friends in our front yard.

 After Cheri and Spencer (and Tanner and Sadie) went home, it was time for

TYLER'S MOST EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

 We started a new tradition last year -- when our grandkids turn 8, they get to stay a few days with us.  Tyler was a sweetheart and let Emma stay too.  But he got to dictate all of our activities and #1 on his list was LEGOLAND.  So off to Carlsbad we went.

 A couple of mornings Emma and Tyler would go to work with me.  We set up a table and chairs in the break room and they kept themselves entertained with the ipad, games of checkers and my phone.  They used my phone to take photos and videos to send to their younger brother and sister.  And they LOVED going to the grocery store around the corner.  I would give them money and it was funny to see the stuff they'd come back with each time.  Donuts, firecrackers, and once even a small tube of sunblock.

 They needed the sunblock because Papa would pick them up and take them to the beach for a couple of hours each day.  They got to be very good on the boogie boards.

 FHE treat

We had so much fun with them.  Having each other made so no one got homesick.  We shopped and played and made treats and told ghost stories, went to the movies and learned how to play checkers.  At the end of the week, we drove the kids home.  And then an hour later we all took off for another trip to Great America.

 Emma, Tyler, me Cheri & Sadie, Tanner

 Yes, that's us up there.  Weeeeee!

But the most important thing that happened that weekend:

Tyler turned 8 and was baptized the same day.

 And then it was time for Adam to come home for a couple of weeks between semesters.  He wasn't here on his actual birthday, so we celebrated a few days later.  And he asked for the same cake that he had last year.

Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting in between the layers.  Also chopped up Rolo's in the middle.  And then chocolate buttercream frosting.  KitKats around the outside and topped with M&M's.  No calories whatsoever.   This kid is 24 years old now.  Where did the time go???

 And then I did the flower arrangements for Stake Conference.

A few days after Adam got home, his girlfriend Stephanie came for a visit.  They stayed busy doing tourist stuff.  David and I joined in with them one day and we all went down to Newport Beach.

 On the ferry going to Balboa Island

 The Kettle restaurant is a must

 Steph and Adam left today to spend the week with her family hiking to Havasupi before going back to school in Idaho.

We have a trip to San Diego planned for this coming weekend.  That'll help me not to feel too melancholy about summer slipping away.  We have great memories though.