Peach Cobbler

Mmmmmm - peach cobbler! What could be better than that?! We haven't had one in ages and it sounded so good! We're going to my parents this afternoon for a visit, a swim and then dinner. Yesterday I asked mom what we could bring:

ME: "Mom, what can we bring for dinner tomorrow night?"
MOM: "Oh nothing, I've got everything."
ME: "What are you planning for dessert?"
MOM "Well I have some cookies, or ice cream, or fresh fruit."
ME: "Well that sounds good, but how about a cobbler?"
MOM "OKAY!"

Guess she was in the mood for one, too =)

Hooray for Hollywood!

This weekend we have our twin nephews, P and D, staying with us. Wow- are we ever on the go! But we're having a really nice time. For their birthday in March, their Grandma and Papa gave them annual passes to Universal Studios! They haven't had the chance to use them yet so yesterday, Kevin and I took them for their very first (ever!) visit! Oh boy, did we have fun!



Here they are at the very beginning of our big adventure!

We arrived early so, lucky for us, the park wasn't very crowded. Our first stop was the new Simpson's ride. What a hoot! I don't want to give too much away so all I'll say is, if you're ever in the area, you MUST go on the Simpson's; you won't be disappointed. After that, we headed over for the actual tour. Lots of fun and surprises there, too!



Next we headed for Jurassic Park -- ummm...the ride, of course! Boy, did we ever get soaked! It was nice though, and since it was such a warm day, we dried pretty quickly. Next we had lunch with the Flintstones. BBQ. Yum! We were talking about what we might like to do next and P volunteered the fact that he wouldn't mind going on Jurassic Park again. Uncle Kevin volunteered to go with him. D and I watched for them from above and snapped a few pictures when they came out. If you thought I was kidding about being soaked, check out these photos...




After having a fun time at Universal Studios, we thought maybe we'd cap off the day by going to the Dodger game - Brad Penny Bobblehead Night! Even better, the Dodgers won! Yay!
Today it will be a movie, swimming and dinner at Grandma and Papa's and then...falling into bed to SLEEP. Whew! A very fast-paced, eventful weekend. Thanks Deb and Bill for lending us the boys for a weekend of fun!

Generations

This past weekend Kevin's grandpa was here for a visit from El Paso. We had a really nice time visiting while he was here. We were especially thrilled that he came out because, at 86, his sight isn't what it used to be and he didn't think he'd be traveling out here any longer; however, he changed his mind and we're so glad he did!

Saturday night we all went to dinner at Northwoods Inn. Yum! Before we left the restaurant, my mother in law (hi Vicky!) wanted to snap a few photos. After our 'photo shoot' we were all heading back to the car and Kevin snapped this photo. I just love it! Grandpa, his daughter (my other in law), and her granddaughter (our niece, Lilly); three generations all walking hand in hand.

Vacation

One of the things I look forward to during the month of July (besides having the month off work!) is our annual vacation. Our vacations have run the gamut - Cooperstown, Toronto, Hawaii, New York City, Pittsburgh, Oregon, Napa Valley. They've all been different and we've loved each and every place we've visited.

With many folks planning 'stay-cations' this year because of the economy, we feel fortunate that we were still able to take off for at least a few days and visit one of our favorite places: San Luis Obispo. It's so beautiful up there, and it has a certain sentimental value to us - we went there on our honeymoon! We stayed at our favorite inn - The Apple Farm. It's a warm, inviting place with beautiful flowers and charming decor. Here are a few photos so you can see for yourself.






This was actually our fourth stay at the Apple Farm, and the room we had this time is our favorite yet. It was very quaint and cozy. A canopy bed, fireplace and sitting area - perfect to curl up and read a book.






Throughout the inn, there are samplings of items that are for sale in their gift shop. I just love the little vignettes they've created - it really looks more like someone's home than an inn.








We had a great time! We drove over to Paso Robles and went 'antiquing'. Though we only visited a few stores, we were able to find some wonderful things that will make great Christmas gifts for our families. (shhhhh...those are a secret, so no photos!) We also visited the most beautiful lavender farm in Atascadero. It's actually harvest time for the lavender and it will be harvested next week (they had a lavender festival this weekend). Because it was such a warm day when we were there, the air was intensely perfumed with the scent of lavender - what a heady aroma! They make their own natural products using the lavender - essential oil, soaps, culinary herbs and honey. It was amazing walking through the lavender fields - they were abuzz with hundreds of bees.






A local artist painted this mural on the wall of the pathway that leads to the lavender fields...


Though it was only a few days, we are so grateful that we had the opportunity to get away for a while. It was wonderful to see the beautiful scenery and just to be with Kevin. Thanks, honey, for a wonderful time.

Aloooooha!

A few months ago a friend of mine brought me a plumeria plant. Kevin and I fell in love with these when we were in Hawaii a few years ago. We even purchased one to bring home with us. Well, it didn't fare so well and it finally died a short time after we got home. Since then, I've read that plumeria can be somewhat fussy. They don't bloom every year, either. It all depends on what strikes their fancy.

Anyway, I jumped at the offer when my friend asked me if I wanted a plumeria! Of course I do!! He brought it in to work and it looked very healthy. Multiple branches and lots of green leaves. I admit, I was a bit nervous when all of the leaves fell off about two weeks after I brought it home. I thought for sure I'd killed yet another plumeria plant. But alas, it lived! And, I must admit - it's thriving (though I really can't take credit for it since all I've really done is water it!). One of the stems has multiple buds on it just ready to explode. The first one bloomed the other night. In addition to it smelling heavenly, it's also very beautiful. A creamy white with a lovely yellow center. Here's a photo -- I sure wish you could smell it! It would be an instant vacation in Maui =)

Bye, Bye Birdie!

We found yet another baby bird in the back yard the other night. Mama bird was hovering around and keeping baby in close view, but we were still able to get close enough to snap a few photos. Poor baby bird! We think he'd 'flown the coop' so to speak, but was still having great difficulty trying to fly. He couldn't possibly make it back in to the nest - it was much too high up for him to reach. We're not exactly sure where the baby ended up - we kept tabs on him for a good portion of the evening, but by morning, he was nowhere in sight. But I'm sure his mama wouldn't let anything happen to him.