First Day of School

I can't believe this day finally came. We have had such a fun summer. I am really not ready to let the lazy summer days go. Ah well, there is always next summer...

Primary Children's Arts Festival

We had so much fun on Friday night at the Primary activity at church. Maren and Neve displayed some art and did a smart disco dance to Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive". The acts were varied. Wow, that is an understatement. We had jedi fighters, some hip hop, a capella singing, dancing, magic tricks, kung foo fighting and piano playing. Entertainment was guaranteed. That is all I can say. I love working in Primary.

Kiera wants to be a guitar hero

Redwood Country

We just got back from 4 wonderful days in the Northern California redwood country. It was amazing. The days were cool and foggy. The nights were cool and foggy. I love camping when you really need to snuggle down in your bag. So different than the Southern Camping we are used to. You know, sleeping on top of your bag, and leaving a sweaty stain in the shape of your body by morning. When people give me the sad consoling eyes when I tell them about our camping weather last weekend, I know we haven't been gone from Memphis quite long enough. We are still relishing each and every day without heat and humidity. We loved the cool foggy weather.



The trip was filled with old friends, new friends and family. What more could a girl ask for. It was so nice to spend some time with the Reese's and meet their longtime friends. We love living close enough to invite Clay's brother's family along, and thrilled that Sarah was brave enough to come with her three boys without Josh.



We ate great food, cooked over an open fire (chicken nuggets, at that! Thanks so the memories, Sarah), hiked, let the kids all loose in the campground, Lord of the Flies style, climbed down to many amazing beaches, explored tide pools, and wondered at that star of the trip; the coast Redwood.



We really could have stayed in the State Park that we were camping in, because it was filled with fun and adventure. We did tear ourselves away to see the rest of the sites in the area.



Naturally, the girls wanted to do any and all Junior Ranger programs, so they can add to their collection of badges and patches. They love learning. I love that they love to learn. I have great kids!



Marie, thanks so much for the invite to your fun annual trip. Hopefully, we can make it a tradition, too.

Edward vs. Jacob

I guess I don't have to pick a camp anymore...

Kiera and the pool

Lindsey's Baby Shower

I was so lucky to be close enough to attend my sister-in-law's baby shower in Sacramento yesterday.



She is so darling pregnant, and I can't wait to meet the 'lil one in a month or so.



Her mom and sisters did such a great job. The food and company were amazing.





This was the handmade portion of the day (no pressure Mark and Lindsey). I really will make you another one if you don't go with Caleb for the name! Love you guys.

Cousins weekend

This is one of the reasons why we moved here. It was so nice to host my sister and her darling kids for the weekend. Fun was had all around and we can't wait to do it again.

My three daughters

Since the plan of taking some portraits of my girls at the beach last week was foiled by the dead battery, I adapted the mantra of 'think globally, act locally' and walked the girls a couple of blocks to the Iron Horse trail by the house for the photo shoot. Still trying to decide which ones I like the best.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

So you know how sometimes really lame people say things on their blogs like we did this really fun thing and/or went to this really fun place, but I forgot my camera/my batteries were dead or some other such nonsense. I really am irritated when lame people do that. But now for the first time in "thelifeofbrittcallaway" I went to/and did fun stuff and my camera battery was dead. The girls and I went down to Santa Cruz with a bunch of Edgren's and Porter's for a beach day. I even remembered to bring clean semi-coordinating clothing for my kids to try and take some beachy portraits of them. I also remembered the snacks, towels, sand toys and sunscreen AND camera. Just forgot to check the battery. So instead of darling shots of the day and night, you just get this shot of me at the same Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk circa 1993 with my sister and baby brother.



First we went to Live Oak, the Porter's favorite beach down that way. It was a beautiful secluded spot and the kids had classic beach fun and the adults chatted the afternoon away. Later we met up with the dad's and the Blatters for 75 cent night at the Santa Cruz Beach boardwalk. That place has such fond memories for me. We went there at least once every summer grown up with the family, and sometimes Kir and I would go there on our own (shoot did I just let the secret out? hi mom). It was a little scummy back then and Kir and I always got hit on by shirtless young men with scumstaches. Oh who am I kidding, it is a little scummy now, but I was not hit on once by and shirtless young hooligans this trip. hmmmm.

The boardwalk is such a beachy amusement park summer cliche. There are the trashy folk, the smell of all things fried (although, they've not NOTHING on the classic fair food of the South, pork butt on a stick anyone?), ocean views from the heights of the twirly ferris wheel and the big old wooded roller coaster "The Giant Dipper", big crowds for the cheap tickets, cool sea night air and wet sandy muck on the floor of the bathroom stalls. And I love it all.



This was our kid's third trip to the boardwalk and they love it too. Actually, Maren and Kiera really loved it this trip. Neve is too old and wise for the kiddie rides and too short for the big ones. She was such a good sport about it, but if anyone knows some way to boost her height about 4 inches between now and the next trip, please contact me asap.

Not all involved are as hard core, or thrifty as the case may truly be, as the Callaway's and Blatter's. I guess we just wanted to get all the fun we could get for our 75 cents per ticket. We closed the place down. The kids were all still kickin' it at 11:15 when we headed out to the cars for the hour and fifteen minute drive home. Sure am glad it's summer.



Yes, I borrowed that last shot from the nice folks at the internet.