the beach {part one}

Just got back from a nice CA excursion. The first part of the trip included just our little family and the second part included my parents, siblings and all of their kids. We were a little nervous because it was the first trip we took ALL of the kids to stay in a hotel with just husband & I. I felt a little bit sorry for the people in the hotel rooms above, below and to the sides of us. I don't think we've ever gotten so many stare downs. I forget that there may be a possibility that we stick out whenever we go places. We did a few various activities that mostly included a tour de southern california beaches, including the following:

Solana

La Jolla

Encinitas

Coronado

Aliso

Laguna

Huntington

Out of all of the beaches I think that I am still partial to Coronado. The sand is so soft, fine and has the most beautiful gold specs that glistened in the sunshine.

I would love to hear anybody else's take on southern California's beaches.

Thanks to anybody who gave me some great suggestions....we really had a swell time.

Reality: Ziggity Zag

Life is kind of like a zig zag. You go up and then you go down.  Sometimes you can make the decision to ride the top of the zig zag a little longer even when life throws you a downer.  One thing I have learned is that on many occasions happiness is a choice (sometimes a hard choice).  Now hopefully I will not forget that...especially when I feel like I have been enrolled into a torture camp and everybody will not stop screaming.  I apologize in advance to my poor nerves.  Patience is a virtue, right? 

When I found the the above fabric, I knew it was mine. I thought I would make pillows or something but then family pictures came around. You know the dreaded family pictures. I told myself that since I already lacked control over the situation at hand then I was just going to have to surrender (AGAIN) & we were going to have fun no.matter.what. Well I guess I did have control over one thing and that was what we were going to wear. I pictured a zig zag skirt made of tulle & netting, I mean why not, right?...after all the mission is to have fun. Then as my friend put it, "You are channeling Cindy Lauper". Well I love Cindy Lauper and Girls Just Want to Have Fun, so we went with it. The only problem was, pictures were a little out of control. "I just need one picture to send out for Christmas cards" , I thought. When one of the coolest photographers around posted a picture from an"out take" I thought, "This IS reality & captures our family quite accurately" and I love it. Pictures were fun. Mission accomplished.  I can't wait to see the other pictures.  

Now I need to take the skirt and turn it into pillows.

Time for a few pictures that I thought matched the photography event quite nicely.  You know a tad bit C R A Z Y!

I am ready to relax with a very calm neutral setting.  Which probably means no over the top, like in the above pictures.  Well except the bathroom designed by Mary McDonald,  it certainly created a calm space that incorporated the zig zag so I'll take that one. 

May your holiday season be at the top of a zigzag:-)

{dusk & veggies for breakfast}

I love that time of day where the last bit of sun shines before it says good night.  Today I especially loved dusk because as we sat finishing our dinner the remaining patch of light shone on my little girls face.  So many things to be grateful for today. ... 

The gourmet meal that the man of the house made tonight was so scrumptious.  All of the times he has watched cooking shows seems to have paid off.  He loves to go here for some of his recipes.  Trust me there are some really good ones there & this roasted halibut with garlic sauce was no exception.

I think today I was especially grateful that I made it through the day on my new health diet.  Some people run marathons.   My personal equivalent to a marathon is the candida diet.  Wish me luck because this one is a doozy.  I have never been on any kind of diet, except occasionally the cookie diet so to just go all out extreme is plum crazy.  I was told though that if I could stick it out that ALL of my dreams would come true...that is if my dreams consist of more energy, no allergies, no eczema, a vacation in Hawaii (haha) etc., etc...just to name a few.  Want to hear what it entails...

1st 2 weeks - veggies,nuts, eggs, turkey & fish

2nd 2 weeks - add grapefruit & berries

3rd 3 weeks - add quinoa & legumes

My diet prescription was a little more strict than what the protocol actually called for, in which I'm trying not to get all offended over.

I want some cookies.  I NEED cookies.  I eat them or something equivalent almost everyday. The chippers @ Paradise Bakery & I are friends.

Oh mercy I don't even know what I was thinking when agreeing to give this diet a whirl but by putting it out there then I feel like I have to be a bit more accountable.  I'm just glad that my woo woo doctor didn't put me on a bunch of herbs & tinctures like my parents.  Husband thinks I am funny to put so much trust into a natural homeopathic practitioner.  He would though because without doctors he wouldn't put food on our table.  When I went to see my new "doc" for the first time husband said, "Have fun at the palm readers".  My new "doc" got a kick out of that when I relayed that message.  All I have to say is if husband starts to have a pain in his left shoulder then it wouldn't be because a doll & a push pin.  I mean really, what can this new diet regimen hurt.  If I make it to the finish line hopefully I will not fall over from exhaustion but I will fall over from the excitement that I can have one of my peanut butter cream cookies. 

COOKIES....

Anyway next subject, I think I also really love it when the sun light's glimmer comes to an end because that is when we usually take our family walks.  So many of our family's hopes and dreams are defined on these excursions.  Tonight we definitely set a goal to go arrow head hunting.  Auntie Camille (one of the last true & remaining hippies) who lives in God's country @ the entrance of all of that beautiful southern Utah colored rock is our ticket to uncovering treasures left by some of the original inhabitants.  You know the ones that used to live in cliffs, make beautiful pottery & write all over the canyon walls.  Grandma used to be the expert on the land up there but since her passing all of the secrets were pretty much left with Camille. Except I did over hear husband telling the girls that when arrow hunting to make sure & do it with your back to the sun.  Did I ever mention the time Grandma went over to Camille's house & chopped down a bunch of plants...Camille apparently thought she needed it for medicinal purposes, if you know what I mean.  I really feel lucky to marry into such a wonderful family.  Truly, if I ever made a movie it would be easy because I would just base it around some of the characters from his Klan.  I love every single one of them.

Here's to vegetables for breakfast.

***ooops.... this diet really seems to be working because this post was meant for the family blog so don't be alarmed or confused if you experience a deja vu****