I AM THANKFUL FOR

GRANDCHILDREN

AND AT THE MOMENT
THIS ONE!

A FEW YEARS BACK, AND ON A WHIM, I PURCHASED THIS DARLING HAT IN CARMEL.  AFTER SEEING A PICTURE OF MYSELF IN IT, I VOWED NEVER TO WEAR IT AGAIN.  IT WAS TOO NICE TO THROW AWAY, SO IT'S BEEN SITTING IN MY CLOSET EVER SINCE.  BRITTNEY WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO TRY IT ON THIS MORNING, AND  LUCKY FOR IT, MY HAT HAS A NEW HOME,

AND AN ADORABLE ONE AT THAT!

A COLLAGE OF SHIRTS

AND MEMORIES

EMILY CHALLENGED PAPA TO FIND THIS SHIRT THAT HE USE TO WEAR TO HER GYMNASTIC MEETS.  THIS MORNING HE DUG INTO THE ARCHIVES OF HIS CLOSET  AND CAME UP WITH IT, AND A LOT MORE.

 HE CALLED ME IN TO SEE HIS COLLAGE ON THE BED.

 EVEN A LITTLE HAND MADE ART WORK.

MY ADVICE TO ALL OF YOU

TAKE TIME TO CLEAN THOSE CLOSETS,

THE CONTENTS JUST MIGHT BRING YOU JOY!

OK SOPHIA AND OLIVIA, I CAN HEAR YOU NOW,
ASKING WHERE ARE THE SHIRTS WITH YOUR PICTURES ON IT.
WELL, THERE ARE NONE.
MAYBE I SEE A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR PAPA
IN THE MAKINGS.

GO AHEAD DANA, KEEP ON CELEBRATING ALL YEAR LONG!

  DINNER OUT AT JOHNNY GARLIC'S
IS A GOOD WAY TO START.

WITH BIRTHDAY CAKE

AND MORE BIRTHDAY CAKE,

AND FAMILY  TO HELP YOU CELEBRATE
THOSE PICTURE TAKING MOMENTS.
ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANA!

OUT BRIGHT AND EARLY TODAY

TO ENJOY THE SUNSHINE

AND WATCH TWO OF THE GRANDAUGHTERS THREE

IN A SWIM MEET.

OLIVIA WAS IN THE WATER

AND AS FAST AS LIGHTNING.

IN THE BUTTERFLY 

AND ANY STROKE SHE SWAM.
(I think this is Olivia.  Her suit had some red, while Roxy's was all black)

 ROXY ALSO HAD A GOOD DAY

OFF THE BLOCK

AND ACROSS THE POOL
IN RECORD TIME.

KEEP IT UP ROXY, YOU'VE GOT HER BEAT!

GO ROXY GO!

GREAT SWIMMING GIRLS,
GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!!!

AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK SOCCER IS OVER,

IT ISN'T!

SEASON PLAY IS OVER,

YOU'RE FIRST PLACE IN YOUR LEAGUE,

AND NOW YOU PLAY FOR THE DUBLIN CUP.

IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE PLAYED LAST WEEKEND,BUT DUE TO THE RAIN, WAS POSTPONED UNTIL LAST NIGHT.  IN SPITE OF PLAYING HARD, THE GIRLS DIDN'T WIN THE GAME, BUT WERE ALL SMILES SHOWING OFF THEIR PARTICIPATION MEDALS.

THAT'S THE SPIRIT!

FAST FORWARD TWENTY FOUR HOURS, SAME FIELD, DIFFERENT GROUP OF GIRLS.  SOPHIA AND A FEW OF HER TEAMMATES WERE CHOSEN TO BE IN THE ALL STAR GAME.  TONIGHT HER TEAM CAME OUT AHEAD TO WIN THE GAME.

THEY WERE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHOW OFF 
THEIR WINNING MEDALS.
GREAT SEASON GIRLS
YOU'RE WINNERS IN MY EYES ANY DAY!!!
YOU THINK SOCCER IS OVER YET?
TOMORROW STARTS INDOOR.
GOOD LUCK ON YOU'RE GAME SOPH!

SOMEONE TURNS FIFTY TODAY!

AND IT'S DANA!!!

HOW COULD THAT BE?

WASN'T SHE JUST THIS PRECIOUS BABY

OR THIS ADORABLE FIRST GRADER? 

 

WASN'T SHE JUST IN THE 8th GRADE, 

 OR GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE?

SHE'S ALL GROWN UP WITH A FAMILY OF HER OWN,

BUT STILL,
HOW CAN SHE BE 50?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
DANA
WE'RE PROUD OF THE WONDERFUL WOMAN
YOU'VE BECOME!

SISTER'S BOOK CLUB

OF OUR OWN KIND.

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE CAROL FINDS A BOOK THAT'S SOON TO BE MADE INTO A MOVIE.  SHE HANDS THE BOOK ON TO BETTY AND I SO WE CAN ALL READ IT BEFORE THE MOVIE COMES OUT.  INSTEAD OF DISCUSSING THE BOOK, WE GET TOGETHER TO WATCH THE MOVIE, AND GO TO LUNCH.

YESTERDAY, BETTY HANDED ON "ME BEFORE YOU" WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO HAVE IT READ BY  FEBRUARY, WHEN THE MOVIE COMES OUT.  I READ A FEW PAGES AND REALIZED I HAD ALREADY READ IT.  YEP, I'M READY FOR THE MOVIE.

AN APPLE A DAY

KEEPS THE DR. AWAY!

IF THAT'S TRUE,

I'LL PROBABLY LIVE TO BE A HUNDRED.

EVERY MORNING I HAVE OATMEAL MADE WITH
CINNAMON AND A GRATED APPLE. 

TODAY WAS EVEN BETTER, WITH AN APPLE
RIGHT OFF OF ROBERT AND KELLY'S TREE.

NOT ONLY DID THEY SEND US HOME WITH A BAG OF APPLES,
BUT ALSO WITH SOME HONEY FROM THEIR VERY OWN HIVES.
YUMMY!

YOU KNOW DARYL

AND HIS OBSESSION WITH 

FAMILY PICTURES

HE EVEN HAS IT WITH EXTENDED FAMILY.

BETTY HAD SEAN, JERILYN, AND HER GRANDKIDS DOWN FOR A VISIT TODAY, AND INVITED THE REST OF US TO JOIN THEM FOR DINNER.  

WE HAD A GREAT VISIT

AND A DELICIOUS DINNER!

THANKS BETTY FOR THE WONDERFUL DAY

A SATURDAY FULL OF SPORTS

WITH TWO OF THE GRANDAUGHTERS THREE.

A REAL PLUS FOR THE DAY,

THEY BOTH PLAYED IN THE SAME CITY.

THE DAY STARTED WITH OLIVIA, #20, PLAYING IN A SOCCER TOURNAMENT,

AND PLAY HARD IS WHAT SHE DID.

SHE MADE SURE THE OTHER TEAM
DIDN'T GET A GOAL.

JUST LOOK AT HOW UPSET THE GIRL IN THE RED IS.
I BET SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO SCORE.

 WITH THAT GAME OVER

AND WON,

IT WAS TIME FOR SYDNEY'S

 CENTRAL COAST SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS. 

IT WAS AN EXCITING GAME,
WITH OUR LADY KNIGHTS BEHIND
IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE GAME.

BUT COMING BACK STRONG

IN THE SECOND HALF.

DO I SEE A LITTLE DROWNING GOING  ON HERE?

AT THE END OF THE GAME, THE SCORE WAS TIED AT 5 TO 5. 

WITH A TIE SCORE, YOU PLAY TWO MORE THREE MINUTE SESSIONS, TO DETERMINE THE WINNER.  IT WAS STILL TIED AT 5-5.   NOW YOU GO ON TO SUDDEN DEATH, ADDING ANOTHER 3 MINUTE SESSION, AND THE FIRST TEAM TO SCORE WINS.  STILL NO SCORE.  ADD ANOTHER 3 MINUTES, AND THE OTHER TEAM SCORED TO WIN THE GAME.

 TOUGH BREAK FOR THE LADY KNIGHTS, BUT THEY CAN BE PROUD OF HOW THEY PLAYED, AND OF THEIR GREAT SEASON.
GREAT JOB SYD!

BACK TO THE SOCCER FIELD

FOR LIV'S SECOND GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT.

ONCE AGAIN SHE GAVE IT HER ALL,

BUT THE OTHER TEAM WON WITH
 AN ENDING SCORE OF
ONE TO NOTHING.

I LOVE THIS PHOTO,
BUT CAN'T FIGURE OUT IF IT'S A KICK
OR A HEAD BUTT.
GREAT GAME LIV!
GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!!!

NCS FOOTBALL

TONIGHT THE DUBLIN GAELS,

WHO WERE THIRD IN THEIR LEAGUE,

PLAYED OAKLEY'S FREEDOM HIGH SCHOOL

IN THE NORTH COAST SECTION FINALS.

WE TRAVELED OUT TO OAKLEY EARLY TODAY
TO BEAT THE COMMUTE TRAFFIC.

THE CHEER LEADERS WERE THERE
TO CHEER THE TEAM ON.

THE TEAM DOES A LITTLE WARM UP BEFORE THE GAME,
AND WITH THE TEMPERATURE DIPPING INTO THE 40'S,
WE WERE READY TO JOIN THEM.
IN SPITE OF DUBLIN DOING THEIR BEST,
FREEDOM WON WITH A SCORE OF 37 TO 12.

REGARDLESS, IT WAS A GREAT SEASON,
AND WE ENJOYED WATCHING EVERY GAME!

MBL WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

WERE HELD IN MONTEREY TODAY.
SYDNEY AND THE REST OF THE LADY KNIGHTS
PLAYED SANTA CRUZ HIGH SCHOOL FOR FIRST PLACE.

SYDNEY WAS ALL OVER #22 ON THE OPPOSING TEAM.

WONDER IF SHE LIKES YOU
 BREATHING DOWN HER BACK, SYD?

MY BET IS,
 SHE DID HER BEST TO TRY TO GET AWAY FROM YOU.

GREAT GAME SYDNEY!

GREAT GAME MBL CHAMPION
LADY KNIGHTS,
WITH A WINNING SCORE OF
18 to 1