CAN YOU BELIEVE

THIS JUST MIGHT BE NEXT YEAR'S

 DUBLIN HIGH VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM

THIS EVENING,
 THEY WERE THE CHEERLEADERS
FOR THE JR. CLASS GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL TEAM.
(Gabe  is center front row)

THEY CHEERED,

AND DANCED,

AND CHEERED,

AND DANCED

SOME MORE!

 GREAT JOB GUYS.

BE CAREFUL, THE CHEER SQUAD

JUST MIGHT TRY  TO RECRUIT YOU

FOR NEXT YEAR'S CHEER TEAM.

THE SENIOR GIRLS MIGHT HAVE WON THE FOOTBALL GAME,
BUT THE JUNIOR BOYS,
IN MY OPINION,
WERE THE WINNERS WHEN IT CAME TO CHEERING!

FLOWERS DON'T LAST FOREVER

TWO WEEKS AND COUNTING,

I'M THINKING THESE MIGHT!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTNEY!!!

THE PAST TWENTY SIX YEARS
 HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH THE FUN
OF WATCHING YOU GROW
INTO THE BEAUTIFUL WOMAN
YOU ARE TODAY.

 WE'VE ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

HAVE A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY
AND AN EXCITING YEAR!!!

SEVENTY THREE YEARS LIVING IN THE EAST BAY

AND YESTERDAY WAS MY FIRST VISIT TO ALCATRAZ

IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN,
I SUGGEST YOU PUT IT ON YOUR
TO DO LIST.

THIS GROUP, ALONG WITH SYDNEY AND ROXANNE WERE ON THE ROAD AT 5:30 YESTERDAY.  THEY DID THE "GIRLS ON THE RUN" RACE, AND THEN PICKED US UP SO WE COULD ACCOMPANY BIANCA ON A FERRY RIDE TO SAN FRANCISCO.    

AS IF THEY HADN'T HAD ENOUGH EXERCISE,
WE GOT OFF AT THE FERRY BUILDING
AND WALKED DOWN THE PIERS UNTIL WE REACHED
THE ALCATRAZ FERRY.

THE VIEWS FROM THE FERRY WERE SPECTACULAR.

OLIVIA WATCHES, WITH SOME ANXIETY,NOT REALLY SURE SHE WANTS TO GO ON THE ISLAND. 

AS WE APPROACHED ALCATRAZ, IT DID LOOK A LITTLE SCARY,
BUT IT WAS A PRISON, RIGHT?
THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD LOOK.

ONCE HER AND MOM WERE CHOSEN  TO SHOOT THE CANNON, AND WERE GIVEN CERTIFICATES CERTIFYING THEY HAD DONE SO, LIV WAS READY FOR THE TOUR.  IN FACT LATER SHE COMMENTED ON HOW GREAT IT WAS.

JUST SEEING THE CELLS WOULD HAVE BEEN
REASON ENOUGH FOR ME NOT TO DISOBEY THE LAW.

SEEING BEAUTIFUL SAN FRANCISCO JUST ACROSS THE BAY, EVERY DAY, WOULD HAVE BEEN REASON ENOUGH TO BE ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR, IN HOPES OF MAKING THE TRIP BACK OVER ONE DAY.

AS EVENING WAS APPROACHING, OLIVIA SAW TO IT
 THAT THESE INMATES WERE ON TIME
 TO CATCH THE LAST FERRY OF THE DAY BACK TO THE MAIN LAND.

WITH OUR WALKING FEET NOT FAILING US YET,
WE TRUDGED ON TO PIER 39 FOR DINNER,
AND THEN UP TO GHIRARDELLI SQUARE
WHERE WE SHARED A FEW ICE CREAM SUNDAES
FOR DESSERT.

PAPA SHARED HIS WITH ME.

AS WE LEFT
ON OUR FERRY RIDE HOME,
BIANCA WATCHED
THE LIGHTS OF SAN FRANCISCO
FADE AWAY,

AS WE GO UNDER THE BAY BRIDGE
AND APPROACH THE LIGHTS OF OAKLAND.
HOPEFULLY SHE WAS PROMISING
TO RETURN ONE DAY.
NEEDLESS TO SAY,
WE WERE ONE TIRED BUNCH WHEN WE GOT HOME!
I'M NOT TELLING HOW LATE WE SLEPT THIS MORNING,
ALL BUT SYDNEY THAT IS.
SHE HAD TO BE BACK HOME AND TO WORK
THIS MORNING BY EIGHT THIRTY.
HOPE YOU GOT A GOOD NAP IN THIS AFTERNOON SYD!

TODAY WAS FOR LOUNGING

BEFORE THEY WERE OFF TO A CONFIRMATION

AND THE PARTY AFTERWARDS.

JUST TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THIS FAMILY,

AND YOU'LL KNOW WHY

THEY'RE ALL IN SUCH GOOD SHAPE.

IT WAS A GREAT VISIT GIRLS,
COME BACK AGAIN SOON!
I'M OFF TO BUY SOME NEW WALKING SHOES.

IN THE MOOD FOR A PUZZLE

I'VE GOT JUST THE ONE FOR YOU!

IT'S BEEN THE CENTERPIECE OF OUR TABLE FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS.  IT'S NOW BACK IN THE BOX WAITING FOR THE NEXT PUZZLE DOER.  HOW ABOUT ONE OF YOU SOUTH DAKOTA NATIVES, SINCE IT'S ABOUT YOUR HOME STATE.   I'D BE GLAD TO HAND IT ON. 

A BUSY WEEKEND

STARTING FRIDAY WITH A TRIP DOWN THE COAST,

STOPPING IN PACIFIC GROVE AT ONE OF OUR FAVORITE EATING PLACES, FOR BREAKFAST.

NEXT STOP,THE FAMOUS PICTURE TAKING BRIDGE.  I THINK IT'S CALLED BIXBY BRIDGE.

I LOVE THIS TUNNEL,
SHORT BUT UNIQUE, WITH OPENINGS
ON THE OCEAN SIDE.

IF YOU'RE TRAVELING THE COAST ON HIGHWAY 1,
YOU REALLY SHOULD STOP AT RAGGED POINT.
IF NOT FOR THE VIEWS, OR THE GARDENS,
THEN  FOR THEIR FABULOUS COFFEE.

A MUST IS A STOP AT POINT PIEDRAS BLANCAS

IT SEEMS NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF YEAR, YOU WILL SEE ELEPHANT SEALS INHABITING THE BEACH, SOMETIMES HUNDREDS AND SOMETIMES THOUSANDS.  JANUARY THROUGH MAY IS THE TIME FOR THOUSANDS.

JUST LOOK!

THEY COVERED THE BEACHES

AS FAR AS YOU COULD SEE IN EACH DIRECTION.


NO SEALS HERE!
THIS IS THE BEACH ADJACENT
TO OUR HOTEL FOR THE NIGHT, IN CAMBRIA. 

I'M TITLING THIS PICTURE
"THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA"

THE NEXT MORNING FOUND US BACK ON THE COASTAL HIGHWAY PAST ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES, MORRO BAY, TO OUR FINAL DESTINATION, AND REASON FOR THE TRIP,

 ANOTHER SHOWER FOR ABBEY AND BABY RAE.

ABBEY'S AUNTS AND A FEW OF HER COUSINS WERE THERE.
DORIAN AND HER SISTERS SURE LOOK ALIKE, DON'T THEY?
I THINK RAE NOW HAS ENOUGH CLOTHES TO BE DRESSED
IN A NEW OUTFIT EVERY HOUR
FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS:)
WHO CAN RESIST A DARLING BABY OUTFIT?
FROM THE LOOKS OF WHAT SHE RECEIVED AT THE SHOWER,
OBVIOUSLY NOT THESE LADIES.

 TODAY WAS MOTHER'S DAY

AND WE TRAVELED TO ANOTHER PART OF THE COAST

FOR A MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH.

CRAIG MADE HIS CREATIVE VERSION OF EGGS BENEDICT,

AND SERVED THEM WITH HIS WONDERFUL ROSEMARY POTATOES,

OH, AND FOR THE ADULTS, A MINT JULEP

IN HONOR OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY.

YUMMY!!!

I HAVE NO PICTURES OF CHEF CRAIG,

BUT DID GET SOME OF OUR PASTRY CHEF, BIANCA,

AS SHE PUT TOGETHER THE CREPES
 FOR DESSERT.

ONCE AGAIN
YUMMY!

WHAT A WONDERFUL
FULL  FILLING WEEKEND!

SOMEONE JUST TURNED TWELVE

OH NO!

JUST ONE YEAR TIL SOPHIA IS A TEENAGER.

WHAT A GREAT YEAR IT WILL BE!

YOU'RE OLD ENOUGH TO DO YOUR OWN DECORATING,

AND OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE THE JUST BUNDT CAKES
FOR THE CELEBRATION.

YOU'RE NO LONGER ONE OF THE YOUNGEST COUSINS.
YOU NOW HAVE ELLE WHO'S TWO,
AND NEW LITTLE COUSIN KELLIN
WHO'S NOT QUITE TWO MONTHS.
(SYDNEY IS HOLDING HIM)

YOU HAVE LOTS OF FAMILY FRIENDS TO CELEBRATE WITH,

 AND THE BEST PART,

YOU ARE FINALLY
OLD ENOUGH TO SIT IN THE FRONT SEAT!
I GUESS THAT GIVES YOU CONTROL OF THE RADIO, RIGHT?
WHAT A WONDERFUL AGE!

AND THEN YOU WISH

YOU WERE SIXTEEN,

AND GOING TO THE PROM
LIKE YOUR BROTHER.

GABE AND A FEW OF HIS FRIENDS
DECIDED TO GO WITHOUT DATES.
WHY AM I THINKING
THAT MADE MOM KIND OF HAPPY?

WITH AS HANDSOME AS HE IS,
I'M ALSO THINKING IT MADE
THE GIRLS THAT CAME WITHOUT DATES
HAPPY TOO.