A DAY AT THE BEACH

BEFORE GOING OFF TO COLLEGE.

SINCE ELISE IS HEADING INLAND TO COLLEGE,
A DAY AT THE BEACH, BEFORE SHE LEAVES,
SEEMED APPROPRIATE.
NOTE THAT SMILE, MINUS BRACES!

LIV, EMILY, AND ZACH
SHOWED OFF THEIR GYMNASTIC SKILLS,
WHILE ELISE AND PATTI
TOOK A TRIP ON THE PADDLEBOARDS.

DON'T LOOK NOW ELISE
BUT THERE'S A BIG WAVE BEHIND YOU,
AND YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET DUNKED,
SUNGLASSES AND ALL! 

FAMILY PHOTO 

NOTE ELISE SQUINTING WITHOUT THOSE SUNGLASSES

THAT ARE SOMEWHERE OUT IN THE OCEAN.

 SMILE FOR THE COUSINS SELFIE!

A FUN DAY AT THE BEACH! ! !

WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN

IN 2007 WHEN GABE PLAYED

HIS ONE YEAR OF YOUTH FOOTBALL

 OR IN 2008 WHEN SAM PLAYED HIS 

ONE YEAR OF YOUTH FOOTBALL

(Sam has always liked the cheerleaders.)

 THAT THEY WOULD BOTH 

END UP PLAYING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

AFTER A GRUELING WEEK OF PRACTICE,
TODAY WAS FAMILY DAY,
WHERE WE GOT TO WATCH THEM PRACTICE
IN THE 95 DEGREE WEATHER.
ARE THEY DEDICATED, OR WHAT?
GOOD LUCK
FOR A WINNING SEASON! ! !

SOMETIMES I ASK MYSELF,

"WHY DO WE LIVE IN CALIFORNIA?"

WELL, ASIDE FROM THAT OUR FAMILY'S HERE,

WHO WOULDN'T STAY
WITH SAN FRANCISCO 
 JUST A FERRY RIDE AWAY.

WITH THE FERRY BUILDING,
 IT'S SHOPS,AND GREAT FOOD TO SAMPLE,

AND THE MANY RESTAURANTS
TO ENJOY LUNCH OR DINNER
 ALONG THE BAY.
MY LUNCH WAS A SUMMER SALAD, 
AND I COULDN'T RESIST, 
A SIDE OF CRAB MASHED POTATOES.
(You know me and mashed potatoes.)
YUM ! ! !

A PERFECT SPOT TO HANG OUT
ON A SUMMER AFTERNOON.
A GOOD ENOUGH REASON
FOR ME TO STAY PUT!

GIRL SCOUT OF THE YEAR

WELL IN OUR FAMILY ANYWAY,

IT'S ELISE!

SHE JOINED BROWNIES, LIKE MANY LITTLE GIRLS DO,
BUT MANY OF THOSE LITTLE GIRLS
BELONG FOR A YEAR OR SO AND THEN DROP OUT.
NOT ELISE,
SHE STUCK WITH IT AND IT HELPED MOLD
 HER INTO THE PERSON SHE IS TODAY. 

 HONEST, FAIR,COURAGEOUS, CARING,

 RESPECTFUL, HELPFUL AND STRONG.

LAST NIGHT WAS THE BRIDGING CEREMONY,
WHERE THE GROUPS BRIDGED UP TO
THE NEXT LEVEL OF SCOUTING.

I REMEMBER BEING THERE WHEN ELISE BRIDGED UP TO GIRL SCOUTS.

HER GROUP HELPED OUT WITH THE CEREMONY,
HANDING OUT THE VESTS, AND KEYS.
I FORGOT TO ASK WHAT THE KEYS SYMBOLIZE,
BUT I WOULD GUESS,
UNLOCKING THE DOOR TO THE NEXT STAGE OF LIVE?

 AND THEN 

IT WAS TIME FOR HER
AND THREE OTHERS FROM HER GROUP
TO BE BRIDGED INTO ADULTHOOD.
(I'M SURE THEY MAY HAVE ANOTHER NAME FOR IT,
BUT THAT'S HOW I SEE IT.)

THEY LISTENED AS THEIR LEADER GAVE AN EMOTIONAL
TRIBUTE TO THESE GIRLS.
THEY HAD ONE LEADER BEFORE HER,
BUT THIS GREAT LADY HAS LED THEM THROUGH SCOUTING
FOR THE PAST, NINE YEARS?
WE ALL THANK HER FOR TEACHING ELISE
TO MAKE THOSE GREAT TAMALES!

 EACH ONE TOLD WHAT WAS THEIR NEXT STEP IN LIFE,

WHICH FOR ALL FOUR OF THEM,

IT WAS GOING OFF TO COLLEGE.

 THEY'LL ALL BE GOING THEIR SEPARATE WAYS,

AS THEIR SHIRTS INDICATE,

BUT THROUGH SCOUTING

THEY'VE BUILT FRIENDSHIPS

THAT WILL LAST FOREVER.

GREAT JOB GIRLS!
GREAT JOB ELISE,
OUR GIRL SCOUT OF THE YEAR!
STAY HONEST, FAIR, COURAGEOUS, CARING,  RESPECTFUL, HELPFUL, AND STRONG, AND I'M SURE YOU'LL BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE!

MAYBE ONE OF US SHOULD BEEN AN ORTHODONTIST !

LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE,

THE TWO YOUNGEST GRANDS JUST GOT BRACES,

WITH SAM SOON TO FOLLOW,

WHILE ELISE IS CLOSE TO GETTING HERS OFF.
SAY SMILE!
OF THE TWELVE GRANDCHILDREN,
ALL BUT ONE HAVE PUT IN THEIR YEARS IN BRACES.
HEY GABE,  HOW DID YOU END  UP
WITH SUCH STRAIGHT PERFECT TEETH? 

SWIM MEET SMILES!

FROM ALL OF US.

JUST LOOK AT
HOW MUCH FUN WE HAD!

THE SWIM MEET CONTINUED ON

AND WE CAUGHT THE LAST DAY, TODAY.

ROXANNE WAS BACK FOR HER THIRD DAY
OF HER LAST SWIM MEET AS A THRESHER.

SHE WAS IN THE WATER,

DOING THE BREAST STROKE,
AND FROM THE LOOKS OF THIS PICTURE,
PRAYING FOR A GOOD FINISHING TIME :)

GREAT JOB ROXY!

OLIVIA CHEERS ON HER SISTER.

YESTERDAY, AND TODAY,
GORDAN JOINED ROXY IN THE MEET,

AND IN DOING THE BREAST STROKE.

I ALWAYS LOVE THESE PHOTOS.

AUNT PATTI, LEFT CORNER,
WAS RIGHT THERE TO CHEER HIM ON.

GREAT JOB GORDAN!HE WAS SO FAST IN THIS RACE,
I ONLY GOT A PICTURE AFTER HE FINISHED.

OLIVIA ALSO HAD ONE OF THOSE RACES.
I LIKE TO THINK IT'S THAT YOU KIDS ARE
JUST GETTING FASTER,
AND NOT THAT I'M GETTING SLOWER :)

FROM THE LOOKS OF THESE PICTURES OF LIVVY,
I THINK I'M RIGHT.

JUST LOOK AT HER COMING IN FOR THIS GREAT TURN

HERE SHE IS STARTING OUT HER
WARM UP DANCE ROUTINE,
WHICH SHE SWEARS THE OLYMPIANS
HAVE STOLEN FROM HER.

I'M INCLINED TO BELIEVE HER.
GREAT JOB OLIVIA!

EVEN THOUGH I CALLED HER AT THE LAST MINUTE :)
AUNT BETTY WAS THERE TIL THE LAST RACE
HELPING US CHEER THEM ON.
EVERYONE NEEDS A GREAT AUNT LIKE THAT!