Brian's Visit

My cousin Brian was out in California on a business trip and we got to spend the weekend with him, which was so much fun. We don't see each other nearly enough, and this visit inspired us to change that.

Since he was visiting from Bend, Oregon (where it was snowing),

Brian asked for two things - sunshine and beach - so that's

what he got with a relaxing day trip to Santa Barbara.

These guys were just hanging out under the pier. Beautiful!

Since it's not often that we're all together, we couldn't

pass up a night of story-telling and Smores by the fire pit.

Infectious smile. :-)

"I am man, see me set marshmallow on fire."

Even though the stars were beautiful and Dad and Brian

were happily star gazing with their iphone apps, something

seemed to be missing. Neal got right on it and pulled out

the big guns - his new telescope. We were then able to

see Jupiter with its moons (SO awesome), the Orion nebula

and other great wonders of the sky.

Big Bear

It had been years since my family and I had been up to one of our favorite old skiing spots - Snow Summit at Big Bear Lake - so we hopped in the car and made the 3 hour (which turned into a 5 hour) drive. We had a beautiful sunny day on Saturday and woke up Sunday to some snow flurries.

Neal found us a little cabin on the lake

On every trip we made here in my teen and young adult

years, we always ate a hearty breakfast at the Log Cabin

before hitting the slopes. Today, we kept up that tradition.

A breath of fresh mountain air

Sunset over the lake

Night skiing

We have never done this but always admire

how pretty the mountain looks all lit up.

Disneyland!

It was 80 degrees in the middle of January so we decided to head to Disney's California Adventure, which neither of us had ever been to. We had the perfect day - great weather, no lines for the rides, and a glass of wine at the Napa Trattoria to end our adventures.

Yes, we cheated and took a picture of our picture.

The Boardwalk at sunset

It's a Bugs Life - the ride

In Da Club with Tron promo party people

Happy 2011!!

New Year's Eve at the Van Geems! Close family friends of ours, the Van Geems always seem to have a lively house with their 9 children (ranging in age from elementary school to late 20's) and now their newest grandchild. We had a lot of fun with all of them.

Neal and Mary

Lovebirds

Neal, Lira and Kelly

The winning team of Smart A**

Cousins

Balloon Hair

(she later dressed up as Lady Gaga)

Our host and hostess - Joanie and Tom.

At 11:30 pm, Tom was called away for a delivery.

He came home an hour later after having delivered

the first baby of 2011 for Ventura County.

Mom and dad lookin' good

The first day of the year was sunny and beautiful so

naturally we headed to the beach. Lunch at Duke's with a

hula pie for dessert was the perfect way to start 2011.

Christmas

Christmas Eve

My cousin Martin, whom I haven't seen in 20 years,

came to stay with us for a couple of weeks during the holidays.

It was so much fun getting to know him and taking him sight-seeing

around southern Cal. This was too beautiful a day to not be

outside so we opted for a beach tour of Santa Barbara.

Dinner at the Pereyras (my other cousins) was excellent!

Christmas Day

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

Pancakes and eggs for breakfast - yuuuuummm

Drinking out of the mugs from our holiday china set

(thanks Lynn!)

Dad is usually the one who plays Santa Claus and hands

out the presents. His jolly personality makes him the

perfect candidate for the job. We love our Santa!

What family gathering would be complete without

a little Bailey's to warm the insides? Served chilled

over ice, mixed with a nice cup of hot coffee, or my personal

favorite - mint flavored Baileys over hot chocolate - it

makes for a wonderful addition to any occasion.

SO good!

Family time, fun time.

In Memoriam

Two weeks before Christmas, my dad's older (and only) brother Bob found out that he had Pancreatic Cancer. It progressed much quicker than anyone expected and sadly, we lost him just before Christmas. We have all been in such a state of shock, though we have ultimately been grateful for his quick release from suffering.

We didn't have the privilege of living close by to Bob and his family, but there are two recent memories that I am most thankful for. One is the family reunion we had for the Celebration of Life in honor of my grandparents after they passed away in 2005. It was rare to have us all together like that, and it was a beautiful day of sharing. The other memory is that of our wedding, which Bob and Laura came to share with us. It meant so much to have them there and it made our day that much more special.

My uncle was a good man. As a father he raised four wonderful children who all now have families of their own. As a son he cared for his parents, and was there with them every day toward the end of their lives, when they needed him most. As a citizen he served our country in the Vietnam War. As a college professor he touched the lives of countless students, and as a human being he led a life well lived.

We will miss you dearly Bob, and look forward to someday seeing you again in the eternal life. Until then, you remain with us in memory and in spirit. May you rest in peace and as Andy so perfectly put it, "may the bird watching be better on the other side."

Winter Fun

Mom's birthday dinner at Cheesecake Factory

Stacey's Birthday - the night the "spinning Kolbe"

was invented. Holy moly, was that hilarious.

Cookies I made for the student helpers in our office,

since they are awesome!

Dad performing with the St. Julie's choir in their

Christmas program. They did a wonderful job!