July 29

Today was a record breaking day with a high temperature of 103 degrees. We tried to cool off this afternoon by playing in the pool. Thank goodness our backyard is shaded! Will convinced Marc to pretend they were kitties. Here are some pictures of them drinking water from the sprinklers on Will's pool. (I know...it looks like they are going to make out in one of those!)

July 28

We flew home today - happy to be back, but also wishing we had a bit more time together as a family. Especially since we arrived to home to a heat wave and an 82 degree house!

July 27

We spent our last full day in San Diego doing our favorite things - playing on the beach and visiting Legoland again.

July 26

Today's adventure involved heading to the San Diego Zoo. The zoo is far too huge to see everything in one day, so we knew we had to be choosy. One of the best animals we saw was this Giant Panda, who was fast asleep in the tree. Will thought it was so funny that the panda was sleeping upside down!

July 25

This morning we headed to Old Town, which was a big mistake. Will had no interest in seeing old buildings and I didn't really find any of it particularly interesting myself. After taking a nap, we headed to La Jolla Shores, which was one of the most crowded beaches I've ever seen. The surf was gentle, perfect for Will to have fun splashing and playing.

July 24

Our first order of business was heading to Legoland. Will LOVED every minute of

the rides. He was also quite excited to see the lego statue of Bob the Builder. We spent the latter part of our day at La Jolla Cove playing in the gigantic waves.

July 23

This morning we boarded a plane and headed to San Diego for our first family vacation. After landing, getting the rental, driving around for a nap, checking in, and going to the grocery store there wasn't much time left to do anything exciting. We settled for a dip in the pool, which suited Will just fine!

July 22

After a busy day packing and getting ready for our trip tomorrow, Will and I relaxed by dancing in the kitchen. Nothing like some Wiggles music to get you in the groove!

July 21

The mercury was on the rise today and we cooled off with some Otter Pops after dinner. Yum!

July 20

Dianne, Tom and Great Grandpa Jack came down for dinner tonight. Unfortunately, Will was in a heck of a mood and whined for most of their visit. He did, however, crack a smile after stealing a slice of cherry pie off of Marc's place while he was out of the room.

July 19

Today I went to a lovely shower for Sasha, hosted by her mom and sister. It was nice seeing my Aunt, Cousin, Grandma and Mary. There sure were a lot of frilly, pink gifts!

July 18

My lavender is still in full bloom and full of bees. It is interesting to see how many different species of bees there are as they flit around my garden. Today I spent some time weeding and cutting back, something long overdue!

July 17

We went to Lakefair tonight and Will had the greatest time! In spite of the fact that the rides were $3.00 each (gasp! - thank goodness we only have one kid), we let Will get his fill of fun. He LOVED the rides and ran like a crazy man from one to the next. Marc and I were shocked that he didn't even have an ounce of trepidation about the rides that went up in the air. We finished the evening by sharing a mud pie and listening to some teenage bands, which Will also loved.

July 16

Will and I ate breakfast at the Bread Peddler and enjoyed a morning downtown. I had intended to go to the park, but we ended up riding the bus up to the Capitol and walking around inside for a little while. As we explored the building, Will kept asking, "Where the Governor is?" He was finally content to see the outside of her office. Of course, Will's biggest thrill was riding the bus!

July 15

What's better than getting soaked with cold water on a hot day?

July 14

In honor of tonight being the All-Star game, we ate hotdogs in the living room and introduced Will to baseball. He thought eating in the living room was the greatest thing in the world! Next year I need to remember the peanuts and cracker jacks.

July 13

Tonight I noticed that my hydrangea is beginning to bloom. I wish that we had the more common mophead variety, but the lacecap does have a charm all its own.

July 12

Today Marc and I celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. We celebrated by doing absolutely nothing. Neither our moms nor our babysitter was available so it made getting out and doing something a bit difficult. (Not to mention the fact that we're both a exhausted from a fun evening with the Niles' family last night.) This picture was taken just after we put Will to bed - neither of us have showered and we're both looking pretty worn out. This is the first anniversary that we haven't done anything to celebrate and we figure it won't be our last.

July 11

It was a gorgous and hot summer day today so we spent the morning at Tolmie State Park. We hiked around the park for about an hour before spending time on the beach. The water was so calm, which made for great wading.

July 10

Happy 35th Birthday, Marc! We all celebrated by heading to Tugboat Annie's for happy hour where we enjoyed wings, nachos and beer. It was a delicious gut-buster! Of course, we finished topped off our celebration with the birthday boy's favorite - a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins.

July 9

Will and I returned home today after being away for two nights. It was obvious that Will was excited to be back home and see his Daddy.

July 8

Mom had a second set of stints put in today in preparation for her bypass tomorrow. Unfortunately, when they were removing the apparatus from her shoulder, she would not stop bleeding and they had to cut into her harm in order to get things under control. The doctors are postponing her bypass until she recovers from this complication. Luckily, her stints have greatly increased the blood flow to her legs and feet. Hopefully, she won't be have as much pain anymore. (The offending toes are in the pink sock - I thought I'd spare us the sight of them.)

July 7

Will and I went to Seattle today since Mom is scheduled to have bypass surgery tomorrow. Will was lucky enough to convince Grandpa to give him the BP Firetruck that has been in his office for years. Our little Fireman was in heaven!

July 6

My newly planted daisies are blooming like crazy. Today I brought some inside for us to enjoy.

July 5

On our way home from the beach today, we were able to stop at Clark's Restaurant for some burgers and milkshakes. The food is just okay, but the shakes are divine. Will heard Marc order me a chocolate shake and couldn't stop talking about chocolate. After his first spoonful, Will let out an excited "yummy." I drank most of the shake, but here he is finishing off the last of it in the car.

July 4

This morning we took the kids to the elementary school to let off some steam then headed back to the house for naptime. Will slept until 3:30, which didn't leave much time for beachcombing. We coerced him into heading to the beach, but it was a short-lived trip. He was still far too groggy from his nap and simply wanted Marc to hold him.

July 3

We headed to Long Beach today for the annual family gathering for the 4th. Marc finally took his first ride on the carousel with Will and the two boys had fun waving to me and other passersby. Marc also showed Will how to have fun on an amusement ride - prepration for our trip to Legoland in a few weeks.

July 2

It was another hot one today and Will enjoyed more time in the pool. Sophie and Sarah joined us for dinner and the kids had fun splashing each other.

July 1

Will and I enjoyed relaxing in the hot sun this afternoon. We splashed in the pool together, followed by a fried chicken dinner on the patio. We've been eating outside a lot lately and Will loves it. I had a craving for a summery drink, so I made myself a drink with vodka and Newman's Own Limeade...yum!