It's Fall Finally

And with the summer heat finally gone, this past couple of weeks it has really began to feel like fall.  Even though we don't get too many leaves changing around here, there is a crispness to the morning and evening air.  I also love the early morning fog that rolls in and settles in the La Costa valley, it makes getting up early a little easier.

A view from our deck.

The guest/boys bathroom makeover, finally let there be light...and a picture shelf.

Ignore the missing cabinet, that will soon be repaired, but just bask in the beauty of the subway tile and grey tile floor, also when Tyler was here he installed the mirrors and lights, ya for a functioning beautiful bathroom.

Front fall decor, right before I replaced some of the plants with poinsettias, I know it's a little early, but I couldn't resist they are so beautiful.

Thanksgiving/Christmas mash-up.

I've been doing a lot of work around the house, mostly painting and making small updates I can do on my own with supplies I have lying around.  This is an update of the downstairs guest room. Before...

Before...

After.  I added a reclaimed wood chair rail with some of the wood we got from tearing down our side fencing.  I thought it would be much easier than it was, but it turned out to be tricky because that wood was so dang warped!  I also framed some old San Diego magazine pictures in white frames that Mimi gave us from when her family was stationed here in the 1950s.

I made the drapes from shower curtains just by sewing on some extra muslin fabric I had lying around.  

This enormous post that held up an even more enormous wisteria plant finally got removed, it opens the back deck up so much more.  Kevin also added a slide and cargo net here where the post used to be.

The boys in their Sunday best.  Handsome fellas.

Luke at his first movie theater experience, he loved every minute of it.  The Book of Life.

Hum I wonder where he gets this from, nice phone Luke, its really Kev's computer mouse.

Wyatt learning all about make-up.

Exploring SeaWorld with some friends.

Let's check the map guys.

I was so thankful Kevin let me use some of his air miles and I took a quick weekend trip up to Salt Lake to see my cousins new twin boys.  My mom and Kim met me there and it turned out to be a great little getaway.

Strolling around the temple grounds.

We squeezed in a trip to Disneyland with some friends too.

They love to pose with characters and random statues, "Mom look there's a good spot for a cool picture."

To get ready for Halloween this year we decided to paint pumpkins instead of carve them, much easier.

A night trip to Legoland for some trick or treating.

Wyatt randomly wanted to dress as a knight so he pulled out this tunic he made a couple of years ago in preschool, he's awesome.  Luke just wanted a pirate headband from the dress-up bag.

Ready for trunk or treat at the ward Halloween party.

The Kelvingtons came to visit Halloween day and were able to stay for a long weekend.  The kids played well together and we had a lot of fun.

Luke and Reese love each other.

We took them to the speed track for go-carts, Andy came in first, just by a second, then Jamie, and Kevin was well behind.

The kids watching a cartoon before bedtime, while Kevin photo bombs us.

Hanging out at a street fair with their balloons.

Follow the leader.

"Make me a bicycle clown!"

Time for trick or treating around the neighborhood.

The Frozen squad.

A friend of mine passed away so the boys and I went to the funeral in St. George, it was fun for them to hang out with their cousins and play in a creek near the park.

Hiking with Papa in Snow Canyon.

Playing with Cooper and Nana at the farm.

Park time with Nana.

Wyatt riding Nana's spiderman bike through a muddy storm drain, sounds like a little boys dream.

And of course there was some beach time.

End of Summer Round-Up

Well Summer is coming to an end, but up until a few days ago it did not feel like that it would ever end.  When we bought this house we knew living so close to the coast A/C was really a luxury and one we felt we could live without, most people say, "oh you really don't need it, except maybe a few days a year."  Well, ya right we were roasting alive this past month, it was hot, I mean like Africa hot, breaking record temps all September, not only was it 90 plus daily, but also very humid, which is really unusual.  One day it was pouring rain and 106 during hurricane Norbert.  Say what????  So now that we survived the sweat fest, I can actually think again, am probably a lot less cranky, and am ready to use a computer that generates a miniscule amount of heat, one that you really never notice, until you're so hot you feel like you're sick. So here is my end of summer post.  There have been a lot of days at the beach and the community pool, where I really tend not to take too many pictures because I don't want to pull out my phone for fear it will be lost, damaged, or stolen.  So here is what else we did in addition to staying close to the water.

Just trying to beat the heat, a lot of undies and diaper only wearing around here.  "Does this Darth Vader head make me look awesome?"

Wyatt loves to dress-up, he made a mash-up of the Tin Man and Super Man.

Luke was a cowboy and we went to Lowes, because we LIVED there or at the Home Depot this summer, just trying to get the house fixed up.

Our Disneyland passes expired this month so we made a trip for one last time for awhile, it was fun, but hot!  Good thing it wasn't crowded and we didn't have to wait in line too much.

Kevin had to take a work trip to India for a few weeks so Carlee and Kathleen came to stay and help me with the kids and projects around the house.  The day after Kevin returned we took a 30 minute drive up to San Juan Capistrano to visit the mission, this picture is entitled, The Jolly Bells.

Fun down in Old Town going to lunch with Papa James.

Wyatt learned to ride his bike without training wheels this month, he worked so hard and declared he needed an ice cream to cool him down and sure enough like out of a movie we hear the twinkling sound of the ice cream truck, they never have actually had the chance to go to an ice cream truck, and so they were thrilled to pick out whatever treat they wanted.

We went to Palm Springs during the most extreme heat, which seems counter productive, but was actually better, because even though it was well over 100 there, the hotel had A/C and we were in the pool all day, except a stop to the hotel to ride on the boat and visit the birds. Wyatt loves this bird named Cowboy that we see every time we go for the past few years, plus he made a new friend when one of the guys who works with the birds let him hold an African Grey named Gracie.  He was in heaven.

The top deck is decked out, ha ha, two new hammocks to enjoy.  The bottom deck is up next.  I spent 2 days clearing out an overgrown Wisteria bush on the deck and now we are ready for a cargo net, slide, and gym rings to be added.  Watch out American Ninja Warrior, here we come.

My friend Stacey and her son Austin came to visit, we took a trip to Juian to go to the apple festival, but just ended up at the petting zoo and mining for gold, although we did stop on our way out of town and got a caramel apple.  On a side note I was looking at last years pictures from the same time and the kids are really bundled up, I remember it was so cold.  Let's just say hot apple cider did not sound appealing.

The boys checking out the surf.

A fun day at Legoland with Stacey and Austin.