Cienna - 13 Years 1 Month ... Kaylee - 10 Years 8 Months!

The day before Cienna became an actual teenager, we were "forced" to go to the local homemade ice cream shop for a Marshall fundraiser after gymnastics.  The Briefs, and Schoenberg's joined us and we all knew we would be there again for sure.  Not sure how the ice cream made it happen, but Kaylee also lost a tooth that night.

The morning was filled with the tooth fairy, then balloons and streamers, and an amazing sign, when Cienna came down the stairs.  Cienna made fun choices for us all to enjoy together as a family! She was spoiled by neighbors with gifts and greeted with a sign in the front yard. She got tons of love from family who called her throughout the day and she knew as always that she was loved!  We had Mod Pizza for dinner and brought drumsticks for friends at gymnastics that evening.

She planned out an amazing Birthday celebration with her friends the following Saturday!  It was an all day party which perfectly matched these interesting times, and will certainly be a memorable 13th Birthday.  She played online Jackbox games with 7 friends in the morning at 10am, then got to play more online games with ALL her friends in the afternoon.  The main game included questions about all those that were playing created by a questionnaire that each of them filled out during the weeks preceding the party.  Then that evening Cienna was super excited to do a night light up bike ride to actually see all her buddies in person, but still be distanced.  We got bike lights for all the friends and were ready to go at 6pm.  Then we had the largest hail we've seen in years about 5 minutes before the ride.  Many friends were skeptical about going, but they knew us better than that and of course we charged on.  All the girls had such and amazing and memorable 3 to 4 mile bike ride around the elementary school and through lightning and rain to the duck pond and back.  The most enjoyable part was to be able to be kids and talk to each other in person as they rode!  We finished the night with cake as a family and so much happiness and appreciation!

We had some wonderful family time putting together a Birthday video for June who was turning 11.  Happy Birthday to June.  It was then time to look into Middle Schools for Kaylee next year... woah slow down.  We also got ready for the girl's 2nd gymnastics competition which was their last one competing Level 6.  It was valentine themed, so we put together 60 valentine's for all competing gymnasts including Xcel and Pre-Team.  They did amazing as always and had a great time.

The next day was the Super Bowl.  We planned on spending it with just the four of us, but had a menu detailed out nevertheless.  We wanted to smoke a pork butt for pulled pork sandwiches for the first time to be prepared with Kings Hawaiian rolls of course.  Also the staples of Triple Cheese Nachos, etc., and supplemented with a fruit bowl!  

Unfortunately we got some somber news that morning that Grandpa Kim had passed away.  We spent the rest of the day talking about great memories we've had with him and how much he meant to all of us.  He will be remembered by us for his kind and generous heart, his goofy faces, and his straight forward ways!  We love you Grandpa Kim!

The love we have carried on to Valentines Day.  We went out for breakfast together which I know Grandpa would have love also.  Then we made ribs for dinner!  We had a pick up for Kaylee's school supplies where we had made more valentines for her classmates.  A strange last elementary valentine's day, but the teachers made it happen.  They also made Rice Crispy treats over a zoom call during class to all enjoy together!

Another different experience for something that they've done each year was the rehearsal for the Gymnastics Holiday show that they had practiced for to be held in December.  So who cares if the show is full of Christmas songs in February.  The show may have been postponed, but still must go on : )

The girls had a couple of Mondays off of school, so we finished our White House Lego set and took a long walk down the Santa Monica beachfront and saw the Pier for the first time.  Was actually probably a better way to see it, since it wasn't all that crowded!

Kaylee lost yet another tooth just before their dentist appointments where Cienna got her first cavity filled.  We took the Bronco for another Birthday drive-by to celebrate the Harshaw twins, and Mommy and Daddy did a BINGO fundraiser for Carver together while the girls were at gymnastics and won a Relaxation Basket which we look forward to seeing the contents.

Our thoughts everyday are with Grandpa, and the rest of the family as always!  We've missed out on so much family time during the holidays but we know that family is always there.  We are also so lucky to have such great friends and support.

Enjoy the photos and videos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8G6jNMVWJRHArDPb7

Cienna - 13 Years Years Old! ... Kaylee - 10 Years 7 Months Old!

After moving up to level 6 last spring, just as the competition season came to an unexpected end, the girls finally got to show off their routines for the first time in front of judges in an in house practice meet to start off last month before the Christmas holiday!  Being with their teammates, and all being proud of what they have accomplished, it was a complete success.

We celebrated some good friend's birthdays early in the month as well.  The Bronco made another appearance for Leah's drive by birthday, then Cienna got to do a virtual escape room with friends for Lex's 13th birthday.

All around our neighborhood were tremendous Christmas light displays, so we took plenty of bike rides in our light up selves to see them all.

We missed out on ThanksChristmas with family so we thought we could be there for actual Christmas, but that didn't happen either.  We did however get a visit from the Bakx, and went to deliver gifts to the Ferrario's X 3.  We were all anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newest Ferrario, Emera.  She showed up a little later than expected, but thankfully happy and healthy on 12/29/2020.

We were flooded with gifts from friends and family, but what we loved most was all the Facetime and Zoom calls to see each other in real-time since it couldn't be in person.

The girls made their way to our room in the morning as our tradition, we had a great time with gifts, and a big breakfast.  After making our own Pie, we were also given plenty of extra deserts from Auntie Kimmie.  We spent most of the day outdoors enjoying each other, the neighborhood, and the trampoline before having a delicious rib dinner.

The following weeks, there was plenty of fort building and making use of all the new creative and crafty gifts that we got from friends and family.

Then the new year was upon us.  The girls got a bit creative with baking a New Year's 2021 cake.  They wanted a double layer chocolate but didn't have all the ingredients.  Ended up with one chocolate layer and one vanilla with lemon pudding filling.....??? insert your own emoji.  It was delicious.

We made plans to head to Big Bear for New Years as we often do and were able to thanks to Greg and Jackie for letting us use their cabin!  Of course we all wanted to snowboard, but by the time we looked to getting tickets for that weekend they were all sold out.  However, the nighttime tickets were not.  So, we went snowboarding on New Year's Eve Evening, and loved every minute.  We left after gymnastics at 9pm on the 30th to avoid traffic and it was a great, however late drive up.  We had a relaxing morning and prepared the cold evening of snowboarding.  There were no lines and the snow was perfect.  The only unfortunate thing is that Cienna's feet grew a little too much so she was in for a rude awakening when her feet thawed out in the car after taking off her boots on the way home, but other than that it was awesome!  Mark and the girls made Mommy stay up till midnight, but it was pretty fun and relaxing after a big day.

The next day we took advantage of all the snow that came that week to make a HUGE snowman in the front of the cabin and headed down the road for some sledding time.  The girls got to continue their game of Ratatouille and Porter loved running around the neighborhood in the snow.  We also made another fort/maze in the living room.  The whole trip felt like it was just us with so little traffic and just a great time.

When we got home, it was time to take down the Christmas decorations and get excited for school and the following weeks.  The girls enjoyed their vacation together even making a montage of pictures of amazing poses around our house.  They also made more forts.  Luckily they are also getting better at folding sheets to put the forts away.  They weren't disappointed to go back to online class and see their teachers and get back to learning after Winter Break.

Kaylee had a lot of fun making her first KiWi gift for Christmas and looks forward to the next one, also after all this time she got her first rip and handled it like a champ.  Cienna seems to only get hers on her wrist, so we got her new wrist bands, think that'll help : )

    

The end the month the girls had their first real gymnastics meet.  Still at the gym and with only their team, but they got to compete, for real, as optional gymnasts.  It was such a fun time and it is incredible that they still get to thrive in so many ways right now!  We are all very grateful to have the things that we do!

Mark made a trip to Marina Del Rey to visit Uncle B one last time in his loft.  The Giraldez's are moving to Tennessee to start the next chapter in their life.  Looking forward to visiting!

I guess lastly (honorable mention) we headed to downtown long beach to walk around The Pike to see the sights and enjoy a beautiful evening together!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cPpJcyWVzt4u3e7c6

Cienna - 12 Years 11 Months ... Kaylee - 10 Years 6 Months Old!

So, after almost 20 years, plenty of duct tape, JB weld and burnt out ice maker, it was time for a new refrigerator.  It's pretty neat to get fresh water and ice from a refrigerator.  Who knew that was possible.

Thanksgiving break was not quite what we were expecting.  Our annual ThanksChristmas up north didn't get to happen.  We at least got to see all our family virtually which is better than nothing, but not as good as the real thing.  We missed all the hugs!!  Daddy got to take the week off with the girls and enjoy time together.  Mommy worked some of the time but we definitely got to enjoy time with each other.  We figured the girls were finally tall enough to take to Go Kart World.  We all had a great time, with almost the whole place to ourselves.

We started Thanksgiving Day with an early morning walk in our neighborhood before the cooking began.  We had gone shopping for everything we needed for a huge Thanksgiving feast for four.  It was fun to cook it all as a family, from the Fried Turkey, Green bean Casserole, jellied cranberries, mashed and sweet potatoes, homemade Apple Pie, (and one homemade pumpkin pie from the Snows) and devilled eggs that actually lasted throughout the day only because they were put in the back of the refrigerator instead of on the counter but got eaten nonetheless.

We loaded up all four of our bikes for the first time since we all have new adult size bikes on our rack with doubt, but they all seemed to fit.  We headed down to the peninsula path.  You can see the whole shoreline from there and is was certainly a beautiful day!

Game nights are still fun when done virtually, and Megan is great at setting them up.  We loved another virtual game night with the Natal's, Marty's, and Auntie Carrie!

Since picture day didn't happen in person this year, we had to use our limited photography skills, but we made it happen at home.

The break from school was mostly spent OFF of electronical devices.  This entailed walks, make shift random fun, mats out front for jumps even from Daddy, and more Lego fun. First they brought out all the old Legos that had been organized by color and together the girls miraculously made an accurate representation of the gymnastics center.  Then we got a new kit of the International Space Station.  It was fun to build and learn about as we went.  We got to appreciate our wonderful neighborhood with night bike rides to check out all the beautiful Christmas lights.

After Thanksgiving break apparently Christmas is the next day : )  So, out came the decorations.  We filled the house and then put up the lights and outdoor decorations.  The following weekend we got our tree from our local Christmas Tree farm (Snow Pines) and had the best service ever.  It really was a fun experience.  We cleaned the house, moved furniture, and got ready for the train and tree display.

We put up SO many ornaments on the tree, Mommy even got a new box from Grammy from her childhood to add to the tree this year!  And then we all wanted to add to our train display so we headed to the local train store.  We thought that it would be fun to change up our track from an oval to a figure 8.  The girls also picked up a build your own flower shop that was on sale to add to the town.

Then Christmas was in full effect.  Daddy had a virtual work Christmas party where he wore his Griswold Hockey Jersey and set up a monitor in the background to show the TV Yule log.  The girls didn't get their usual gymnastics Christmas party, but did get to enjoy their gift exchange at the end of practice with their friends.

Even though gymnastics season may look different this year, our gym wanted to make sure the girls are still encouraged by their progress and had an in house practice meet with judges for them to have fun and see how much progress they have made.  Both girls did absolutely amazing and all the kids had a great time!  Both girls have been grateful to have gymnastics and are improving every day.  They have consistent full twists on floor, their L7 series on beam, and have or are working on their giants on bars!

We finished off this month excited for the holiday and more time together.  Kaylee made a wreath from leftover Christmas Tree scraps and Cienna has spent months making gifts for close family and friends.  We also cleaned the under stair storage all together which was an unexpected gift for Mommy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZnFh1D6QMv8BKVLZ6

Cienna - 12 Years 10 Months ... Kaylee - 10 Years 5 Months Old!

Loved watching the planes land as we held front supports on the parking garage wall with the Marshalls after having a blast bike riding through the empty parking garage ramps at full speed.  We then brought out Halloween decorations in huge anticipation of making the most out of the holiday.  Before the girls got to first show off their awesome Halloween costumes, Kaylee was able to meet up with her fantastic teacher Ms. Cyrs to pick up some school supplies.  Kaylee also got to start up her school extra curricular weekly zoom clarinet practice with Mr. Gallant. She picked up on it super quick and has had fun playing on her own when she gets the chance.  She has even been playing some duets with Cienna (Jingle Bells).  We loved seeing the creative and way more self completed pumpkin carving this year, even if the pumpkins were bought at the grocery store.  

The girls first got to show off their Halloween costumes at gymnastics practice the Friday before.  They had a fun "practice" full of games with their teammates, but also were so excited for practice to be over because they knew their cousins finally arrived in Long Beach!  

We of course took them to the parking garage on a bike/skateboard ride to show them how cool it was watching the planes land.  On the way back Uncle RJ and Daddy, or better known as the Yeti and Jail Bird, stopped at the local business corner maybe for a beer, but also came through with a pumpkin that we were unable to find at any store on Halloween day.  All the cousins carved the pumpkin and set it out to show for Halloween night.  We had such creative dinner and treats all planned out by the Natal's, and even got to do some social distancing trick or treating all together through the neighborhood.  We're lucky to have such a great neighborhood so we could all feel like it was Halloween.  The girls sorted through and exchanged all their loot together before settling in like zombies.

The next day we got to enjoy more family time with the Natal's.  Girls got to watch some movies while RJ and Megan shopped for delicious breakfast burrito items!  After it was all digested, we made up a fun family style soccer golf game to play at the park.  It had teams and fun challenges for us all to get creative and be active.  Such a great visit!!!

We even got a little bit of a weather teaser with some rain!  We took full advantage and stayed outside for as much of it as possible.  Going on a bike ride, and a staple for us, family tag out front!  The girls are a lot quicker than they used to be... or are we slower... no way!

Then the first Christmas present of the year arrived early.  Cienna's very first NEW bike.  She was beyond excited, and we were a little happy to not have to listen to her whine anymore about the other one.

We made progress on the Bronco stereo, learning that we needed a new speaker, so we ran new speaker wire, and we are bumping the hit tunes.  Bri and Cobi had their baby shower and we are excited for the arrival of Emera come Christmas time!

We are grateful for all that we have, and do our best to appreciate that everyday!

Enjoy the photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/d3WU1fU67m2pUCLy6

Cienna - 12 Years 9 Months ... Kaylee - 10 Years 4 Months Old!

To start out the month Daddy had a long fun bike ride along Huntington Beach with Roman and other good buddies.  Later that day, we "attended" our first virtual wedding for Scott who is one of the great gymnastics coaches at the gym.  We also celebrated Haiden's 10th with our first of 3 drive by birthday's of the month.

We are so grateful to be in the situation we are given the circumstances!  We are thankful that all our friends and family are safe through another tragic fire season.  We are proud of all the strength they have and love we share.

We've enjoyed the extra time together as a family and have been trying to make the most of it. We have searched through the under stair storage to bring out a plethora of games, magnetic roller coaster builds, crafts and puzzles.  Baking together is also a fun go to for a treat.  We pretty much play all card games that we can think of or know.  The trampoline still gets really good use.  Maybe not as much as when we weren't at gymnastics 5 days a week, but there is still time on the weekend for Daddy.  And the garage roof is always a popular hangout for the girls on occasion.  Daddy also brought home a VR set to check out have have some fun with.  Bike rides are for sure a go to when we need to get out as a family!  There is a great parking structure to go on the weekends to ride all around.  The best is obviously going back down the ramps after the hard work getting up.  We went with the Marshall's and Knobe's one time, then with the Marshall's and Vigliotti's the next.

We've gotten at least a little time to work on the Bronco as a family and figured out how to get the vacuum system working for the internal air vents!!  As before mentioned it has been used for 3 drive by birthday celebrations this month. The next was for Emery, and then celebrate Shawna becoming a teenager.  Still researching how to get the radio installed and blasting the beats.

The kids are working on their creativity.  Kaylee, with permission used spray paint on the grass to start a wood project and paint her name in the grass.  She also is trying her best to find things to do getting out of the house during school breaks.  She started and continues to practice riding Mommy's skateboard, taking Porter on walks, and going on bike rides around the block.  Her go to snack during break time is a fruit smoothie that she makes using our Ninja.

On a different note, Kaylee had been wanting her ears to be pierced for quite some time.  She has been working on her integrity as a person, understanding of the responsibility and we all decided as a family that we would look up the best way possible.  She got them done on Uncle Matt's birthday because that just happen to work out with our plan, and Happy Birthday to Uncle Matt.  We went to Envy Body Piercing in Downtown LB and had an amazing experience. I give credit to Rena who did the piercing, but Kaylee blew me away.  She asked questions and was completely ready even after watching needle piercings being done.  They haven't bothered her since.  

Cienna was super excited to go through her book shelf and expand her collection with new books in some of her series with a trip to Barnes and Nobles. She has read a ton on the laptop, but was happy to have the books in hand.  She's gone through them like crazy.  She has also kept up her painting on canvas and other fun backgrounds.  She has continued to excel on her clarinet even with the challenges of online learning. There was some miscommunication that led Cienna to be unsure that her teachers recognized her with the online learning as being an amazing student, but then she was the first kid in her History class to be elected as scholar of the month!

And they both have won a handstand contest vs. all the other gymnasts in their group.  It's like a go to in the house any time they are just standing around.  They're getting pretty good at them.

School has gone really well despite being online.  We appreciate all the teachers for all their work and efforts.  Ms. Cyrs is such a great fit for Kaylee, and we hope she gets to continue next semester safely in class.  We still have the directive that we will be online until Jan. 28th which is the end of the first semester.  They have gotten into a routine, and we have good ways communicating with Mommy, and Dad throughout the day if they need help.

The gymnastics team banquet wasn't the same, but the gym family made it happen anyway.  The girls were recognized for all there good work and effort over the previous year.  They both progressed so much physically and mentally with gymnastics it was a deserved celebration.  They each go an award for moving up another level and Kaylee got an award for the Most Improved Gymnast in her level.

It was fun to set up some Halloween decorations, then the girls finally decided what they wanted to dress up as because they didn't want to go without Mommy making their Halloween decorations this year.  We certainly went to JoAnne's Fabrics to pick out material for the designs that they made and even had Daddy as a special guest.  They're coming along as you will see with help from the girls sewing.

Check out the photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/THJXTwMREUtoJKxm9

Cienna - 12 Years 8 Months ... Kaylee - 10 Years 3 Months Old!

     We managed to have a fantastic summer vacation.  Our Pismo Beach ATV camping trip with the Bakx was cancelled, so we suggested that we were lucky to have another fantastic opportunity for us all to go to Big Bear and use Greg and Jackie's perfect home for us all to have a great time!  We got there a day early and enjoyed our normal walk around the neighborhood which is usually covered snow. As we came down the backside of the house we realized that there was a tree fort way up high in the backyard tree.  The ladder had long since been gone, so Mommy actually did help them get to the first branch.  Mommy and Daddy also got to see more of the area while on a run.  There were awesome hiking trails that we had never been able to take advantage of since this was the first time we had not been there during the winter.

    The Bakx came the next day and we wanted to go for a walk to show them around the hilly neighborhood.  We decided to try and actually find a GeoCache that was supposed to be "nearby".  We did actually find our first one and had a great time even though we went a little farther than expected.  On the way back to the house we did a little "shortcut" that saved us some time getting back.  Later that day we all went to the Alpine Slide and Coaster Park.  The Coaster was pretty new but so much fun.  The Alpine Slide had been there a while, and you seriously had to hold on if you wanted to go fast.  Caution, don't put your hands or legs outside of the coaster.  Unfortunately Rylee got quite the burn on her knee, and Cienna got a tiny one on her elbow.  Nevertheless, Rylee and the rest of us that planned on going ziplining the next day had a great time.  For us, it was our first time ever doing a ziplining tour.  The ATV doing switchbacks up the mountain was almost as exciting as the ziplines themselves.  We all had such a relaxing fun time that also included game times in the house, movie time, and Kan Jam outside!

    That week we were getting ready for the start of this all virtual school time.  Cienna got her school issued Chromebook, and they got their class schedules/assigned teacher.  They were both very excited with who they had.  Cienna got all the classes she wanted and it is Kaylee's first year of all elementary to have class with not one, but both her best buddies.  We got a nice visit from cousin MiKayla and her husband Brion, and of course Ellie.  Then played soccer at the park with London and her dad.

    Cienna and Mommy went to help welcome the 5th grade class of 2021 by chalking the sidewalk and street where we picked up their school supplies and met with the teachers later that day.  Kaylee's teacher is new this year, but they all know her husband BaBa the storyteller.

    Then September starts with the first day of school.  We now have a 5th and 7th grader.  Even though we didn't get to walk them to school we had worked hard to set them up with nice desk areas for successful virtual school.  We even used old school methods like plugging into the Cat 5E plugs that are in all of the rooms in our house.  Both girls and Daddy can be work throughout the day without a glitch on our end.  The first week was a bit of adjustment and learning for all teachers and kids, but the second week smoothed out and the third week they actually started to learn...ish : )

    The girls are continuing to enjoy gymnastics every practice and have learned many new skills and their courage and confidence keep growing.  They are twisting on the floor, both have consistent back handsprings on high beam, starting tsuk's on vault with the board vs. tramp and giants on the low bar.  They got cupcakes for the 35th anniversary for the gymnastics center which is for sure a bonus.

    We had more great family time with the Bakx for Labor Day weekend.  We did another backyard camping adventure and Porter even got to join us.  It was a hot weekend, so there was plenty of pool time.  Mommy even went in the pool, it was that hot.  Robby and Sierra also joined in the fun.  We did smores in the fire pit, and watched Bill and Ted's Big Adventure on the side of the house with the projector that Daddy set up.  In the morning we had a big breakfast with pancakes and eggs and worked it all off playing Just Dance on the Wi.  We all went to Stone's soccer game that VERY hot afternoon, but the other team didn't show up so we all got on the field to play against them.  IT WAS VERY HOT (116 on the field), but we had fun.

    We've really enjoyed family time and being together.  Lots of games, bike rides, and dancing is certainly a must for all of us.  We had our first back to school night on a zoom call, which actually was great.  Kaylee has a wonderful teacher!  Kaylee then got to have a social distancing in person Birthday Party with her best buddies Nicki and Adi for Nicki's 11th Birthday.  They spent time talking and eating dinner together and loving every minute of being able hang out in person.

We finished with clearing out the garage of our goodwill stash that we have built up all summer only to find that our goodwill is overwhelmed and is limited on what they will take, but we won't give up.  We also learned some new information on our yearly team parent (zoom) meeting for gymnastics.  They are going to get to do a holiday show, but it will be a video recording vs. a live performance.  They also get to have a competition season even if all of the meets are in house with only our team, it's still fun for them and a chance to meet goals and self accomplishments.

    All in all, we are certainly making the most of the times and enjoying each other and all that we have to be grateful for.  School is working out well, and we all know the time we have together is what we enjoy the most, even if some of it is cleaning and upkeep.  Oh yeah, we got another fish on a whim when we were purchasing a gift for Nicki.  So we welcomed Ion into our family to accompany Falcor in the fish tank that has new cleaning supplies, that should be better ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Enjoy the pictures.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Kc7xxk1Rjr9Am89b8

Cienna - 12 Years 7 Months ... Kaylee - 10 Years 2 Months Old!

We've certainly enjoyed this last month together.  There's more summer to go (pretty much exactly two weeks) but we have tried to make the most of it.  We had one last Birthday car parade for Addie, and the girls have had a couple more social distancing camps that they've really enjoyed since they get to see friends and learn new things.

First was Team gymnastics camp where they added on an extra three hours a day of gymnastics during the week on top of the 2 or three hours that they go each day regularly.  They loved every moment.  Gymnastics has been quite good for all of us. Knowing that we take necessary precautions such as temp screenings, tons of cleaning, wearing masks during activities, it's so worth it and important to our mental health to belong to such a great group of people.  Cienna, Kaylee, and Mommy get to go and enjoy while Daddy gets a little alone time since he is amazingly handling the girls at home while working in our home office on the days Mommy is at work.  Both girls have certainly excelled.  Cienna makes pretty much every back hand spring on the high beam, has flipped her Tsukahara into the pit, made baby giants on the low bar, and did her half twist on the floor.  Kaylee did a double back into the pit, flipped her Tsukahara into the pit, did her giant on the low bar, and made her full twist on the floor.  They also both got their choreography finished for both their optional floor and beam routines.  They went to the same soccer camp that they have been to for the last 3 years and always happen to be on the same week as Harper and Ellie.  Also realized that they live pretty close and made a play date bike ride around the neighborhood together as well as virtually keeping in contact.

 

Just after Daddy finally got his appointment at the DMV for his Real ID, cousin MiKayla came to visit with Ellie for a day when we had also made plans to meet/bike ride with one of Cienna's new friends from Marshall.  They moved close to us right before we got a chance to meet in person.  So we all went on a bike ride around the neighborhood and got to know each other.

Then came the chaos, I mean hazzard, I mean Blizzard, and the storm, I mean lunatic, I mean Luna... so honestly we had such a great time kitten 'sitten those two.  They certainly kept us entertained and I think they also had a great time!  The Natals dropped by on their way to San Diego when the kittens were here as well.  We all enjoyed the company.  The cousins got an amazing sleep over, and we all had fun enjoying each others company including bike rides to local coffee shop, games, and sewing by Grace.

  

We've had some hiking outings to some local wetlands, the 100 acre woods in PV which we found our own adventure into the golf course, and finding our way under freeway after encountering many beautiful trees and landscape.  Given the current situation there has been a rise in craft activities, Kan Jam, Soccer Golf, Juggling the Soccer ball, Trampoline as always, Backgammon, card games, Clavinova playing, room re-decorating, painting, more crafts like there's no tomorrow, and family bonding time!

The honesty and humor that we've always made our top priority has made this time so fun for us and we look forward to some adventure as the school year approaches.  We have a bunch of family birthday shout outs as always this month.  Auntie Dana and Cousin Erik, Corey Snow, Cousin Ashley, Cousin Erin, Uncle Mike, Uncle RJ, and Uncle B.  We also did some work on the Bronco.  Figured out the instrument cluster, fixed some fuses and the blower motor is now fully working!

However, we didn't take many pictures.  Trying to stay away from those electronic devices that will be all consuming with all virtual school before us.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XuTXsNuur3q4E9Bg8