so now you know

This is the reason I am so behind on blogging. 

All because this cute guy works extra hard and got himself a BIG FAT PROMOTION!

with this company

and so we are moving our family to this state.

We are happy.  With a touch of sadness in leaving the goodness of Omaha behind.  Wish us luck!

summer wedding wrap up

The very last week of summer vacation we took off to a wedding. 
By way of San Fran.  Up the coast.  To Mendencino.  Finally to Fort Bragg for the nuptiuals. 

Jeff's brother, Ray married his long time girl friend, Althea.  And, lucky for all of us it was held on the cliffside overlooking the ocean.  With a beautiful lighthouse in the backdrop.  Weddings are such a joyous way to reconnect with family and spend time together.  The time was brief but we had a lovely visit.  Based on the giggles alone we know that the girls had a blast playing with their cousin, Kaylee.  Wish we could see them more often!

The wedding: Althea, the Minister, Ray during the vows.

The wedding party.  Dianne, Newell, Samantha, and Dusty (Althea's son)

This lighthouse was charming.  I just loved the atomosphere of this place.

Happy little girls.

  Watching the bride make her entrance.

Hand and hand.  Can you tell there is 100 ft drop off?

Beautiful Samantha.  All of our kids love to hang with Samantha.  She is so good to them.

I love to capture moments like this.

Although, this trip was not without a few "hiccups"  It was still a time wonderfully spent.


Like I said, we had a few "snags"  in our days.  I want to remember that even though it was hard to gain perspective at the time, these little details only make it more memorable in the long run.  And, remind me of the many smooth travels we have had. 

1.  An error in travel times.  Booked on a flight leaving at 7:00 pm, instead of 7:00 am.
2.  pay a fee to change 3 of the flights.
3.  We fly on separate flights and airlines in order to save money. 
4.  A four hour delay for 1/2 the family in Phoniex.   (Although, this actually worked out in our favor as the other 1/2 of the family was due in at the same time as the "new" scheduled arrival.)
5.  The airlines lost Jeff's bag.  It was scheduled to arrive at our hotel at midnight.  It's a no show. 
6.  Canceled and re-booked new hotel closer to the airport (due to a hiccup, explained later)
7.  Wake up early on the first day to Zach having a seizure. 
8.  Throwing up, sleeping Zach.  Skip all the plans we had scheduled for this day.
9.  Drive back to the airport to pick up Jeff's lost bag.
10.  Zach throws up in the car.  On Ellie.
11.   Get on the road for Mendencino.  We think we have 3 hours ahead of us.  WRONG.
12.  Jeff has the worse miagrain of his life.  I have to drive.
13.  6 hours later we arrive.
14.  Miss the scheduled dinner.
15.  Jeff was asked to fly to Denver and back  in the middle of our vacation.   Which should explain why we changed our hotel.  An hour closer to the airport which we will take him to and fro all within 36 hours.
16.  The kids and I get lost on the San Franscio highway. Yes,  I had the GPS.  Still.
17.  The kids and I tour San Fran Gherdelli square without Jeff.  Big fat bummer.
18.  The kids and I get lost again on the San Fran. highway.  I had the GSP.  But, still.
19.  We pay the 20.oo fare to ride the trolley.  Nobody cares about the trolley, later take a cab.
20.  Jeff left his phone on the seat of his drivers car.  No cell phone; no direct communicating with him.
21.  Jeff's flight was delayed. He arrives in at midnight.
22.  The next morning Ellie and I depart for Omaha.
23.  All 5 of us meet up in Phoniex, just in time for the worst "dust storm" in years.
All flights grounded till 1:00 AM
24.  Finally,  arrive back in Omaha at 4:00 in the morning. 
And, the kids never knew any better.  They had a great time.

Stay tuned for more of our San Fransico treat.

San Fran

San Fransico is fantastic. I love the energy in the city. The weather was colder than we are used to and very foggy. Typical for San Fran. Still, it was hard for me to pack and prepare for such weather since I was leaving 98 degrees with intense humidity. We felt the climate change immediaetly and purchased fleece coats.  Typical for the Andersons.

Golden Gate Bridge.  Of course, we did the touristy things.  You can't help it when you have 3 little ones to entertain.  

Fisherman's Wharf.  Yummmm, crab.  Zach was in his element.  He was all over it.  Of course, most of his thrill comes from cracking and peeling it himself. 

Pier 39.  Loved the sea lions, especially the little white one snuggling in with the big brown ones.

Up the coast, to Fort Bragg.  This is a very small and quaint town.  We spent the day of the wedding at Glass beach.  It  was something special.  So beautiful.  The ocean water was freezing!  Just dipping your toes in was  numbing cold.  Zach tested the waters and you can see it in face.  But, we all had a blast spending the afternoon there.  The sand was covered with tiny pieces of rubbed sea glass.  Bright colors, different shapes and sizes, all fun to collect.  And, beautiful to walk upon.

As we traveled back down the coast we tried to soak in every beautiful site.  The scenery was gorgeous.  We stopped along the way.  Just to look.  Get out of the car and soak it all in.


First up, the beauty of mother nature.  We stopped at a portion of the Redwood Forrest.   Not the gigantic Redwoods for which the forrest is known but every bit as majestic.    This forrest was awesome, quiet,  and still. Until we pulled in. And we let the kids run wild, climb trees, pick up sticks and otherwise get the wiggles out.   I loved it. 

it's chocolate time

Since Jeff had to leave for a day in the middle of our trip, I was left to plan a day alone with the kids.  What would the kids enjoy the most?  Simple.  Ghirardelli Sqaure.  We took the trolley in.   And ate chocolate till our tummys full and our hearts content.

It was a delicious day!