Girls Just Want To Have Fun

This is the only Cindy Lauper song I ever liked, so I used the title! My Mom, sister LaVoy, and neice Kristen all came for a visit a couple of weeks ago. To say we had fun would be putting it mildly! I loved having them here and the time went by way too fast, as usual. We played and had a lot of fun. We shopped, shopped some more (it's a ritual and a requirement), ate at In-N-Out and a few other places, played at the pool, I caught LaVoy up on all the latest movies, and had some good girl talk. Ryan and Colby were at Scout Camp that week so instead of a Frat House, I had a Sorority House for a week!

I love my family, they are the best. I totally lucked out coming into a family of mostly girls. I have learned so much from each of my sisters and they are such great examples to me. They are the best confidants I've ever had. I know I can tell them anything and it never goes beyond their ears. We have shared much joy and sorrow as sisters. I know that's what has made us so close.

I didn't get many pictures while they were here, mostly because I didn't want any pictures of me laying out at the pool to come back to haunt me so I knew better than to start snapping pictures. I did get a few pictures at our last supper at In-N-Out. It is a real treat for my family to eat there because they don't have any In-N-Out's in Washington.

Thanks for taking the time to come and see us, Mom, LaVoy, and Kristen! I wish you were still here and having fun! I love you more than my luggage. Thanks for all you did to help me out while you were here.

Red-Lobstered

My mom, sister LaVoy, and neice Kristen are coming down next week to spend a week with us! I am so excited I can hardly stand it and have been counting down the days for a month. LaVoy has been so great to come visit me about every six months before I started working. I'm pretty sure she comes to see us and to have fun, though In-N-Out Burger may have something to do with her vacationing here every few months.

The very first time LaVoy came down, we decided to spend a day in Santa Cruz with the kids at the Boardwalk. Kristen loves the beach and we had not been to Santa Cruz yet. So, LaVoy and I got our map and off we went with three kids in tow. It was a cloudy day and looked like it really wanted to rain. I figured the beach would be too cold for us to stay at very long. On the way there, LaVoy asked me if I thought we should stop and buy some sunscreen. I simply told her I didn't believe in it (I don't know why I said that) and she didn't say anymore.

We got to Santa Cruz with very few wrong turns and headed to the beach. The kids played in the water, built sandcastles, and had a good time. We had packed a lunch and LaVoy and I sat on a blanket and suntanned our legs. At one point I remember thinking this was a waste of time because the sun wasn't out and what was the point of sunning our legs. We were there quite a while and then walked the boardwalk and let the kids ride the Merry-Go-Round. LaVoy commented to me that she thought we looked sunburned, especially the kids, and I looked at her like she was crazy.

After we had had all our fun, we decided to head back to Pleasanton and eat at Red Robin for dinner. Little did I realize that we would hit all the Bay area traffic on our way back. We were stuck in traffic for a couple of hours. The kids all fell asleep and they looked a little pink.

Once we got to Red Robin, we realized just how burned the kids and LaVoy and I were. It was bad! We get seated at Red Robin and Colby has the meltdown of his life. He starts crying and saying, "I can't move, it hurts!". That's when I realized it was going to be really bad.

To say we were burned would be the understatement of the century! We were lobstered! We were so red we were almost orange. We peeled for months! Not days or weeks, months. Colby and Taylor were so burned on their back that they developed little blisters that they would pop.

I now faithfully buy sunscreen and make sure the boys have bathed in it before they head outside. Every time LaVoy comes down, this story comes to my mind and I laugh about it. I had no idea how powerful the California sun is but I learned a very quick lesson. So, LaVoy, do you want to go to Santa Cruz?