Let's Catch Up

Summer was fun and fast! Here is the condensed version . . . 

Annual Hope Ranch Beach Campout

(aka Shipwrecked)

 Spur of the moment trip to Vegas with these crazy people!

 Hume Lake Camping Trip

The not-so-fun part of this camping trip.

Rock 1 Jim 0

First day of school, Jackson Browne, & Journey

 Labor Day Beach Fest

Happy Birthday to Our Favorite Guy

Happy Birthday David!

(I love this photo, even if it is blurry)

The perfect day with our guy!

Seriously, THE BEST SCRATCH CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!

And the Marshmallow Fluff Buttercream frosting was to die for.

 No birthday in our family is ever complete without a dinner and a sundae

at Beachside Bar and Cafe

Spring Break

This year we spent our break in Park City. We decided to get our last skiing in before the warmer weather made its' debut. This was also the first time I flew solo with the kids; David met us a few days later.

The flight was like this:

 The girls were a little worried about the Easter Bunny not finding them, 

but that clever bunny figured it out:

 On the other hand, this Easter bunny looked more like

an Easter rat.

When you have a swimmer...FOOD is a big deal:

Sledding in our front yard:

An epic day to ski!

Our favorite guy finally arrived:

 We were so lucky to have 3 days of fresh snow!

Is this not the coolest wall?

 And this was my favorite meal...Chicken Pot Pie (to die for!)

Thank you High West Distillery & Saloon

A little ice cream and shopping for books:

Best Friends (when they aren't fighting)

Thanks for a great time Park City!

Our first full winter was fabulous.

See you soon for the next season!

Ringing in the New Year

We just experienced our very first snowy winter break. Compliments of Park City, Utah.  With highs of 12-15 F and lows in the negatives, I can tell you for sure, I have never been so cold in my life! What made this first winter trip even more special was having our very first guests! So happy Dani and her family could join us. They were our first "guinea pigs". 

And I have made a few notes for subsequent trips with guests.

Our family had a wonderful and schedule free time. As soon as we landed, the girls were off sliding in the fresh snow in front of our house. It truly was a winter wonderland.

Our first days on the slopes were a little rough. Ski school was booked (poor planning during the busiest time of the year) and Kalista wasn't up to par to keep up with the 3 of us. But she was a trooper and we made the best memories.

I totally remember this day. It was freezing! But fresh snow was quite epic.

Kid free days! Thank you ski school!

Snow mobiles were a huge a hit!

Outdoor ice skating is always a treat. 

Something about having the snow covered mountains surrounding you.

 Cheers to 2016!

A Taste of Fall

Fall in Santa Barbara hasn't been been very fall-ish. In fact it's been down right HOT. 

Well hot for Santa Barbara. High 80's to low 90's isn't coastal. 

It's a sticky mess. So off we went . . .

Ah, so much better! Utah was the perfect remedy for getting a taste of fall.

 Hard to believe this will be covered in snow soon!

Trying out the acrobatics:

 It took her forever to flip over! Like forever.

Afternoon delight!

Gearing up for our 3 hour hike at Sundance

The views were just amazing!

Absolutely no filters needed.

Nothing but nature in all its' beauty.

 A little snack for the trail:

The turn point:

Sophia and I spotted a friendly creature:

And no trip to Utah is ever complete (at least for me) without a couple of noteworthy signs.