Flowers, flowers, everywhere!

My dad was here for a few days this past weekend. For almost 3 years now he has wanted to check out the flower fields that are only in bloom for 2 months of the year. We finally made it! We tried to check out the view from above without paying to go in because, well, I am cheap and didn't want to spend the $9 to get in. The view from above just doesn't cut it. Can't get the same kind of pictures you can up close. So we broke down and headed to the entrance of the flower fields.

The type of flower they plant here are ranunculus. They come in very vibrant colors and have tons of petals. Tulips are my very favorite flower but these come in at a very close second. Look at how beautiful they are.

Before I bore you with way too many pictures of flowers. Here is one of Sam.

Here is Papa Han.

And this angry little girl...not sure who she is, but she was seriously pissed about having her nap time disrupted to come see flowers.

I tried to stop editing these flower pictures but photoshop is like my drug and I can't stop.

Just a few more.

I am really trying to stop now. But then look at this picture.

And I liked this one too.

And look at that sky next to millions of brightly colored blooms. Can't resist.

The last one. These are marigolds I think or Mums. I don't know...I just liked the orange-yellow color contrasted by the blue sky.

Thanks for putting up with me.

Another First

Elise had her first dentist appointment a few weeks ago! Just in time for all the sugar she had at Easter. She watched Sam go first. She was very quiet while she observed. Daddy said something like, "whose the lucky one who gets to get their teeth cleaned today?" Elise responded, "Not Me-ee!"





I love this dentist. They are so good with the kids. They provided Elise with a little tooth brush distraction before they started.I loved watching her make her own little decisions about what flavors she wanted them to clean her teeth with. You can decide between bubble gum, cookie dough, grape, orange, and strawberry. I thought for sure, strawberry. I know that is what she'll want. Elise asked for "Princess" flavor. The dental hygienist was smart and did not miss a beat. "Princess flavor it is!"

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs are Sam's latest obsession. Before this, he really liked animals, all animals. Before that, it was deep dark ocean creatures. And, for a long time before that, it was cars. I asked Sam how long he thinks he will like dinosaurs, he replied, "FOREVER!" Someone told me the next phase will be outer space...but Sam says, no way...just dinosaurs. "That is all I love. Well dinosaurs and real people because, like, I love you and Daddy and Elise, and my friends. I love everybody and dinosaurs." Notice the 'like' in the sentence. He is like, a valley girl. Totally.

This picture is from Easter morning. Sam was so excited about all the dinosaurs the Easter Bunny brought him. " How did the Easter Bunny know that I like Dinosaurs??? I think he can see far away and saw me playing with dinosaurs at school, and sees me watch dinosaur shows so he GIVES ME DINOSAURS!"

Drinking With Twenty Somethings

I officially feel old. Well, not old, but my age I guess. Which feels a little old. In my head I am the same person I was when I graduated from college. Only now I have kids with Keith and showers without mold and tar. But I still feel the same. Still don't feel quite like a full grown adult. Still have so much to learn. Still can't figure out what haircut would look best on me and my wardrobe selections...let's not go there...but I am still not too far off from the low rise Levi cutoffs and the SB halloween t-shirts. But then we went on a wine tasting trip a few weeks ago. Keith's Water Polo team organizes a trip almost every year and this was the first year we were able to go. They rented a big "limo bus" for the occassion.

This is Matt. The brave one who decided to organize the day.

I was very excited and nervous about this trip. Excited just to get a 'date' day with Keith. Some adult time with wine and other adults. I was nervous because I still hate to leave my kids all day. I get paranoid mommy thoughts and I just ache inside when I am away from them. I was also nervous because I really don't drink anymore and I wanted to enjoy the wine without getting a headache or a hangover later. I am lucky because my paranoid mommy friend who also doesn't drink much was also on the bus. Here is Steph.

It looks like she has had too much wine, right? She was just faking. She had an extremely serious look on her face before I took this picture. Or did she? We did start out this trip with some Mimosa's. But Steph also brought Emergen-C packets to drink, we brought lots o' water and a ton of food. We figured we'd keep eating and drinking water the entire day to ease the impact of the wine. Our plan worked!! This is Doug and Steph at the first stop. Hart Winery.

Pretty glass. Bad wine. At least I thought so. This was my least favorite wine of the day.

Here is Matt again. I like this picture. I can't tell you why though because I have no idea...I just like it.
This is Matt's pretty girlfriend. I think she was the "real" organizer of the day.

I am terrible with names. I tried really hard to remember everyone's names from this day...and I think I did ok during the day but now those names are gone. But don't they look cool? Doesn't he look like Gavin Newsom...oh wait, wrong Gavin...I mean the Gavin from Bush? Gwen Stefani's husband? Maybe a little?

And here we are in a picture! So rare these days to get a picture with the two of us!

Remember when you were in high school or elementary school and you went on a field trip on a bus? Remember how it always seemed like the cool kids would sit in the back and the quiet nerdy kids would stay in the front? I used to prefer the back. I loved singing with the loud music, telling jokes, getting silly, whatever it was we used to do back there, it always seemed so funny. But now I am a front of the bus person. Is that what it means to get older? I thought the music was too loud. I was tired from the day. I wanted to just talk with Keith or Doug or Steph. But the cool kids in the back were having too much fun.

Here is "Gavin" dancing and dollars are being thrown at him.

See the dollar that got sucked into the vent on the ceiling? When you have been to three wineries, this is hilarious!

There is "Gavin" again in the background. Guess what song he is really vibin' with here. Take a wild guess at what band he quieted down for and just really wanted to sing along with and feel the music. BUSH! I knew it! I may not have recognized the other songs those kids were singing but I knew he would be a Bush fan. The only other songs I knew were the ones that they probably thought were golden oldies, like Don't Stop Believin by Journey. I can't believe I am out of touch with music. I think they were listening to Lady Ga Ga or Flo Rida. Don't know those names? Either do I but I think I heard those names in the music and artists these days always like to say their own names in their songs. And spell. "G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S" Lots of spelling in music these days. See how I am talking about "music these days?" That means I am old and should stay in the front of the bus.