Winterfest

At Kelsey’s school they have all the 2nd graders come together to have a big winterfest celebration.  We did crafts and they children sang songs.  It was a lot of fun.  Both girls came home with a few crafts and lots of cookies in their bellies. I would post more but feel funny having her other classmates on the blog without parent permission.

There is a reason.

There is a reason I don’t own snow boots, snow jacket, snow pants, not even a nice cozy beanie for my head and ears.  I don’t even own a pair of mittens or gloves.

I don’t do snow.

I don’t do super cold weather.

So yesterday I wasn’t really all that excited about waking up to snow.  Even if it was only less then an inch, when I did get up.  The girls were excited.  It is pretty to look at, the white is so pure and bright.  But when you have to load  your kids in the car (with out heat – that’s another negative post) its not super fun.  I am glad it is over.  I am glad that the super cold weather is followed by the sun shinning and no ice on my windows.

But here are some pictures of the pretty white stuff taken from my nice cozy warm house.

The only good thing about snow is the hot coco and burning wood in my fireplace.

The poor dog couldn’t even do his business this morning without having his poor paw pads freezing up. 

Decorating for December

I love love love Christmas and the month of December.  I love the smells, the lights, the cheery voices and magic that this holiday seasons brings.  On Thursday we were able to pull out some of our decorations and the girls went wild.  We put up our tree (yes fake) and I love it.  We now can put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving and keep it up until Jan 2nd.  I am a happy girl.  

I love waking up in the morning and turning on the lights on the tree, and looking at all the pretty ornaments that we have collected over the years.  The girls had so much fun decorating the tree.  And they did a pretty good job.

The mantel looks amazing (not the decorations but the actual mantel.) Stephen did a fantastic job and it is beautiful.  I am going to change the decorations on the mantel I just wanted these off my kitchen table.  This is the first time we have had a mantel to decorate for Christmas. Can’t wait to start wrapping presents and putting them under the tree.

Thanksgiving

We had a really nice and on the go Thanksgiving this year.  Nothing new though, we seem to always be on the go on holidays.  Maybe someday that will change and we will be able to enjoy our home.  But until then; her are just a few pictures of the girls and their Papa and Nana, and a funny of my little sis JJ.

Shelby made her turkey headband at school the day before.  She kept quacking though when she wore it.  She could not remember that it was a gobble gobble.  Maybe next year.

Our Very own little crab feed

Stephen went with a friend yesterday to pull his crab pots in Bodega Bay!  How do you say no to that.  All I wanted to know is if we were going to get to have crab for dinner yumo!

He left really early in the am, met Mike and then off they went.  It turned out to be the most beautiful day on the ocean, sun shining and the water calm.  The first few pots were close to empty, pulling up one or two crab with a starfish or jellyfish.  They were bringing to worry about how they were going to feed both families on such small Pickens.   Well, the last post they pulled up had 17 crabs!!!  Dinner here we come.

Mike gave Stephen 8-9 crab, we set the table up with a disposable tablecloth, cracked the crab and away we ate.  And boy did we eat.  Four adults and 8 crabs!  Yum Yum.  The kids did help a little, maybe a claw or two.  It was a great dinner.

Stephen had a great time, he has always wanted to be a part of Dangerous Catch.  It was just minus the Dangerous part, with an insert of Beautiful Bodega Catch.

Wow, Its been awhile.

Updating the family blog has not been on the top of my list lately.  One reason its a pain in the behind with my pc.  Now I have this wonderful new friend.  I’ll call him Pete.  Yes I name my favorite appliances, cars, and techno toys.  Some of you have met Thor!  Anyway Pete and I are just getting acquainted and I noticed that I have a little button that if i connect my blog to it, it literally takes me right there are.  No login, no getting ready and trying to do something in html or whatever that is.  Just writing and thinking and blogging.  Yea! I am really really really excited.  Yes that required 3 really.

Halloween,

ok here are some pictures of Halloween I love this holiday. So much, I just wish Stephen was able to enjoy it with us more.  He has never been trick or treating with Shelby – seriously never!  In four years he has been gone.  Terrible I tell ya.

look at my beautiful and scary girls.  Kelsey wanted to be a vampire and Mrs.. Shelby a Spanish dancer/princess.  She was in heaven with the dress and makeup.

The girls went around the neighborhood with my in-laws, and I passed out candy.  My favorite part.  Then Kelsey decided she was done, but Shelby was not she trick or treated for another 20 min.

At the end of the night they had huge bags of candy and were so happy.  Shelby wanted to do it again the next night.  The girls are already planning what they are going to wear next year.  We can’t wait.

Boating

We went boating with Gina and her kids yesterday. It was fun, however I will never go on a Saturday again. There are really stupid and inexperienced boaters and jet skiers on the lake. Apparently everyone can drive a boat. Yeah, makes you think.
So we played it REALLY safe and went to find a cove. It was fine until some really uneducated people decided to join us pulling a water skier going really fast in our small little cove, Stephen ended up yelling at him to stop and then the guy let all 15 people out of his boat to party on the shore. So we left. To find a new cove. And we did, it was better. That's were I took these neat pictures.








Have a Gymnast for a friend makes for fun times and great pictures against the beautiful blue sky.

Tomales Bay

We spent the weekend with Denise Rob and Kaeleana in Tomales in a cute little house called the Poet's Loft. It is on the water, not near or close or partial on, but totally on top of the water. On stilts. Yes I was a little nerves until I saw that they were concrete stilts, then I was put at ease.
I tried something different with these pictures so I didn't have to load a bunch separately.

We did a lot of fun things that weekend. We fished a lot, wine tasted, ate yummy donuts, watched the girls play together. Denise and I went to Point Reyes to run up to Arch Rock, it was fantastic. And we would end each night with yummy food, laughs and wine!

Ok, so that didn't work like I thought it would. I am going to have to consult the expert and the manual for photo collages.

Alot has been going on....

We have been so busy this summer, so not too much blogging going on! Here is a little OK maybe a long recap of some of the fun stuff we have done.

Lake Tahoe July 2009, we went up Tahoe as a family and I mean the WHOLE family Moms and Dads, Sisters, Brothers, Cousins, and even a few friends!! We celebrated Rob graduating from Residency his mom and sister came out from New York. We also celebrated my 33rd Birthday. It was fun!








That's our trip, well most days anyway. Shelby was really sick from a bladder infection, and then my camera battery died and I forgot to recharge it.

Fun times!!!

Yesterday I went to the Sacramento Antique Faire, Mer, Dylan and Moe met me there. It was a great day I don't have a lot of time but I will post these pics. ok, one picture. I know totally lame.

I was so excited when I saw it. It was just staring at me when we were walking to the gate! it needs a little love but thats all. I am so excited to get started on this.
I also picked up some fantastic patterns, dating from 50-70's. I am also excited to be working on those too.

This ones for YOU!

And you know who you are! OK, so that last month has been fun and full of fun stuff, at home and on little journeys through out the land.
I also want to thank a friend for reintroducing me to Oregon Trail. Yes now I spend more time on that then I do FB. its just that fun.





San Francisco Zoo has always been a favorite. but this time we were a tad bit disappointed. there were a lot of animals that were being checked by the vet and some of the exhibits were closed. But the weather was fantastic and the kids had a great time.
After the zoo we headed to our hotel and to have dinner and to take advantage of the Manager cocktail hour.... FREE Cocktail hour! Then on to a little Thai restaurant. We were dropped off at the restaurant by the shuttle and then we would have to walk back. On the way to the restaurant the children were able to see the real live people zoo of San Fran! A man peeing on a building on the side walk, and men sleeping in cardboard boxes and sleeping bags along side of buildings and sidewalks. It was so great. The children had decided that those people forgot to pay there bills and that is why they didn't have a place to pee or sleep. Fun Times.



the next day we went to California Science Academy over spring break it was a lot of fun. There was so much to see and the kids really had a good time. We did miss the Planetarium show. Stephen was a really sad. I don't think I have ever seen him so disappointed.

I was going to add Easter pics but they won't load.UGH!

It's been a long time friend

Wow, it has been so long since I lasted checked in. Looking back at my last post I just received the Feb. Kit! Now I am getting my March Kit.. I will post pics and soon as I get it.
In the meantime these pics are what we have been up to lately.


I love these pictures, I spent hours scanning and naming old photos, and I still have hundreds to go. This picture is of Stephen side of the family.

This is a picture of Kelsey and Taylor from my Brownie Troop. A local Girl Scout Troop held a Mother Daughter Tea. A few girls from my troop went and we met up and had tea and crafts it was a fun afternoon.
Kelsey is using a pen she just decorated with a silk flower. She loved doing this and it was so easy we might just make more of them and give them as gifts for Mother's Day.

As if I didn't have anything else I could be doing I started to put some of Great Grandma's items on Ebay. I have never done this before and I am quite scared. I know I am a wimp, but these kinds of things frighten me. I hope that I did the right pricing and descriptions to sell these items, because I have a ton more! This women loved to collect and collect she did. If there is anyone out there that has a fascination with old creamers and pitchers from different countries, please let me know!





Ah, spring time in this house mean SO much bike riding. My girls love to ride their bikes. Santa aka: Mama and Papa, gave Shelby a bike for Christmas. She loves to ride it. And she has such determination when she does. Her little tongue pops out and her little legs just keep digging to go faster. Kelsey loves to race Shelby because she wins! It won't be like that for much longer. I think Shelby's training wheels will be off in no time!



The girls and I watched Kaeleana last night so Denise and Rob could go out to dinner and have an adult conversation that didn't require, looking for dropped toys, fish crackers and screaming tantrums... Remember those days? (reason 12 why we did not have a 3rd child).
Kaeleana is such a sweet loving determined little goose. We love having her around. She has started talking and copying words. I have been trying to teach her how to say Auntie. When I say Auntie, she points to herself. We have a lot of work to do.
Well, that is enough Campbell family fun for one day!
We are going to the California Science Academy and Exploritorium in SF, this week, so I will have so many fun pics and stories to tell.
Have a fantastic sunny Sunday.