Trick or Treat

After two unsuccessful mornings at school with Halloween parades (both kids did not want to participate) I was a little apprehensive about going Trick or Treating this evening. All was well, however, and everyone had a good time. Max was a fireman, and Zoey, a pink poodle. No princesses for this girl... she loves dogs!! We went down to the Riviera Village, which is a bunch of shops and restaurants near us, where they block the streets off and have the merchants pass out candy. It is a fun time for all. The Fire Department brings the big Fire Truck for the kids to see and it is a safe, enjoyable environment, without too much walking for the little ones. Zoey very proudly went up to people and said, "Trick or Treat" while holding up her bucket. Max did a good job, too. He would say "Trick or Treat" and then usually want more than what they wanted to give. Here are the kids in front of the fire truck:


Some pictures of us walking to the Village:

Zoey's Halloween Joke of the Day

What did the bird say on Halloween?
Trick or Tweet

Happy Halloween!!

Sunsets...

One of the reasons I love the ocean so much is the reminder it gives me of God's presence in our lives. No matter how bad things seem, or how rough a day I have had, I can go to the beach and feel the negativity melt away. No other place can do this quite so quickly or so well. There is something about standing on the sand, the cool surf rushing through your feet, looking out at the water and seeing the strength of the waves and vastness of the ocean that reminds me that I am not in control, and at the same time reminds me to be thankful for the beauty in all things. Even as a little girl this happened to me. Growing up in landlocked Germany, I did not see the ocean very much; however, we had some neat vacations that took us to Spain, Italy and (former) Yugoslavia, where we spent some time by the water. I distinctly remember one time, being very young and standing at the beach and realizing what a powerful symbol this was to me. So the other night we went to a little local restaurant for dinner. We have a few spots where the kids like to go and it is actually a nice and relaxing event for all of us. It was still warm afterwards, so we decided to walk down to the beach and watch the sunset. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Part of why I am writing this is that I don't want to forget the evening. Although the sun sets each night and is often worth stopping to watch, tonight it seemed perfect. The tide was low and far out, so the waves just gently rolled in, making it perfect to run and run and run through. As soon as the kids saw that, there was no stopping them. We let them just go and enjoy it. And all the while the sky was turning amazing shades of pink, purple, yellow, red... It was beautiful. The reminder I needed for the day, to be so thankful for the kids that I have and the laughter they produce from just running through the sand and the waves... to realize the gift that they are and to know that God has a plan for each of us, and that their personalities, and mine too are no mistake in His plan for us... to be thankful for the beauty of our surroundings in the big things like a sunset over the water, or the smallest things, like the butterfly that Zoey caught earlier in the day, of which she was SO proud.
I tried so hard to make a mental note of it all, and I hope for years to come I can close my eyes and see Max and Zoey running with the crimson sky as their backdrop, laughter pouring out of them. Deo Gratias

En Fuego

You probably have heard that Southern California is burning!! I just wanted to let you know that we are fine and will be fine. It doesn't directly affect us where we live. It is very hot today though (they are expecting close to 90 where we live and much hotter inland) so that doesn't help much. We do see the affects of the fires in our air and sky and you can smell it as well. It is a little eerie. I can't imagine how bad it is for some people. Wishing you well!

In the Genes

When I came across this the other day:


I immediately thought of this:


Do you think they're related?

BTW, that was Zoey about 3 years ago!! Goodness!

Life is good...

... when you get to use your first power tool at age 3... Or at least that's what Ross tells me. I think I was like 23!

Here he is getting instructions:


On his own:


And now getting to enjoy the fruits of his efforts:

Zoey at Swim Class

When you live in Southern California, you can take outdoor swim lessons all year round! Zoey is really enjoying her classes, even though she is stuck in the group of all boys. Parents have to stay on the deck above the pool, but she yells up at us and waves throughout the lesson.

Here she is doing "red light green light splash time"



Here she is using the kickboard



And jumping in!!