Isaac

Just a picture of Isaac that I love. It was an overcast afternoon and I love the colors!

Glow Stick and Camera Fun

In the treasure chest, some of the treasure was light sticks. So one evening when we built a campfire and made s'mores, then the kids broke out the glow sticks. I know the kids enjoyed them, but the parents may have enjoyed playing with settings on their cameras and getting these pictures more...Paul, being the geekiest of us was the first to discover the right setting. He captured these shots, though Kier also got some good ones. The one above is of Kaia, she was swinging the glow stick in circles by it's string. Then at the last second, it broke off the string and went flying off--made for a super cool picture! Then Paul had Isaac spell his name in the air with the glow stick. That's how these cool pictures of Isaac were captured.
Sure is nice to have such a geeky husband who can figure out things like camera modes. I like to use them, but am not interested in figuring them out myself. Once Paul learns, then he can show me really fast--ha, I'm such a lazy photographer! I just love how these pictures show movement and the neon green makes it look like it's 2 pictures together, since the color is so out of place. Kinda artsy fartsy, but still cool!

How Times Have Changed

While perusing the bookshelves at Pineridge, I came across these "treasures." The inside cover of the books has my grandmother's brother's name in them. Evidently, "boners" used to be a word for jokes. However, being the silly girl that I am, I laughed out loud and then took pictures!

My brother, Eric

Isn't this the sweetest picture of my brother smiling at me just because he simply adores his little sister? HA! After I snapped the picture I asked "Are you posing for me?" because the picture came out so nice. He replied "No, I was just sticking my tongue out at you before that." Ah, yes, that is the brother I know and love. Some things never change! Therefore, the smile you see here is his satisfaction for having stuck his tongue out at me, not adoration. But I love him anyway!

Isaac and the Giant Dandilion

The meadow at Pineridge grows lots of beautiful wildflowers, and for these purposes a dandilion is a wildflower. The day we arrived, Paul and Isaac went "e-sploring," as Isaac calls it, in the meadow, where Paul captured this picture. The simple pleasures of childhood--gotta love it!

Me

Ok, just to keep things fair, here's a picture of me, in the most beautiful place on Earth. I usually don't like seeing picture of me, but I really like this one that Paul took. Of course it does leave the rolley, lumpy, bumpy parts out...Regardless, it is a nice picture. And for those of you who are thinking it, I do have my swim suit on! Dirty thinkers! It's a strapless top so I can get rid of my strap tans as I will be in a friend's wedding--in a strapless dress--in November.

Paul

Yep, that's my handsome husband. This picture is especially nice as he is happy, relaxed, smiling and at the most beautiful place on Earth--I'm a little biased, though. Just as a side note, I have to mention that he is 3/4 Mexican and there is a good chance that I am now darker than him! Sure do love that man. Did I mention how lucky I am? Well, I am!

Fishing With Daddy

On one of the last days at the Lake Isaac found a fishing pole in the cabin and begged me to take him out fishing. I told him that I'd never been fishing--true--and that maybe daddy would do it the next day. After some upset and discussion, he agreed. The next day Paul took Isaac out on the peddle boat with the fishing pole. At first, Paul would cast the line and hand to pole to Isaac. Isaac then asked if he could cast the line. Paul let him and next thing you know he'd caught himself a nice little trout. Isaac was so proud of that fish, he started calling for me the second he was on shore to come see his fish. He carried the fish up and showed it to everyone. Paul and Isaac gutted the fish and Paul cooked it up for Isaac's lunch. Isaac ate the whole thing, and the sandwich I packed for him.
Here is a picture of Isaac's beautiful trout! I think both Paul and Isaac really enjoyed puttering around out on the Lake fishing together. I have a feeling this will be a new tradition to be repeated every year at the Lake.

Another Paul Inspiration

Ella and Kaia had just arrived with my brother and were trying to settle in and decide what to do. Paul came up with the inspired idea to have the kids trace the face of someone through the window. Kaia made a great piggy-nose face through the window for Ella to trace. See what I mean? I could never come up with great ideas like this for the kids, let alone just bam! here's an idea. But I guess that's why it takes two people to make a baby, the parents balance each other out. Yay for husbands!

Pirate Sword Fighting

To continue with the Pirate themed weekend, I bought 4 swords that are made out of the same material as pool noodles--no one could get hurt. During our time at Pineridge, there were a few epic sword fighting battles. Most of which consisted of Paul being the bad guy and the cousins attacking him. Paul, being the cool uncle/dad played without any adult seriousness and instead fought wholeheartedly and even made limbs disappear when they had been struck. Turns out you can grow limbs back by eating carrots (a handy tip, wouldn't you say?). In this shot you can see that Paul and Kaia have both "lost" arms in the battle and that Isaac is fighting with his teeth--a talented boy. Seeing Paul play like this is one of the things I love so much about him. He can instantly come up with great games and ideas that kids love.

Cousins

Here is Isaac with his cousins Ella (center) and Kaia (left) swimming and playing in the Lake. The other huge draw of our annual trip to the Lake (along with seeing Grandpa) is that it's the one chance we have every year to visit with my brother Eric, his wife Kier and their amazing girls Ella and Kaia. The adults all get a chance to catch up, chat and share stories, while the kids get time to play with their cousins. It's an awesome tradition that I hope will continue for years to come! We love and miss you guys!

Me and Paul, on vacation, TOGETHER!

Yep, all ye of little faith, despite our hectic schedules that leave us with little time together, Paul and I do, occasionally, have time to do fun and relaxing stuff together. Like, oh I dunno, go on vacation together! Another one I took of us...We are down by the Lake hanging out while the kids were playing. Lookin' pretty good together, if I do say so myself.

Pirate Treasure Hunt

This year, I decided to have some activities planned for the kids to do while we were hanging out at Pineridge over the weekend. I decided to plan a treasure hunt. I bought and stained a small treasure chest, bought "treasure" and parchment paper for the treasure map. Isaac wanted to be Captain, and Ella and Kaia were nice enough to let him lead the way. I drew the map and included key landmarks to help them know where they were and Paul distressed the map to make it look real. These pictures show the initial reading of the map, the hunt and the pirate booty they found. I think we'll do it again next year, but make it more challenging.

Me and My Grandpa

One of the best parts about going to the Lake this summer was for Isaac to have a chance to spend time with his Grandpa. My dad lives in Idaho and the two of them rarely have a chance to be together. Seeing his Grandpa is something Isaac greatly looks forward to every summer. I particularly like this picture because the way their bodies are with the rock, it looks like their bodies make a heart with the rock as it's point. Isaac couldn't love his Grandpa more, and having time with him one-on-one made him so happy! I love to see them together, too!

The New Rage in Doggy Style

This is cutting-edge style from Shelty, my trend-setting dog. In a previous post Shelty discussed the benefits of sand facials, and here is photographic proof! Note the lovely sprinkling of fine sand in her eyelashes; a delicate look that can be attained no other way! Never use fake lashes again--this is the style you will see all over the runway this fall!

Things To Do At the Lake: By Max

Things I like to do at the Lake:

Run on the beach with Paul and Shelty.
Rest with Mommy.
Sunbathe with Mommy.
Lay on the beach.
Guard Mommy on the beach.
Bark at Shelty.
Pee on Sugar Pine cones.
Sit with Mommy on the porch.
Dig in the sand and then smell where I was digging.
(Anyone notice a pattern?)

Shelty's Spa Treatment

Is your coat dull, lifeless and full of dead hair you can't shed? If so, this is just the post for you! Shelty has decided to share her "Extra Exfoliating Spa Treatment" with you. Just follow these simple steps to a beautiful, smooth, shiny coat. First, swim in Shaver Lake, fetching sticks is fun, but optional. Second, get out of the water and shake, preferably on someone dry, but again, this is optional. Third, roll over in the sand and scratch your back by kicking your legs and twisting your back. If you feel a facial is necessary, simply nuzzle your nose into the sand before
you roll over and focus on pressing your face into the sand while you scratch your back. This has the added bonus of putting sand in your eyelashes, which is quite attractive. Repeat this process as often as you like, the longer the better. A week of daily treatments is my personal minimum, anything less is simply insufficient to have full results.

Now THIS is vacation!

Need I say more? Ahhhh...Sorry to make you all jealous, but what's to be done? Oh, what is to be done? ;-)

Pineridge

This is a photo of the meadow at Pineridge taken from the road where a creek crosses and there are blackberry bushes growing wild. The cabin is behind me, though I'm sorry to say we didn't get a picture of the cabin this year so you'll just have to try to feel satisfied by this view of the meadow. Usually there is a trolley--Isaac calls it a zipcord--going across the meadow. It is a simple wooden swing seat attached to a pulley wheel that goes around a metal cable strung from and old oak at the top of the meadow to another tree at the bottom of the meadow. You haul the seat up to a ladder built into the old oak, climb the ladder, get situated on the seat and have the most thrilling zip through the meadow you can imagine. It has long been a favorite of all those who visit Pineridge, both for children and the young of heart. This year a tree fell on the cable and pulled it down, sadly it hadn't been put back together in time for our visit. But there's always next year!

Shaver Lake

We just arrived home this morning after an all night 13 hour drive. But, we have mostly settled in and are relaxing before we head back to work tomorrow. I decided my first post should show you all why we travel all night there and all night back just to go to some lake in California. I'm guessing that once you see the pictures, you'll understand why...This is Shaver Lake, where my family has a cabin. California had a dry winter so the Lake isn't full--usually it's up to the tree line. These two pictures were actually taken from just about the same spot on the Lake, one toward the Lake and the other toward the shore. Our cabin is just around the bend from these shots. We actually stayed at our other family cabin just down Highway 168 in Pineridge--see my soon to be posted pictures of there--and made nearly daily trips to the Lake to swim, visit with family staying there and kayak or use the peddle boat. For me and my family, this is our patch of Heaven on Earth. There is no other place as special to me as this one. I have
been lucky enough to come to this beautiful place since the summer I was born--I actually had my first bath in a wash tub at the Lake. Leaving the Lake this year was especially tough. Having so much time to relax and enjoy the Lake was really special and I just didn't want to come home! Enjoy the pictures!

Vacation

Tomorrow we all head out to our family cabin in the Sierra's for our first REAL vacation this year. Therefore, there will be a serious gap in postings. However, I guarantee many postings with lots of pictures after we return July 26th! Hope you are well and thanks for checking in to see if we have anything new posted! Woo-hoo! Vacation here we come!

Isaac's Self-Portraits

Isaac really enjoys using our digital camera and aside from taking odd pictures of the carpet, the pets, and walls, there are also many of this style of self-portrait. Sometimes they are blurry, but these from the concert turned out nice, with beautiful lighting as the sun went down. Isaac also noticed the sunset and wanted to take a picture. We were sitting on the grass and there were lots of other people nearby so I told him just to get the sunset. This is the amazing picture he took! Love it!

The Soto Family

So, I took several pictures of us all together, but Isaac refused to make a "normal" face, despite my patience and Paul's tickling. But this is the best funny face he made, so there you go. Isaac was very excited to see a live concert. There has been much talk lately of him wanting to be famous, and possibly a country singer, I guess we'll have to see...He is definitely a crack up and ham, so he may have just the right personality for life in the spotlight.

Finally! Paul and I

Ok, it has long been promised and finally it is here! A picture of Paul and I!!! Last night Paul and I took Isaac to his first concert, Brad Paisley. I took this picture of us after we found a spot to park ourselves, but before the music started. It was a bit hot--probably 105+ degrees--but the people next to us were sitting in little lounge chairs and blocked the sun perfectly! Please note my 5 year old ghetto sunglasses that are broken, the arm is missing, hot, huh? One of these days I'll shuck out the money for a new pair. It was a great night and really awesome to do something all together as a family!