Baby leaves the nest...

*sigh*...today is my baby's first day as a senior in high school. I didn't know I'd feel so desolate to be so close to the end of her 'school career'. Now is the time to start bucking up...I only hope I don't embarass her too much this year. This is really hard for me. I didn't have a mom around my senior year. So much happens and it all happens so fast.

Not only is today her first day, but she also gets her professional senior portraits done this evening. Oh the start of marathon spending. So much fun.

*sigh*

June 2009

June started out great! Eric got a job working in Monterey at the Presidio after being off forever. Good thing, too, because unemployment was long gone.

• Tory starred as Cherry in her school play, the Outsiders. She was fabulous and got an “A” in Drama for her effort. In attendance were Patty, Anne, her boyfriend James & his mom, Janet. I don't have photos, but do have video, just trying to get Youtube to accept it. :)
• While Tory, Doxie & Stellie stayed with Patty, Eric and I went to Truckee for a school event at Alder Creek Middle School (hosted by the hostess with the mostest, Sandy Horn).

• We then headed to South Lake Tahoe, where we stayed at the Camp Richardson Resort in the camper, for the Valhalla Renaissance Faire [www.valhallafaire.com]. Joining us were: Cullen & Gwen; Grace & Brian; Philip & Katie, and briefly Teague, Cailin, Katherine & Franz. While we were there we participated with the Valhalla Fellowship, as we have for the last three years. They’re like our other family. Cousins maybe, you know, the ones you really like, but never get to see. J
  
  Eric and Cullen headed back Sunday night as they both needed to work on Monday. Brian, Grace, Philip & Katie all headed home on Monday, leaving Gwen and I alone to fend for ourselves, with the camper.
  
  Gwen and I walked into ‘town’ on Monday, a nice hike (I don’t even recall how far it was now, I just know it wore both of us out), had lunch at McDonald’s, shopped a bit and then headed back to camp. We passed un uneventful night, with Gwen showing her prowess to the fire gods, and left the next morning. Good thing we got an early start, as we ended up blowing a tire on the trailer just north of Placerville on 50. The tire proved difficult to change, as we were parking at an incline on the side of the road (making it difficult to get a jack under the trailer properly) and the tires were probably original to the trailer (circa 1977) as the bolts were not moving easily. After an hour and a half, help from a Cal Works guy, a good Samaritan and finally AAA, we were back on the road. Everyone made it home safe and sound.
  
• On June 10th, our good friend Deb found out that she is expecting, the first child for both her and her husband! The baby is due late February! We’re all so excited!


• Tory finished off her Junior year of high school...fairly uneventfully.


• And lastly, we attended Scottish Renaissance Festival [www.scottishrenaissancefestival.org] in Santa Cruz with our Renaissance group.

May 2009

In no particular order (the order the photos uploaded, actually...one of these days I'll get the hang of this thing) are highlights from May:

• May started off with Eric's birthday weekend. He spent his weekend watching Wolverine on the big screen. I took him to see it (alone) on Saturday for his birthday, but he liked it so much, he conned me into going again on Sunday so that we could take Tory.
• I travelled for work quite a bit starting in May. Mother's Day found me in the air headed to Washington DC to set up an office in Alexandria, VA.

These are photos taken while I was in Washington DC from the Smithsonian Museum

I want this Emerald!




Here is the building known as the 'Castle'

I really thought these trees were neat. I've never seen anything like them and was hoping I could get our friend Orion to tell me what they are. I wouldn't mind having one in our yard.









Photos of the Washington Monument & WWII Veterans Monument

• The weekend after my birthday (Memorial Weekend) we headed to Porterville to visit with June. We stayed in a Motel 6 that allows dogs, so that we could bring Doxie and Stellie with us. It was pretty nice for a Motel 6.

Stellie sneaking a snooze at Ma's.

Lei'i, happy puppy

• Tory had dive finals. Here's one photo from those. I did make quite a few videos, which have been uploaded to Youtube and are here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPYclUqtw30&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEGxsIkmYv4&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SPAJTrniD0&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV0JBamDDH4&feature=channel

After DC, I came home to another Renaissance event. Livermore Scottish Games & Celtic Celebration [http://www.livermoregames.com/].







Eric, Orion & Morrigan
















Myself & Robin

Here's a photo of the Alexandria office I was working on

• For my birthday Eric and Tory suprised me with an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. It was the first birthday cake I've had since the mud pie my dad bought me for my 18th birthday. I was very surprised & very touched.
• My office at work was moved at the end of the month, which just added to the general upheaval in my life in May.

April 2009

Some highlights from April:

We attended a Renaissance Faire in Visalia (Tulare County Renaissance Faire), here are two photos, one of the event and one of the beautiful sunset on the way home. For more information, check the blog at http://danceanddestruction.blogspot.com

We had a training for our Renaissance thing [see http://www.danceanddestruction.org/] if interested in more information. Here are some photos from that:

:

• Eric installed irrigation & grass in the backyard at the house. It's gorgeous!
• Tory received her first 'First Place' in a dive meet on April 8th!
  
• We had an Easter barbeque for our friends on April 12th. The following folk were in attendance: Patty; Kieran, Robin, Kieran's Mom & Anthony; Elspeth, Dirk, Evie & Barda; Killian; Orion; Fyonna; Tory's friend Laura; Tory's boyfriend James & his family, Derek, Janet & Jeff. We had an Easter Egg hunt in the back yard, which the teenagers thought was pretty fun (it was Anthony's first time & he said it was cool).
  Here are some photos from Easter!
  

Doxie, 8 years old!

The infamous 'lamb cake' ;)

Robin wearing Anthony's 'prize'

Barda & Daddy

Tory & her prize