Today we celebrate Father's Day!  We are very thankful for our fathers who made us who we are today, and the role they have taken on as grandpa to our kids.  

A fun flashback to Matt on our wedding day and our dads, and to the day our kids were born!  So very thankful!

Happy Father's Day!

First full week of summer...with a nasty heat wave!

This week we knew the hot weather would be hitting...and boy did it.  On Wednesday the temperature reached 100 degrees starting at 10:30 a.m. and stayed over 100 degrees until 6 p.m., reaching a high of 110 degrees.  Matt took the kids to the beach to try and escape a bit of the heat and although it was a bit cooler, it was still roughly 100 degrees for a good part of the day.  One of the few times to be thankful for cold water!  

This week Anna has also started helping someone who lives close to our house that has a horse that needs some extra attention.  Anna has been doing volunteer work to help out and got to do a bit of a ride on Thursday and Friday after doing the chores.  The heat made her thankful she was going in the morning before the heat really baked everything, but it was still rather warm making her glasses slide down often.  

On Friday night we went to our usual spot to watch the first fireworks show after a local baseball game.  It was a warm evening and we only ended up putting on our sweatshirts because there were so many mosquitos!  Yikes!

And today we headed to a local park for a picnic lunch and a bit of a hike.  The kids had fun seeing which rocks would break apart when they tossed them on a cement block.  

Anna sitting in the tree where we took family photos in November of 2013.  A lot has changed since then!  

A rock tower we made before leaving.  

Then we went on our hike.  Olivier had to climb the rock wall...and I was glad when he jumped down he didn't break himself!  

And in a silly side note, the boys are side by side this year in their school yearbook for the first time.  Normally they are under their teacher, which has always been different.  This year, since there was such a mix of which teacher they had with remote learning, in person learning, etc, all the kids were just listed by grade.  I took this photos and when I sent them in it didn't seem like they looked alike, but seeing them side by side...wow, they sure are related!  

Today it was a warm day but thankfully it was cool this morning and it has cooled down tonight.  

School is done!

Wednesday was the last day of school!  It is hard to believe we made it with all the uncertainty along the way but somehow it happened and now the kids are on summer break!  We are proud of the hard work, on their part and by all the teachers and support staff.  Whew!

On Saturday we had a hot day that kind of came out of no where.  Thankfully there was a nice breeze all day that kept us from feeling crazy hot and allowed the temperature to cool down quickly.  It ended up being the perfect today to be at the park, which is just what we did.  We had a late lunch with Matt's parents and his brothers families.  It was much needed after the emotional last few weeks.  We just missed one who was getting much needed sleep before the night shift.  It is amazing to see how much the kids have grown and, although they have changed, they still enjoy being around each other as much as always.  

We missed you April!  And yes, we see you Joe!

Second shot done! Three days of school left!

 This week the weather has been warm and sunny, a sign that summer is coming.  On Friday Anna got her second vaccine and has been fortunate to have no side effects.  The kids made it through another week of school and now only have three days left.  As much as we are happy about that, the ability to have a bit of a routine will be missed, with the hopes that once the next school year starts in late August that it will be more of a "normal" school year.  

Not much going on besides that.  Working on stuff around the house and focusing on getting the school year done.  

Thankful

Today we were saddened to learn that the kids Great Grandma passed away.  It is harder as they get older to share news like this with the kids.  When another Great Grandma passed away in January 2019 it was only a few months after we visited and it was unexpected the kids were saddened.  And today we are all saddened that another piece of the family is not longer with us.  Although we weren't able to visit for long, I am always thankful that the kids did spend time with their great grandparents that were with us for enough time after they were born.  

Taking a moment to reflect

Last Sunday I enjoyed the view during my walk of the hills, trees and fog.  It was the reminder I needed of peace and calm in the world swirling around us.  

Monday and Tuesday were unexpectedly warm days but we were thankful for the cool nights that we still have.  Tuesday brought something a bit more unexpected, there was a water pipe that ruptured near our house that resulted in a boil water notice.  That notice was extremely confusing and in the end we didn't live in one of the house that was included in the notice but we decided to play it safe.  It was a weird experience and we realized how much water we consume.  

On Wednesday there was a mass shooting at Valley Transportation Authority's light rail yard in San Jose.  It is heartbreaking and hits close to home as the story broke and I sat in the dispatch office checking in with my co-workers.  Lots of emotions to process.

Yesterday the cats enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine in a rare moment together.  Seems we all needed a moment to just sit and reflect.  

Tomorrow is Memorial Day and we continue to be grateful for the sacrifices so many have made to keep others safe.  

 

Seventeen Days of School Down to Twelve...

Let's see... this week standardized testing continued.  Anna is done and the boys have one more week left.  And there are now only twelve more days of school.  The routine of school has been nice and we will miss that but it will be nice to have a bit of a break with the hopes that when school starts up again in late August that we will have a regular schedule for a nice long period of time.  

The weather has been really nice, in the low 70's for the most part, and sometimes cooler.  That has also been nice with school because they have to leave doors and windows to the classrooms open which means no running AC on those hot days.  They can bundle up but once the heat hits there is not much they can do.  

During Anna's riding lesson on Saturday I got these two photos that were kind of fun to share.  And after this round they raised the standards, we are thinking about 2'10"!  It is exciting to see!  

We are getting ready for the last full week of school and the upcoming three day weekend!  Yippee!