Vancover Work Trip

I was asked to go back up to our warehouse in Vancouver to audit their physical count.  It was another quick trip, but this time I was pretty much alone.  I was meeting a coworker there who picked me up for the warehouse visit, but had his wife with him so that was the only time I saw him.  The visit didn't quite take as long as anticipated so I found myself with a bit of spare time that afternoon.  However, I was alone and it wasn't great weather so I pretty much stuck to where I could walk around my hotel.  I visited the mall, saw a visitor center and tried to eat at about 5 chinese food restaurants until I finally found one that would take a Credit Card. 

The cool Indoor market I found

Fruit picking

Back in May we just decided one day to go to Brentwood and pick some fruit.  It was such a fun day.  We picked Cherries, peaches, and berries.  Then we stopped by a roadside stand for some strawberries.  We should have more days like this.

Chelsie's Granduates from College

 Chelsie graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in May 2012.  My whole family took the 8+ hour trek to San Diego to watch her.  It was so great to visit with her & Tony and we had a great time. 

The drive was long, so we brought lots of snacks and movies for Paige and she did pretty good.  We got into San Diego about the same time as my parents, Mikaila & Great Nana, but it was a little too early to check into our rental.  So we stopped at this beautiful park to let Paige run around a little bit.

 That night we had a nice relaxing night.  Chelsie & Tony came over and hung out.  It was lots of fun.  And the house that my parents rented was great.  HUGE and really close to the college so it was a great time.

 My dad & Justin worked on Chelsie's car in the morning.  Good thing we had a garage. 

 The graduation ceremony was beautiful.  I mean who gets to graduate overlooking the ocean like this.  However, the people in the sun below were really hot.  And the people in the bleachers (like us) were freezing.  Paige fell asleep during the ceremony.  And Mikaila & I were so cold that we eventually got up and went where it was warmer and then saw Chelsie exiting!

 I believe this picture is Tony walking in!

 She graduated!

 About this time, I dropped my camera and the screen showing the pictures is now broken.  SO this is where my picture taking stopped.  But we got to meet Tony's family for the first time here too.  Tony has a twin sister and she was in the next ceremony so his family got the privilege of watching both ceremony's.   We went back to the house to unwind a bit.  Then we headed over to Tony's parents house for a party.  It was great getting all of our families together and I think we got along great.  And Paige had some little boys to play with which she loved.

The next day consisted of most of us helping Chelsie pack-up her dorm room and move to her apartment.  Since she was busy with her final RA duties and had to check everyone out, that was quite the task, but after a lot of work- we did it!  It was fun helping her set-up her new place a little and it was nice seeing her dorm room (And her ocean view).  Kind of made me sad that I never got to experience that!

We brought back some dinner from their favorite BBQ place and spent some more family time.  Plus I got to have some "Spa" time with my two sisters.  We always manage to find some time alone to catch up which was fun.

While we were working, Justin & Paige went off to explore San Diego.  They went to a Military Cemetery,  A beach, Drove by Junior Seao (RIP)'s house, at some sushi and went to a store near the beach.  They went into that store to get me a T-shirt and came out with a pet hermit crab named Aeva!  They also bought a fake mustache which Paige wore around and had a lot of people laughing.

 On Monday morning we packed up & headed out.  Justin & I left earlier since we wanted to get home.  My parents, Mikaila & Nana hung out for a little while longer and helped Chelsie get a mattress.  My mom stayed behind for a few days to help Chelsie get settled in and the rest of them headed home later that day. 

Sometimes it's hard for me to accept how grown up my little sister is becoming.  It is hard to let go of the 2 year old "Chelsie in a box" kid I love so much.  But she is growing up and it won't be long now until she has a full time teaching job, and gets ready to start down the next step in her future!

Memories

My mom gave me a box full of my old pictures a few months ago.  As I was going through them, I had a variety of emotions run through my head.   Below are some of the pictures, but for now- My thoughts.

I was born on an air force base in the middle of some corn fields in Indiana.  We moved around quite a bit when I was little.  By the time we settled in here in California, I had already lived in 3 other states and been to 3 different Elementary schools (I started my 4th & 5th in California during 5th grade).  Because of these facts, I was not able to make real close long term bonds with my classmates.  I remember my closest friends for the most part, but there are a lot of people I don't recognize at all. And I have no idea where any of them are.

We did not have a TON of money growing up, but I never really noticed that.  Sure, when I wanted a real cabbage patch doll, I first got a homemade replica!  But those are not the things that are important in my memories.  We did a lot of fun stuff.  We went camping and sightseeing wherever we were.  We went to bluegrass festivals.   We went to the beach, A Lot.  When living in Virginia, we even went on an actual vacation to the beach.   We went to amusement parks and did fun things like crabbing.  I even went to England when I was 8 for my uncles wedding.  And I had the best birthday parties! There are some great memories in these pictures.

My mom commented how the hardest thing going through the pictures was watching me change from the happy little girl that she remembered to the sad teenager that ended up loosing my way for a little while.  She said the change happened when my sisters were born- but I don't see that in these pictures.  Sure, I remember (After being an only child for 11 years) how hard the adjustment was.  I had wanted a sister so badly, but once Chelsie was born- the attention I was used to was no longer there.  Maybe that's why every time Paige tells me she wants a little sister, I think that she doesn't really know what she is getting into.   But on the other side, my sisters have been a source of great joy for me.  Now that we are all getting older (Chelsie graduated from college this year and Mikaila got her license. ) I can't imagine my life without them.  The laughter we have shared will not be forgotten.  In a way having sisters that are so much younger than me has kept me young.  They allowed me to be a child at the moments that I needed to the most.

The hardest thing about going through the pictures was watching the progression of my relationship with my dad.   He adopted me officially when I was 8 and he married my mom, but I have known him since I was 1.  He has always been a part of my life as far as I am concerned.  And we were really close when I was little.  Watching our story unfold in pictures, I wonder when that bond started getting less strong.   I used to think it was when Chelsie was born and he held his child in his arms for the first time, but I don't think so now.   

Honestly, despite the fact that we do not share the same DNA- we are alike in so many ways.  I remember as a teenager, we just fought- ALL THE TIME.  We both had an opinion and we were both so stubborn that neither one of us was going to give in.   So maybe the series of huge disputes we had during those years changed our relationship.  Don't get me wrong, we get along a lot better now- but the days of me climbing up on his shoulders or climbing into the "Garbage can" are just moments held in our memories.    But I guess that is the way things progress over time.  I mean can you imaging a 33 year old climbing on her dads shoulders?  Really?

 My 16th Birthday Party

 Me & My 1st boyfriend Willy-  How I wish I knew where he was and what he was doing now!

 I think I was around 3 years old hear.

 Big Wheel

 Me & Grandma at the wedding in England

 Me & My cousin Alicyn picking fruit

 Me & Alicyn

Paigisms April 2012

Things Paige has said or done recently!

Paige "Dear Jesus- Please give me a Boy Baby Sister.. Amen"
Me Justin- Text that to me so I can write it down!"
Paige "Text it to Jesus!"

After opening her Easter basket and doing a little egg hunt in the living room, Paige says to us "This Easter was a success! Thats fancy for fun"!

Paige announced when I got home that today she "Tried to pee like daddy". And it "got all over her" but most of it made it into the potty. Still trying to figure out exactly what that means.

I walked in on Paige biting her toenails. I stopped her right away and trimmed them for her. I was disgusted but at the same time I was amazed that she was flexible enough to get her toes in her mouth.

Update 5/1/12:
My mom & Nana were out with Paige today and found a wishing fountain.  They gave her a coin and she made a wish in a wisper voice.  Both my mom & Nana heard "Ice Cream" so they took her to get some after they picked up Kayla.  They asked her if this is what she wished for and she said "No this is great but I wished that Papa would be King"