Okay, I made it! This year I walked with Dave - we walked the five miles in about an hour. Not bad, I guess. My muscles aren't even sore this year, like they were last year. Wow, just a little bit of exercising goes a long way! Thanks to everyone who was able to donate to the cause - your support is much appreciated!
Follow this link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Making Strides Against Breast Cancer - Bay Area
Love, Starla
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Back to the same old grind...
Well, that's it. Summer's over. All my vacations for the year are done, I'm back at work, and school starts Monday. Well, it was nice while it lasted. :-)
The trip to Humboldt County was great! My visit with Dad, Sheree, Kevin, & Bobby was nice. Dad, Sheree, and I sat around and played a board game & card games. The board game -- Elvisopoly, what a blast that was! It was cool, it put a cute little twist to Monopoly, which I was never a big fan of before. But having everything Elvis-related made it fun and interesting. And of course getting to visit is nice. But the visit was too short. Due to some packing issues, we didn't head out on the road until late Saturday morning, so I didn't get into town until late Saturday night. I just went straight to Janis', ate dinner, and went to bed, so I didn't go visit Dad & everyone that day. Then Janis and I went to Willow Creek on Sunday, so I only visited my family for a few hours that night.
Janis and I had a great time, though, at her company's annual party in Willow Creek -- horseshoes, badminton, frisbee toss, water volleyball, it was all so much fun & awesome! My first team lost at water volleyball because - well first of all, my team sucked - and second, the other team cheated and didn't rotate players the way they are supposed to and nobody called them on it. But, what could I do, I was a guest there so I certainly wasn't going to be a butt about it. Then in the championship between the two finalist teams, one of the people was busy at horseshoes, so they asked me to take his place. It was a close game, but we won! Then me & my badminton teammate - Janis' boyfriend Lee - won our badminton round & then won the finals round as well. I love winning... :-) But I also love just playing, so it was a blast all day. I'm so glad Janis brought me along.
But, anyway, it ended up that I really only got in one full day of visiting with Dad & everyone on Monday, then half the day on Tuesday until it was time for me to leave at 2:00.
And off I went to camping at Hidden Springs Campground in Myers Flat with Dave, the boys, and Alex's girlfriend Lindsay. We had a good time. But again, not a lot of time for me. I was only there the last half of Tuesday & all day Wednesday. We had great dinners - Alex & Lindsay cooked Tuesday night & Wednesday night and both were absolutely yummy meals! We played a game Tuesday night, went swimming all day Wednesday, roasted marshmallows & made s'mores after dinner, but didn't play any games that night because I wanted to get to bed early so we could head out early enough on Thursday. Well, when I say "went swimming all day", I mean the kids & Dave swam & cruised the river in the raft-boat thing while I stayed on the beach and got a little sun. But then when the water warmed up around 3:30, I finally hopped in. I finally swam some, but by that time everyone else was tired from swimming all day and I was the only one left in the water. :-( Oh, well, it was still a lot of fun! Since I didn't have a lot of time, we didn't go explore at all, but the campground is right along the Avenue of the Giants which is a beautiful drive through the Redwoods. I highly recommend that!
This was by far our favorite camping spot that we've tried in the last three summers, so I think we've decided to keep going to this place whenever we go camping. Plus, being only an hour & 20 minutes away from McKinleyville, it makes visiting my Dad & everyone more convenient. While Dave & the boys are camping, I can go visit Dad for three or four days, and then meet up with Dave & the boys to finish out the last three or four days camping with them. That way Dave & the boys get their long camping trip in that they like, and I get to visit the family but also get in the few days of camping that I prefer. It will allow me to have two of my summer vacation trips packed into one - perfect! :-)
The trip to Humboldt County was great! My visit with Dad, Sheree, Kevin, & Bobby was nice. Dad, Sheree, and I sat around and played a board game & card games. The board game -- Elvisopoly, what a blast that was! It was cool, it put a cute little twist to Monopoly, which I was never a big fan of before. But having everything Elvis-related made it fun and interesting. And of course getting to visit is nice. But the visit was too short. Due to some packing issues, we didn't head out on the road until late Saturday morning, so I didn't get into town until late Saturday night. I just went straight to Janis', ate dinner, and went to bed, so I didn't go visit Dad & everyone that day. Then Janis and I went to Willow Creek on Sunday, so I only visited my family for a few hours that night.
Janis and I had a great time, though, at her company's annual party in Willow Creek -- horseshoes, badminton, frisbee toss, water volleyball, it was all so much fun & awesome! My first team lost at water volleyball because - well first of all, my team sucked - and second, the other team cheated and didn't rotate players the way they are supposed to and nobody called them on it. But, what could I do, I was a guest there so I certainly wasn't going to be a butt about it. Then in the championship between the two finalist teams, one of the people was busy at horseshoes, so they asked me to take his place. It was a close game, but we won! Then me & my badminton teammate - Janis' boyfriend Lee - won our badminton round & then won the finals round as well. I love winning... :-) But I also love just playing, so it was a blast all day. I'm so glad Janis brought me along.
But, anyway, it ended up that I really only got in one full day of visiting with Dad & everyone on Monday, then half the day on Tuesday until it was time for me to leave at 2:00.
And off I went to camping at Hidden Springs Campground in Myers Flat with Dave, the boys, and Alex's girlfriend Lindsay. We had a good time. But again, not a lot of time for me. I was only there the last half of Tuesday & all day Wednesday. We had great dinners - Alex & Lindsay cooked Tuesday night & Wednesday night and both were absolutely yummy meals! We played a game Tuesday night, went swimming all day Wednesday, roasted marshmallows & made s'mores after dinner, but didn't play any games that night because I wanted to get to bed early so we could head out early enough on Thursday. Well, when I say "went swimming all day", I mean the kids & Dave swam & cruised the river in the raft-boat thing while I stayed on the beach and got a little sun. But then when the water warmed up around 3:30, I finally hopped in. I finally swam some, but by that time everyone else was tired from swimming all day and I was the only one left in the water. :-( Oh, well, it was still a lot of fun! Since I didn't have a lot of time, we didn't go explore at all, but the campground is right along the Avenue of the Giants which is a beautiful drive through the Redwoods. I highly recommend that!
This was by far our favorite camping spot that we've tried in the last three summers, so I think we've decided to keep going to this place whenever we go camping. Plus, being only an hour & 20 minutes away from McKinleyville, it makes visiting my Dad & everyone more convenient. While Dave & the boys are camping, I can go visit Dad for three or four days, and then meet up with Dave & the boys to finish out the last three or four days camping with them. That way Dave & the boys get their long camping trip in that they like, and I get to visit the family but also get in the few days of camping that I prefer. It will allow me to have two of my summer vacation trips packed into one - perfect! :-)
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Getting ready for another vacation...
As we are getting ready for our last trip this summer (sigh), let me revisit my summer vacations... Our trip to Washington state was a joy -- I'm so happy I was able to make the trip and start getting to know my beautiful three-month-old baby great nephew Dominic. If you ask me, he takes after his mommy (my niece Valerie) with his adorable chubby face. He is such a good baby, content and alert. He is great with people he doesn't know, too. I just met him, but he was letting me hold him all the time and didn't fuss, whine, or cry. He just laughed, cooed, gurgled -- and farted, oh what a cutie. I can hardly wait to see him again -- I wish it was soon, but probably not until next year.
Mom's visit here was nice as well. Although she didn't feel well much, when she was feeling up we had a great time. We enjoyed the beach at Half Moon Bay, took a trip to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, went shopping at the Gilroy Outlet Mall, went out to dinner a few nights, and made a few outings to our shopping malls here. It was fun, but too short of a visit -- as always.
I got to spend some time with my sister Kerry & niece Stephanie, too. Steph has grown up to be a funny & witty person -- she cracked me up so much, it seemed like my cheeks hurt all the time. I wish I could have spent more time visiting with Valerie, too, but I didn't spend that many days up north and so we just didn't get much of a chance. Maybe - hopefully - we'll get the opportunity on our next visit.
Now we are getting ready for our final trip this summer -- our drive to Humboldt County. I'll be visiting my Dad, brothers Kevin & Bobby, sister Sheree, and my friend Janis, while Dave will be camping with the boys. Then I'll meet up with them for the last two nights of camping and then - bam! - the new school year starts the week after we get back. Geez what a busy busy summer! Hope everyone is enjoying theirs... take care! I will let everyone know when I have pictures posted.
Mom's visit here was nice as well. Although she didn't feel well much, when she was feeling up we had a great time. We enjoyed the beach at Half Moon Bay, took a trip to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, went shopping at the Gilroy Outlet Mall, went out to dinner a few nights, and made a few outings to our shopping malls here. It was fun, but too short of a visit -- as always.
I got to spend some time with my sister Kerry & niece Stephanie, too. Steph has grown up to be a funny & witty person -- she cracked me up so much, it seemed like my cheeks hurt all the time. I wish I could have spent more time visiting with Valerie, too, but I didn't spend that many days up north and so we just didn't get much of a chance. Maybe - hopefully - we'll get the opportunity on our next visit.
Now we are getting ready for our final trip this summer -- our drive to Humboldt County. I'll be visiting my Dad, brothers Kevin & Bobby, sister Sheree, and my friend Janis, while Dave will be camping with the boys. Then I'll meet up with them for the last two nights of camping and then - bam! - the new school year starts the week after we get back. Geez what a busy busy summer! Hope everyone is enjoying theirs... take care! I will let everyone know when I have pictures posted.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Another Hurricane?!
Yet another hurricane for Florida?! My friend Jeanie lives there -- goodness knows why they want to stay! Well, my prayers are with her & Wade and everyone else in Florida and the other states to be hit with Dennis... Love, Starla
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Disneyland was a blast!!
We just got back the other day from our trip to Anaheim. We had a great time! We went to Disneyland all day on Tuesday - wow, that was a lot of walking, but it was fun! We loved Splash Mountain, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Actually, we went on quite a few rides that were pretty cool, but those were our favorites. I was so bummed to miss Space Mountain, as they are redoing it and won't have it open again until July. That was my favorite ride when Dad took me there years and years and years ago.
On Wednesday, we drove to Hollywood and went to Universal Studios. That was a lot of fun, too. The studio tour is always fun. We only went on a few rides, but they were awesome. Jurassic Park and the Revenge of the Mummy rides are excellent! Intense and scary, but so much fun! Wednesday night we went to the Medieval Times themed restaurant, which was pretty cool. It was definitely entertaining.
Then Thursday we went to Disney's California Adventure park. I think we were pretty tired by then, because we sort of took it easy - but still went on a few rides. California Screamin' is a heck of a lot of fun, and Soarin' over California was really awesome. And I have to say that the Grizzly River Run was really fun -- and wet!!! It tops Great America's Rip Roarin' Rapids, definitely!
Now I'm looking forward to my trip with Dave to Washington state to visit with my mom, sister, & nieces -- and especially my new grand-nephew Dominic. I can't wait to see him. I finally have some pictures, and he is the cutest baby boy ever! I only get to visit for a few days, but I'm still so excited because we're bringing my mom back down here to visit for a few weeks, then we get to go back up with her and spend one more day with everyone again before we fly back here, on a flight which my sister, niece, and her friend will be taking with us to visit with us for a week.
Oh, but my summer plans don't stop there, no no no...
A couple of weeks after that, I will be driving up north to see my Dad, brothers, & other sister in No. Cal. I always look forward to that trip because I don't get to see everyone very often, plus I get to hang with my best friend Janis. On my way back home, I'll be stopping off at a campground where Dave & the boys will be and stay with them a couple of nights. Busy busy summer!!! Okay, so I let you get back to your normal and probably more interesting life... :-)
On Wednesday, we drove to Hollywood and went to Universal Studios. That was a lot of fun, too. The studio tour is always fun. We only went on a few rides, but they were awesome. Jurassic Park and the Revenge of the Mummy rides are excellent! Intense and scary, but so much fun! Wednesday night we went to the Medieval Times themed restaurant, which was pretty cool. It was definitely entertaining.
Then Thursday we went to Disney's California Adventure park. I think we were pretty tired by then, because we sort of took it easy - but still went on a few rides. California Screamin' is a heck of a lot of fun, and Soarin' over California was really awesome. And I have to say that the Grizzly River Run was really fun -- and wet!!! It tops Great America's Rip Roarin' Rapids, definitely!
Now I'm looking forward to my trip with Dave to Washington state to visit with my mom, sister, & nieces -- and especially my new grand-nephew Dominic. I can't wait to see him. I finally have some pictures, and he is the cutest baby boy ever! I only get to visit for a few days, but I'm still so excited because we're bringing my mom back down here to visit for a few weeks, then we get to go back up with her and spend one more day with everyone again before we fly back here, on a flight which my sister, niece, and her friend will be taking with us to visit with us for a week.
Oh, but my summer plans don't stop there, no no no...
A couple of weeks after that, I will be driving up north to see my Dad, brothers, & other sister in No. Cal. I always look forward to that trip because I don't get to see everyone very often, plus I get to hang with my best friend Janis. On my way back home, I'll be stopping off at a campground where Dave & the boys will be and stay with them a couple of nights. Busy busy summer!!! Okay, so I let you get back to your normal and probably more interesting life... :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)