Final Destination: California USA

we weren't allowed in but we could still get cool pix in front of this neat-o Chinese pavillion thingy.

Melanie has a hole in her lip, apparently. Charlie is amused!

Hanging with Ghandi

E and a cool Chinese dragon guarding this neat Pagoda

Palm trees are cool

touring the city of Riverside, CA...the Mission Hotel, which was a really old building...and so cool.

Uncle Andy tried the entire time we were there to get Molly to give him the time of day...she gave in the LAST day we were there.

Andy and his boys..

Palm trees and the people I love.

not sure why Dunc keeps making this face in the pix...I gather that he isn't fond of getting his pic taken.

I was in love with all the palm trees.

two big babies

Molly looks strangely psychotic in this picture...her big boy cousins really did like her.

If you can find a Starbucks, you can find home...and we did. many times. (thanks again to Juan for letting us use his GPS, which we affectionately named Kim)

We got in to Corona, CA on a Monday evening....We spent the next day recuperating because the trip from AZ to CA was challenging and the Mohave Desert was hot, windy and eerie. Andy took us in to Riverside the next night...and we enjoyed a walk thru the nearly abandoned downtown...

These are the pix from that evening...more to come later.

School is done for the day...Gotta go get ready to hit the outlet malls with Mom, Beck, Molly and Pipes. Woo hoo. Bring on the Christmas season. Have a splendid weekend!

Charlie...

Still waiting on some pix of my adorable nephew Charlie. Hi Mom, can you send me some of the ones that Andy has sent you? or better yet? Hey Andy, could you send me some of those Kindergarten Graduation pix of your little man?

I can assure you that if he lived closer to me, I'd have more pix than this.

So, Hey little guy....I know your birthday was on July 5th, and that you are spending the summer with your mom...but just wanted you to know that my family and I love you, hope your 6th year is remarkable and filled with lots of joy, and we hope to get to see you at summer's end!!

How I wish Levi got to hang out with you...he could use someone his own age to show him the ropes! You are an awesome little dude.

Happy Very Belated 5th Birthday, Charlie James!

Cute boy!

My brother, Andy, with 2 of his 3 kids...

Hamming it up with his big brother, Duncan.

Yes, this is loooooooooong over due...this kid turned 5 on the FIFTH of JULY!

Charlie James was born in 2003 and weighed in at 7 lbs. 7 oz! He is a tender-hearted little dude and I wish so much that he was close enough for all of us to really, really know!

Years from now, little man, hope you know how much your family in Indiana really loved you...

Hope your fifth birthday was WONDERFUL! Godspeed little man...

Big hugs from all of us...David, Laurie, Will, Ethan, Melanie, Levi, and Molly!

Cute little nephews...that's who they are

These are my brother's sons...Duncan and Charlie. They are 6 and 4 respectively and they are so sweet!
Sad thing is, I don't know these little dudes as well as I wish I did...they came at Christmastime and that was nice to get to know them a little bit better...I tried to kidnap them but Andy wouldn't let me. jerk. (just kiddin' Duke)
It's so strange to look at these little boys and see my brother. I can do that all day long here with Beck...seeing the similarities between her and her daughters...and I'm so glad to be able to be near them. Duncan is Andy's mini-me...Charlie is even starting to fill out and take on some Andy-characteristics! I love you, little guys! I hope you know that!
That's all I have right now...maybe my kid bro will send me some more pix of these dudes. Thanks for letting me get mopey. hope your hump day is marvelous! we got snow....ugh. and you can go now winter. really. any time. spring will be such a welcome change.
off to run some errands!!

Goodbye California Boys! Hello 2008!

Andy with Charlie and Duncan
Cutie Pie Charlie
Mr. Serious Dunkalunk...(he wakes up just the way his dad did as a child, and still does)
Vince holding Molly Moo
My brothers and my nephews

My kid brother, Andy, and his sons, were here for Christmas...these are pix from yesterday morning, when they got up bright and early to head up to the airport!! Charlie is 4 and Duncan is 6.5. They are cute boys and it was nice to have them here...they both played very well with my kids. We will miss you guys! Maybe the Lord will call you to this area of the country again someday. (soon??) The guy with Molly (at 7 a.m.) is our good family friend, Vince. He's a nice, helpful kinda guy!

Otherwise, the down time after Christmas has been nice...I feel so lazy and not myself. We have all been fighting some sickness, thankfully not the stomach upheaval kind. Tomorrow night is our annual New Year's Eve bash. If I haven't invited you yet, you are more than welcome to come...come one, come all...it's usually a crazy, wild time...Nerf guns, games, the Hustle and lots of other crazy "dancing" (though we are all quite "white" and did not get the dancing gene), food, fun fellowship...so come on down!! 8 p.m.

I will post some pix from years past parties...