Camping

After several mis-communications, resulting in 15 total hours of driving to camp 80 miles from home, we brought the family together and spent a nice afternoon and evening camping this weekend. We went to the Los Padres National Forest in the Santa Barbara area. Our campsite was quite remote (which accounted for 6 hours of the driving), but very beautiful. It was surrounded by oaks trees which provided plenty of shade. There was a nice creek about 70 yards from our campsite with a gravel beach alongside. We walked in the creek and built a dam and skipped rocks. In the afternoon we drove up the road to the "hot springs". They had built a few pools and piped the hot water into the pools. I was expecting something mildly lukewarm, but those pools were downright hot! They were hotter than the water in my shower! I couldn't even get in because they were so hot. I was quite amazed. We went for a long creek walk where we were able to see all sorts of wildlife, tadpoles, frogs, turtles and even a water snake. We topped of the evening with a round of the card game spoons, and s'mores.

Stuck on Stucco

It has been a long time since I posted anything about the garage. I know some of you have been wondering about the progress. I haven't posted anything because it seems to be going so slow that it doesn't seem newsworthy to post anything, but I will attempt to catch you up!
The construction is just moving right along. Over the past two weeks they have been working on the stucco. It is a long process only because they must do a coat, then let it dry for 3-4 days, then do another coat. There were 3 coats in all. The stucco is done now, although I am still waiting for it to dry and become the color of my other stucco. It is pretty close except for this one glaring patch right next to my front door. I am starting to worry, it has been a week!
In addition to the stucco, they also moved the window in Jayd's room. It has made the biggest difference! Now that the window is on the north side of the house, and in the corner of the room nearest the hallway, the light from the window shines into our previously dark and ominous hallway. Now when I walk down the hallway, it seems so much lighter and airier! I hadn't thought about that effect at all, but I am delighted with the result.
I will try to keep posting about the progress. But it seems that now they will be doing little things here and there that must be completed. Then it will be done! They keep saying about a week, but I still don't believe it.

Burned Again

My friends told me about a great idea! Cook your bacon in the oven instead of on the frying pan, it will come out nice and evenly cooked with no big mess on your stovetop. It sounded like a great idea, so I decided to try it. It worked just great for the first batch, the bacon came out just perfect and it wasn't nearly as messy. Well, I forgot one important item, the Reeder "burned again" gene. (My mother regularly burned everything that she tried to broil in the oven, inspiring "burned again" to be my younger sister's first words). A few minutes into the second batch I thought "Hmmm, smells like someone is having a campfire...." Then I thought I should check on the bacon. I opened the oven to a raging inferno of flames licking at my face. Did I lunge for the fire extinguisher?? the baking soda??? even a pitcher of water???? No! I simply closed the oven and said "Allie, go get your father." (Luckily, he was home because it happened to be Gabe's birthday) She casually asked him to come in the kitchen, and fortunately, the Spirit communicated the urgency to him that Allie did not. He decided the best course of action was to carry the burning platter through the living room and onto the back porch....Apparently we don't think very clearly in a crisis. But as in every funny story, all's well that end's well. Even though the flames were about 18 inches high as he carried the platter through the house, the hair on his arm was only mildly singed, nothing else caught on fire, and I stood in the backyard and watched it burn out while profusely thanking the Lord for sparing my husband and our house. Jeff ran for the camera. Needless to say...I won't be cooking bacon in the oven anymore.

All Aboard for a Birthday Party!

For Gabe's birthday, I took three of his friends to travel town in Griffith Park. It was a great and simple party. I picked the kids up from school and immediately drove out there. We arrived about an hour before they closed, but that was just about the right amount of time. We went through the museum, rode the mini train, climbed on the trains, ran on the tracks and had a great time. Then we went to another area of the park for cake and presents. It was a very relaxing and fun afternoon, and a perfect setting for a seven-year old birthday party.

This one is dedicated to the best Grandma in the world

Happy Mother's Day Grandma from Maddie, Jayd, Allie and Gabe

Grandma, I love you, Grandma I do
You gave me Tilly and my manta too
Eating meatloaf and playing in the snow
At your clean smelling house while watching video --- games
Grandma I love you and white chocolate popcorn too!

This one is dedicated to the best Oma in the world

Happy Mother's Day Oma from your grandchildren.

Oma dear I love you so and the trampoline outside too
The pool table and tennis ball, makes your house fun like you
Oma dear I love you so, when you post on myfamily.com
The aunties are so silly , I think my family's the bomb

Oh my, let's look up in the sky!

Last night we went to the Griffith Observatory. It was a much bigger trip than I had planned, but a very good family activity. We arrived around 6:00, which turned out to be very busy, we had to park way down the hill and hike up. However, 6:00 was a good time to arrive. We were able to walk around the parapet in daylight and take in the surrounding view of the Los Angeles area. Then we spent some time in the museum seeing interactive exhibits on the relationship between the sun, the earth and the moon, and the importance of light, from infared to tesla coils. We went outside to watch the sun set over the hills, then went downstairs to see the BIG PICTURE, an area dedicated to our solar system. By then it was quite dark, creating a vastly different view of the Los Angeles Basin. It also opened the telescope. We were able to view Saturn from the large telescope. It was a really fun family trip to the museum. We might even go back sometime.