August Odds & Ends...

August went by in a blurrrr!  Those last weeks of summer are always packed...

Our last kayak run... 

Some of my favorite times on the River are when Paul & I can sneak out the backyard by ourselves & enjoy the beautiful scenery that we call "home."  (He learned that it is difficult to take pictures & try to kayak at the same time.)

Bass Lake...

When I was a kid, I got to go to Bass Lake every summer with the Hargis family.  In addition to teaching me how to water ski, I learned a lot of wonderful things about life & friendship from this extremely generous family!  Here I am back in the day annoying Big Ben by doing a handstand on the hull of the infamous "Hockey Hauler"...

Like many of us, their family has spread out as far away as Hawaii & the south of France!  I learned via Facebook & Instagram that they were gathering for a week of family fun at Bass Lake.  I teased by threatening them that I was gonna crash their party & they challenged me to do it.  The more pix they posted, the more homesick I got for them...so, I crashed their party!

I left Paul working in San Jose, & as I drove by myself, I was surprised at how excited I got the closer I got to the Lake!  I couldn't remember when the last time I was there...but as I rounded the first curve & caught that first view of the Lake, I had to pull over because I was so overwhelmed with emotion - which I'm sure, surprises no one!  Such happy memories flooded my mind & heart (& evidently my eyes)!

Although I had texted Cindi & Mika to let them know I was coming, they didn't tell Ben or Bonnie.  They picked me up at the dock in the boat & drove me over to the beach where they were.  Cindi yells out to them on the beach, "We picked up a surprise for you!"  I could see Bonnie straining to see who I was & I could see her say to Ben, "Who is that?"  Then all of a sudden she jumped up & said, "Well, that's Jenny!"  They both met me on the beach as the boat pulled up & I could hear Ben swearing about how they shouldn't pick up "riff raff" & Bonnie is giggling & starts to say, "I think this party boat is big enough for you to do a handstand on it"...& she just lost it!  She started to cry, which made Ben start to cry, which made me start to cry, & we just had a giant hugging cry fest right there on the shores of Bass Lake!  I love this Hockey Hauler family!

We didn't waste any time getting the party started!

Zoey, Cindi, Micah, Me, Toni, & Big Ben

 My heart was happy as the sun was setting while we pulled the boats into the dock for the evening...

Lorrie's daughter, Zoey, was visiting for the summer from France.  She was so sweet!  She told me that her mother told her "all about me" & the things we used to do when we were little...(I certainly hope she didn't tell her "ALL" about me!)

That evening, by the camp fire, Bonnie did one of her famous skits, Toni played her guitar for a little sing-a-long, & we played games.  This is the marshmallow game.  You are supposed to stuff a marshmallow in your mouth & say, "Chubby Bunny" without swallowing or spitting out the marshmallow, one marshmallow per round.  I didn't make it past 4 before my gag reflexes kicked in.  Mika & Danai are champs!  Danai won with 6 or 7...I couldn't even watch it anymore!

I had such a wonderful time & it was exactly what my heart & soul needed.  Thanks for letting me crash the party!


Del Mar...

Another one of the perks of being married to my awesome husband is that I get to accompany him on some fancy trips!  The Grand Del Mar was such a fancy place...the room was incredible!

We spent some time at Venice Beach - such great people watching!

Seaweed Stranger

flipping off the wall...

The Wave House looks like tons of fun!  We stood & watched them for a long time...

It's nice to be pampered in a fancy spa & recognized at a fancy dinner...

And then...we got a VIP tour of Miramar & we climbed aboard an osprey!

And then...we had another fancy dinner at The Officer's Club where Top Gun was filmed!

Tom Cruise's stunt double...yes, he is singing to me - just like in the movie!

And if that wasn't enough excitement?  He took me to Disneyland on our way home!  He loves me.

100 years young!

Actually, Paul dropped me off to spend the weekend with my mom.  Her neighbor since 1989 was celebrating her 100th birthday & I was invited to the party!  It's always an extra treat when we can see extended family, too.  Kristi brought Kinzi by for some hugs...

Miss Opal has been a wonderful friend to my mom through the years.  I was delighted to be able to honor her on this special birthday.  I have never known a centurion till now!

Opal would rather play BINGO than celebrate her birthday...

I also got a chance to attend church with Brent & Rita Richards, my "church parents" as Rita always says.  This family shared the Gospel with me 40 years ago & are responsible for helping me to understand "who I am, why I am here, & where I am going!"  I love them dearly!  President Richards turned 96 this year!

Tree Trouble...

We are experiencing a little "tree trouble" - one afternoon, the cottonwood tree in the backyard dropped a dead branch that took out one of the branches of the oak tree below it!  Sad day...

The very next day, we found this oak tree in front snapped in half!  Sad, sad, day...

Two weeks later, we came home to this!  A neighbor said it fell the night before we came home...

Although we have cleaned up the mess & cut up all the fallen branches, we haven't been able to connect with Vince the Fence Guy to repair this panel.  We do feel blessed that this is the only damage that occurred!  What a mess if these branches had fallen on the house/garage, a car, a person!  Yikes!!!  We had someone come out check out all the trees that are still standing & learned that several of our trees have a disease & we are going to have to have them removed!  Sad, sad, sad day!


3rd Annual Relief Society River Float...

What kind of enrichment activities to you have in your ward?  This has become one of our ward's favorite events!  We bust out all the kayaks & rafts needed & float down to the park, then come back for a pot luck lunch at the house.  The youngest sister here is 18 - the oldest is 82!  Tons of fun!

Genealogy, I am doing it!

Actually, Paul's cousin Pat Bluth & her daughter Sara are doing it!  They invited me to join them at Paul's Mom's for a little family history fun.  They asked Mom questions about their Jenkins heritage & shared some of the things they had learned with us.  (Pat's mother is Jeanne's oldest sister.)  It was a fun evening & I learned that my mother-in-law is even more amazing than I already knew!  I am pretty lucky to have such an incredible woman in my life!

And THAT is just August!  WHEW!