July flew by...

Feeling patriotic... Da Boyz joined us for the 4th of July & brought their parents. We enjoyed a barbecue & a little kayaking...

I'm flying my colors head to toe...

We live in a scary time - when so many people don't put much importance on God or worse - want to remove religious ideas from every aspect of daily life.  I believe that we live in a chosen land, a land set apart for religious freedoms - yet, we aren't always "free" to express our beliefs...if you do, you are met with criticism & opposition, telling you that your beliefs are "wrong." Since when did "different" become wrong?  I love this quote by President Reagan.  It expresses how I feel about our nation at this time...

A little randomness... we had a little fun with the Mustache Game...

There were several fawns born on our property this year.  Within minutes of being born, they are up & moving.  It was fun to catch this one with its mom one morning...

This random single sunflower, that I did NOT plant, showed up in my garden!  Such a happy bit of sunshine, made me smile everytime I saw it...

Other things my garden grew this year...yummy veggies!

San Diego - perhaps our last "Good Neighbor" trip for a while was to an MDRT Meeting in San Diego.  While Paul was in meetings, I got to walk around Seaport Village & took the Duck Tour...

It was a beautiful day on the bay with a great view of the harbor skyline.  The Duck took us out past the NMMP where the US Navy researches & trains animals...YES! Navy Seals are real - literally!

The U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program (NMMP) is a program administered by the U.S. Navy which studies the military use of marine mammals - principally bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions - and trains animals to perform tasks such as ship and harbor protection, mine detection and clearance, and equipment recovery. The program is based in San Diego, California, where animals are housed and trained on an ongoing basis. NMMP animal teams have been deployed for use in combat zones, such as during the Vietnam War and the Iraq War. It was super interesting to learn about this!



Sea World! It's been a few years since we had been to Sea World so, since we were so close, Paul took me for a visit.  The documentary Blackfish has given Sea World (& parks like it) some bad press. I have to admit that I really love seeing the animals up close & personal - since I won't be scuba diving in the deep blue to see them in their natural habitat, I appreciate Sea World bringing them to me. It really is a great place & the animals do not disappoint!

Shamu is my favorite show.  These creatures are so regal!

The dolphins are my second favorites...so agile & graceful!

There aquarium is pretty spectacular, too.  I loved watching the giant turtles...

Paul was like a kid in a candy store watching the sharks swim all around him. He wants to dive in a shark tank off the coast of South Africa someday...

...NO THANK YOU!  I'll stay on the beach where it's safe.

Baby Ryan, our little miracle baby! While we were in San Diego, we learned that Ryan was in the hospital. Late in the evening of July 5th, she started screaming with a fever so they rushed her to the ER where, after a long night of X-rays & blood work, they finally admitted her.  She continued to get worse so they transferred her to Santa Clara Kaiser where they had a team of neonatal/pediatric specialists to care for her. She had developed a Stridor infection, at one time thought it was pneumonia, but ultimately it was determined that she had E Coli Meningitis. Fortunately they had started her on an antibiotic right away which we believe saved her little life.  There were many family & friends praying for this little angel & I can only imagine the turmoil Ben & Dara felt as they had to watch their baby girl suffering, not knowing what to do - forced to trust the doctors in charge. She experienced apnea/seizure like symptoms which prompted EEGs & MRIs which discovered that she had hydrocephalus. They considered surgery to put a shunt in place but decided to start her on a more aggressive antibiotic first.  They wanted to keep her in the hospital for 6 weeks of observation/monitoring. Little Ryan is a fighter! She responded very well to the antibiotics & her ventricles slowed their swelling so that the shunt surgery was not necessary. Dara extended her maternity leave & they settled into a routine Dara came to the hospital everyday, Ben to work (to keep him busy), & he would join them at the hospital in the evenings.  I am so impressed with Dara's ability to keep it together & stay calm - taking things one day at a time. I don't know many women who could display as much patience & faith & love as Dara has through this parental nightmare! After 45 long days, Ryan got to come home from the hospital.  

She continues to improve & her doctors are monitoring her growth & development closely.  She is truly a little miracle! Fast forward a few weeks & check out this beautiful smile at her first photoshoot @ 4 months old! I could just eat her up! We feel blessed to have this sweet angel in our family & are so grateful that she continues to grow into a happy & healthy little girl.