Where have I been?

Sorry I have been away for so long...no excuses, just busy.  In fact, I have to go watch a movie that I rented last night and was too tired to watch.  I promise to blog tomorrow and bring you up to speed on the Sims family.  Indeed there are some fun things to share.

I will give you a teaser...

Beach past...

As we approach Labor Day and the official end to our summer, I long for those fun days back at the beach! It is about time I posted some more of those 800 pics and remember one of my best summers
ever!!!!

After we left Sacramento July 12 we headed to L.A.

First stop...Hermosa Beach.

Second was Laguna....remember the Mermaid Cottage?  Fabulous!

Uncle Keith and sand castles...

A lot of running around, water for the castles and smash ball!  Fun!

Both of the girls liked to be buried in the sand.  Hard to see in the pictures, but they were mermaids.

This one is just precious...

More running.  We had some pretty big waves on our last day.

I want to go back!!!!

Hope you all have a fun and safe last weekend of summer!

John Mayer

Went to the John Mayer concert last night with Jill.

I knew I liked John Mayer....but now I think he is adorable and his music is fantastic!!!!  

We arrived at the concert a little late.  Leave it to Jill and I to do a little shopping before hand.  Hey, don't judge.  We were kid free and she wanted to look at curtains!

We got there just as the opening act was finishing....Owl City.  They were good.

It was my first time at the Usana Amphitheater.  This is a great venue....

...but, what is up with the ear plugs?  We weren't that close to the speakers and we were outside.  Isn't the point to hear the concert?  

Anyway, this same guys wife got mad at Jill and I for talking to loud during the concert and told us to take our conversation elsewhere.  Jill told her, "Everyone is talking around you.   If you don't like it you can go listen to the concert elsewhere."  Jill was polite...the lady not so much!

So here we are....talking, laughing, and having a great girl night with  John...

He is young, handsome, very funny and a lot out spoken.  I loved that about him.  Sometimes concerts are so boring because the artist never looks up from the mic long enough to say, "BOO"  to the audience.  

Mr.  Mayer is a true artist.  Can I say talented!!!!  The boy can sing!!!  (I would have been happy just to sit and listen to him talk.  His voice is that sexy!) There was a lot of jazz and soul on stage last night.  They didn't play a lot of the stuff you hear on the radio...they JAMMED...think they may have written a new song in the middle of the show.  Loved the spontaneity of it!

Thanks Jill for the ticket and the great night.

School girls.

TIME FOR SCHOOL....GET UP, GET UP!

Brush teeth, wash face, comb hair...

Our big 1st grader!!!  Grace started last Monday.  

Eat breakfast, make bed, wash hands!!!

Our big preschooler!  Ryann started on Tuesday.  

This is me grabbing an apple on our way out the door to school!  I have been trying to get my workout in before the household wakes up.  Early mornings, but worth it!!!

And we made it!!!

We are settling into our new routine and the girls love school.  Grace had 100% on her first spelling test and is regaining the math quickly.  It will be an exciting year for both girls.  They think it is so neat to have each other at the same school.

I am looking forward to some Lisa time when we are in a full routine.  

Back in the swing of it!

This is a picture of Grace...not me, but pretty much sums up the way I have been feeling at the end of each day since school started last Monday.  That is why you haven't heard from me! My day begins somewhere around 5:30 a.m. and by 9:00 p.m. I am toast!

My goal this week is to get my shit together  (grocery shopping is already done,) and then I will have time to blog and everything else.  

Still have some fun vaction pictures to share and first day of school has come and gone.  Stay tuned....bare with me while adjust to running around like never before.  Wouldn't have it any other way!

The Mermaid Cottage

So, about a month ago now we had been visiting my sister in Sacramento for 12 days and had an invitation to stay with our friends Jerry and Dalton and a beach house in Laguna for the following weekend.  We drove down to L.A. for a couple of days , where Derek and Jerry had some calls business, and the girls and I decided we wouldn't mind hanging out at the beach.  We even caught up with some of our friends who live in the area.  All good fun!!! 

 But, here is where we ended up....the coziest little cottage.  Luckily Dalton's sister is the owner and we got a good price, but I think rent is about triple my mortgage for a week.  Anyway...

This is the front door.  Sooo cute...

(Sign says:  "memories you'll presevre for the rest of your life." It hangs on the mantel.)

and this sign represents everything...romance, great memories, our little family...the perfect summer stop!

We enjoyed this place and felted so blessed to have stayed here...

This is the little porch on the front of the house, a perfect spot for adult beverage and relaxation.

And then you enter the little kitchen.  Don't you just love the red refridgerator?  

The view from the living room...breathtaking!

This is the upstairs living room complete with a port hole from a real sunkin ship.  So cute!

Here is the upstairs bedroom.  A deck overlooking the front porch below.

And this is the downstairs bar that walks out to the back porch and bbq.  We enjoyed hanging out by the fire after the kids were tucked in.

Dalton was refusing to have her picture taken.  Every one (about 4 pictures) has her hand in front of her face.

We crashed in this cute little room downstairs after some hard beach time.  Every room was decorated so cute.  Liked I said...we were blessed.

Cheers to a wonderful stay at the mermaid cottage!

I will do another post with our beach pics.

Happy birthday D!

Today is special....it's Derek's birthday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!

This is Derek on his 30th birthday...when everyone celebrates the day one foot falls in the grave.  Thank goodness he made it nine years later...yes, he is 39! (Next year the foot will fall again...)

(pictured with Grace in her Broncos uniform)

He is the best daddy EVER!!!

(pictured below with Ryann as a proud new daddy...again)

When I was going through my pictures I found this one of him helping me out with the vacuuming!  A chore he doesn't often do.  That is why I took a picture.  

Derek, just wanted to let you know your wonderful, my best friend and I love you.  Can't wait for the carna asada!!!