Big Sur

Please Beware: Lots of pictures.

Our annual trek to Big Sur this year was once again, fabulous. Seriously people, I don't like to get dirty, I do not like bugs and I despise the heat. This particular trip seemed to have all three of those elements over and above what is normal for this place. But nonetheless, it was stunningly wonderful.

We always stop on our way up to visit with Aunt Sandra and Uncle Cecil. Sandra is my mother's baby sister. She looks a lot like my mom, except shorter. I love spending time with them because it feels like home when I am with them. Feels good!

This is Andrew, my cousin's almost 20 year old son. Jacob likes Andrew because he skateboards. I like him because his very cool, very nice and always says something funny. He is a college student, working parttime for his gramps and enjoying life. Cool Kid.So right now as I am typing this, this very campground has been evacuated for the past two weeks. The whole town is desolate with the exception of all of those heros in yellow turnouts fighting the fire there. Makes me sad.One of our most favorite things to do in this campground is to hike. Pfeiffer has some great trails that are not too difficult for the kids and the unexercised and faint of heart (me). We always pack a few snacks and head out to see Pfeiffer Falls or a magnificent view of the ocean.

This year, however, we opted to do a few hikes through the river gorge. It is over a ton of rocks, through many puddles, pools and streams, and up to this incredible swimming hole. This pool is as far as I got.

In order to get to the other side, you have to swim through this to keep going. I was not willing to do that. But Jacob was and so was Lenny. If you look at the top of the rock you might be able to see them standing there. I was surprised that Jacob made it that far. Here he is coming back. Our favorite jumping rock right across from site #10. The water is lower this year. It was kind of unsettling seeing how low everything was and especially, how dry. Little did we know that the next week, FIRE DANGER. Kind of a weird pic of trees but you have to know what Big Sur is like to appreciate this. There are so many trees, BIG TREES. And most of the time, you are in great shade. The trees are so dense that if the sun is not directly on you, you might think that is was later that usual.
What we did most of the time...besides eating. The back of our campsite. Yep it's that big and spacious. Fabulous. I love this picture because it shows us having fun. But golly, I hate it of me. Train those kids well and they will do the dishes for you. Not for you, I mean, for me. I love have child labor. Makes my job so much easier. This place is infested with squirrels and Blue Jays that are not at all afraid of people. In fact, several times we had to shoo them away from us or they would have crawled into our laps. Well, maybe not into our laps but they were about a 6 inches away from us. Especially when food is around, they swarm. Most of the time it is fascinating to watch. Sometimes it gets a bit creepy.
Jacob put a small tomato piece on his shoe. In no time whatsoever a squirrel scampered over and started at the shoe buffet. He didn't take it and run. He stayed and finished it. We met the nicest couple ever camping next to us. Paul and Nancy are from Humboldt county (on fire too by the way). Paul was strumming on the guitar one evening and Nancy was singing along. It was the neatest thing to hear. So we made brownies the next day and gave them a few. We told them how nice it was to hear them sing. One night they came to our campfire and we all sang together. Totally cool and so much fun. He even let Jacob strum a bit.
Just love this one. No caption. Just love it.

I love owning a trailer. Especially this one. It is small and compact when driving and storing. Yet when camping, three beds expand out and increase the length by another 6 feet and the width by another 4. Awesome piece of equipment. On this trip, I found another reason why I love having a trailer.

When we had to go potty on a long stretch of highway, we just pulled over and let go. Got back in the truck and went on our way. No stopping, no looking for parking and no hassles. It's the little things that make me happy.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer and get to go somewhere. Even if it just to the beach, go somewhere and enjoy these next two months.

I am hoping and praying for Big Sur. Not just for the campground but for the all of the people, the places and the charm that has made us feel so comfortable over the past 6 years.

And for the firemen.... I love ya all and I thank you for all that you do.

I stink at blogging

I admit it. I stink at keeping up with this blog. It seems that the more stuff I have to post about, the more I put it off.

Too busy? Overwhelmed with the plethora of material I possess? Think it is drivel? Who knows why, but I do.

Ok, for today's exciting post, I am going to direct you to the California Department of Foresty. Click on Statewide Fire Map. You will be BLOWN away at the number of fires happening right now.

The one most personal to us, you ask? The Basin Fire in Big Sur. The are surrounding Big Sur is literally burning down right now. The sweet little town is threatened and it is not looking to good. Pfeiffer Big Sur is our all time favorite camping place ever ever ever. We were there not even a week before all of this took place.

Just a quick note to ya

Real quick. I have so much to blog about but seriously not a lot of time.

Two weekends ago, my side of the fam came over for a family party. It was sooooo fun and I got some great photos. I haven't yet had the time to crop and choose what to post. Plus I have lots to write to go with it.

The next day started the beginning of the last week of school. EVERY SINGLE DAY was busy with mucha actividad (sorry, I am getting into Spanish Teacher mode). Add onto that a scrambling of packing and getting ready for a week in Big Sur.

Last day of school, finishing packing and left the next morning (Saturday). We spent a wonderful week in Big (Bug) Sur enjoying each other and swimming in the river. Lots of pics there too to show you. We just got home last night and now I am getting ready to leave for the airport. I am going to a conference in Northern California on Dyslexia Tutoring.

My house is a wreck. I have camping stuff to clean up. My sister in law and her very hairy Golden Retriever are staying here while her floors are being redone. I am tired, hot and in deseperate need of a Diet Coke and a clean space.

So, please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers this week. Lenny is home with the kids but has to work two of the days. That means lots of shuttling and jumping around from house to house. The kids are good but sometimes find that moving around stuff a bit unsettling. I will miss them and wonder every moment how they are doing.

I should have lots to post about next week.

Ok, stay cool and do fun things this summer.

Donna

New Toy

Just got this very cool new toy.

Our friends, the Vitwars, own a great camera shop in Long Beach. A few months ago, I saw this tripod in their store and thought it was absolutely ingenious. I made a note in the back of my mind to get one for our Big Sur camping trip.

Lenny went to pick one up this evening. Totally rad and very fun to play with. If you have a camera, you gotta get the Gorillapod. Small, lightweight, and limitless in it's versatility.

Double Digits, Hummingbird and 13

Double Digits:

Our boy turned 10 last Thursday. I would have posted something sooner about his big day but it just got away from us. When you hear about his party, you will understand.

Lenny worked on Thursday but left his gift hidden. When Jacob woke up, Lenny called him from work and asked him to check the truck to see if he had left his backpack in it. When Jacob looked in the back, he found this:

A BB Gun.


Lenny has been waiting for almost two years to give Jacob a BB Gun for his 10th birthday. Remember this post?


Thursday, I told him that I would bring him lunch from In and Out to school and eat with him. Here was my order and $42.87 later. 4 cheeseburgers, 1 hamburger and 1 grilled cheese, 15 fries, 6 drinks. Woa. The burgers and drinks were distributed to Sarah, her sitter, her sitter's daughter, Jacob's teacher, Jacob, and of course, the lunch courier, ME! Of the 15 orders of fries, 4 went to the above mentioned people except for Jacob. He and his classmates shared the remainder of the 11 orders of fries. You would have thought that these kids had never seen french fries before. They went nuts.

And of course, I am Mom of the Year.


In the fry frenzy, I left my camera in the car. Bum- dilly- dum- bummer.


Friday, Jacob had 20 boys over here for a pool party. Before you read on, please re-read that previous sentence. 20 TWENTY boys over here for a pool party. 20 boys, Sarah, Lenny and I. Yep it was nuts. One mom stayed but all of the rest, they ran for the hills when they saw the chaos. I don't blame, I wanted to run too.

Kids swam, played basketball, ate pizza, shoved cake in their faces, and had tons of fun together. When it got dark, we played National Treasure 2 outside. 18 bags of popcorn and a movie outside - life is just great.

My house looked (still does too today) like a bomb went off. Shoes, shorts, goggles, underwear, a towel, this and that all strewn around Chez Gisbert. Cups in the corner of the yard, paper plates everywhere, blue cake icing anywhere that can be unexpected.


It was great!


Jacob got some great gifts from some very thoughtful people. I have to share my favorite.


Our neighbor gave him 10: $1 bills, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. It was cute.

Hummingbird:

Yesterday, Sarah, Jacob and a few neighborhood kids found a baby hummingbird in the grass. Apparently it had fallen from the nest above. These kids packed it up in a box and started to care for it. We made a sugar solution and found an eyedropper to feed it with. The cute little thing would stretch it's little neck and open wide for a drop of the good stuff. It would chirp and fluff it's feathers. Oh it was cute.



This morning we went to feed it. Sarah was delighted that it had survived the night. She feed it and off we went to school. 20 minutes later, it was dead. Dead as a doornail. Deader than dead. Obviously dead. Gross dead. Even the little mites that were infesting the sweet little bird before had now scattered.


All the kids held a funeral for it after school. They buried it right next to the lizard from last week. Sarah was mad that no one wore black. Oh geesh.

13:

June 2, 1995



Today Lenny and I celebrate 13 years of marriage. Notice I didn't say wedded bliss? Well that's because it hasn't been wedded bliss. But it has been good, even when it didn't feel good, our marriage has truly been something wonderful. I love being married to Lenny. He does make me absolutely INSANE sometimes, but heck, I never know what is next with him.

(Would have posted a better picture but my scanner takes forever. It was easier to take a picture of this picture. I suppose I could have cropped it better, but didn't take the time.)


Hey Lover, Happy Anniversary! I can not wait to see you tomorrow!

Awesome Rice Recipe

I found this recipe in a magazine while waiting in the dentist's office. I made it tonight and it is sooooo good.

Zucchini Rice Gratin
Serves4 to 6 (side dish)
Active time:25 min
Start to finish:1 1/4 hr

With golden cheese that yields to an abundance of roasted vegetables, this gratin is an ideal side dish, but it really doesn’t need anything more than a green salad to make it a satisfying dinner.

1/3 cup long-grain white rice
1 1/2 lb zucchini (about 3 medium), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
6 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 lb plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided

Preheat oven to 450°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.

Cook rice according to package instructions.

While rice cooks, toss zucchini with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow baking pan. Toss tomatoes with 1/2 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another baking pan.

Roast zucchini in upper third of oven and tomatoes in lower third, turning vegetables once halfway through roasting, until tender and light golden, about 10 minutes for tomatoes; 20 minutes for zucchini. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, cook onion and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir together onion mixture, cooked rice, eggs, thyme, 1/4 cup cheese, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread half of rice mixture in a shallow 2-quart baking dish, then top with half of zucchini.

Spread remaining rice mixture over zucchini, then top with remaining zucchini. Top with tomatoes and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Bake in upper third of oven until set and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Double Digits and Happy Anniversary to us!

May 29, 2008. Our very precious little boy is Double Digits. He turns 10 in just a few hours. He is one whole decade old, or should I say "young"? I really am having a time with this birthday, this milestone of sorts. I always embrace the celebrations, the moving on into another phase of life (except when Lenny turned 50). But this 10-years-old thing is gripping me in a way that I can not explain.

I look at him and I marvel at God's workmanship, at his amazing attention to detail in every part of this child's being. His personality, his eye color, the way his eyebrows are exact duplicates of his father's. I hear his heart and watch his growth, I see his talents and I hear his voice. I revel in his laughter and twitch at his complaining. My heart aches when he cries and my soul sings when he wants to snuggle. He feels so good to hold. He is so fun to be with, he makes me laugh harder than I ever thought a little person could.

He is a gift from my heavenly father. One that I do not deserve nor have any idea on how to raise. He is one of the best things ever to happen to me.

He is so excited about this birthday. Mostly because we have been making a big deal about double digits. We explained to him that for only 9 years can you be single digits. When you turn 10, you are double digits for the rest of your life - unless you live to be 100 and he is most certain that he will. Several times today he has let out his glee at another birthday, at being 10. Then he quickly comes over to apologize for growing up too quickly. But then he admits that he is really happy to have a birthday. He is so stinkin' adorable.

So as we sing Happy Birthday to Jacob, Lenny and I will celebrate 10 years of parenting. 10 years of raising a child in the ways of the Lord, nurturing his spirit, feeding his body and soul, bathing, playing and enjoying this amazing role as parents.

I am sitting here pondering this day, this event, this huge life marker all alone. Lenny is working a 48 right now. I know that he would much rather be here than at work. So, I thought I would post some pics from the last 10 years of Jacob just for the best dad in the whole wide world.

Lenny, I love you and I think you are one of the most amazing fathers I have seen. You are a shining example of how Jacob's Heavenly Father loves him. You are committed, dedicated and the most faithful man that I know. There is no other person on this planet that I would want to share parenting or life with than you. Thank you for being the dad that you are to my kids. I feel like I am the luckiest person alive.

And Jacob, Happy Birthday to you. You are an angel sent from Heaven. You may not always act like one but I know, your dad knows, that you are a gift from God. You coming into a room is the same as when the clouds move out of the sun's way. You light it up and your warmth and smile make everyone happy. We love you so much Jacob. Thank you for being such an awesome kid, for loving God the way you do, for being kind to others and always doing the right thing. You make us proud.

We were looking at some old pictures of him growing up. I scanned a few from our pre-digital camera days to share.

Happy First Birthday

18 months. He loved the fire station

Almost two

3rd birthday 4th birthday

I love this pic of Jacob on the front porch. It captures his love of life and his energy. He goes after it all and this photo seems to be a great image of his personality.

It took everything I had to let him try out the flute. His little fingers would always find their way into the keyholes, he would spit in the mouthpiece and then drop the thing.

May 29th, 2004 6th Birthday

3rd Grade

9th Birthday

He asked me to bring him In and Out for lunch, along with "10 extra orders of fries so I can share with my friends." I am going to feel retarded ordering all of those fries and then an XL Diet Coke. Then we are having cupcakes in his class. Should be a great day!