Wow...

It's been a bit since I posted. I thought I would post something so people would know that I'm still alive. Life has been a little busy the past month, but I will be doing a better post here in the near future. Until then, hasta!

McComb Family Get Together

On Sunday, our family had the privilege of meeting Scott McComb's new wife and step-children. They had just flown in from Korea a day or two earlier and were making the rounds. Scott is Uncle Lynn's son who is in the military. He is now going to be stationed in Texas, and he, along with his family, are in the process of moving.

We all met at Dennis' house and Anne made tacos, deserts, salad...you name it...for dinner. After dinner we got to visit and went to see the progress on Lynn's house. When we returned from Lynn's, Jennie (Scott's wife) was gracious and gave everyone gifts from Korea. We had a nice time visiting and enjoyed getting to know Jennie, Jinyoung and Yeagi (I apologize for misspelled names!). We hope we get to see them again soon, and hope they enjoy their new home.

1st pic: Yeagi, Jennie and Dale

2nd pic: Group photo

3rd pic: Jinyoung and Connie

For some reason my last blog didn't attach pictures, so here you go!

Pictures 1, 2, 3, 4 are my parent's property and the lake

Pictures 5, 6 are Boiling Lake

Pictures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,12 are Bumpas Hell

Labor Day Weekend

So Todd, Lexx and I enjoyed a fun Labor Day weekend. We decided to go up and see my parent's property that they just bought in Oregon. We left after work on Friday and headed off to Klamath Falls, OR. We drove in about 1AM on Saturday, got up and ate breakfast at the Black Bear Diner then headed out to the property. The property is about an hour out of Klamath Falls, as you head towards Lakeview. When we arrived, Todd took off with my dad and they walked the property. I hung out with my mom and Lexx, and we took a couple pictures and then headed down to the lake. Eventually Todd and my dad made it to the lake and we just hung out and relaxed for a little while and then went and ate lunch in Bly. Bly is a tiny little town, but man did they have some good food. After lunch we left my parents and headed to Susanville.



We stayed the night in Susanville and then headed off to Lassen National Volcanic Park for the day. It was awesome! We only had about 9 hours total in the park, but we hit what we considered the high points. First stop was the Boiling Lake. It was about 1/2 mile up hill...and I pulled a muscle going up. Coming down was fine, but I decided I would let Todd and Lexx hike the 2 miles to Devil's Kitchen and I would go back to the car and read my magazine. We finished around 12:30, went to lunch in Chester (cute little town) and then headed out to Bumpass Hell. Bumpass Hell was a 3 mile hike. It was fairly easy except for the very last part, which was of course steep. Poor Lexx had a headache at this time, but still hiked the entire distance and smiled for some pictures...what a trooper. We finished at Bumpass Hell around 7:30 PM, and then headed home through Chico. We finally arrived home around 11:00 PM. Exhausted and satisfied that we had a very full week.

Just been busy

So I have been neglecting my blog, I know. Ever since we got back from vacation it seems like it has been go, go, go. Lexx is excited...she got her drivers license, went to soccer camp at CSU Sonoma and started back to high school. Austin has been working non-stop, Todd has been furloughed two days a month, and I am working as usual.

Lexx has had a couple of soccer tournaments, the first her team did really well, the second, her team did, let's just say, not very well.

Well I hope I remember to blog more than once next month...we'll see :)

Summer Vacation

The ocean is so calming, maybe that's why we decided to take our vacation there this year. All four of us stayed a week at Russian Gulch. It was a great time, we spent lots of family time together hiking, kayaking, shopping, playing on the beach...you name it. We arrived Saturday and decided to just relax and set up camp. Sunday we found ourselves hiking and playing on the beach. It was very relaxing and Austin and I enjoyed soaking up the sun while Todd and Alexxa explored tide pools. Monday we decided to take the kayaks out on the Noyo River. It was nice, but the trip ended about two miles in as trees were blocking the river, so we turned around and headed back. This was Austin's first time kayaking and it was quite interesting, we had a hard time keeping the kayak straight and were in the sideways position for about 1/3 of the trip. Tuesday we decided to visit the Mendocino Botanical Gardens and explore the area between Fort Bragg and Mendocino. We also decided to watch the sunset and it was spectacular. Wednesday we decided to hike Fern Canyon (a 5 mile hike). Todd was disappointed and said that he thought there would be ferns growing straight out at you. I kept telling him that it was Fern Canyon not Fern cliffs. We then visited the Pygmy Forest, ate lunch, and then decided to do a little more kayaking. This time we explored Little River and it was spectacular. We were so in awe, we didn't realize we had kayaked about 7 miles. We managed to see some wildlife, but most fun were the family of otters, about 10 of them. They would just come right out to the kayak. Thor and Loki found this particularly interesting and dove in after them. Thor almost drowned as he got caught in the seaweed and couldn't find a place to rest. Everything turned out okay, and our little buddy is still with us - Thank Goodness! The next day everyone recuperated from all the physical activity and we went shopping in Mendocino, visited Jughandle and relaxed. Friday, all of us slept in except for Todd who took the kayak into the ocean and explored the local coastline and caves. When he returned we briefly went back to Mendocino and then headed in to Fort Bragg to eat some seafood and watch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. When Saturday rolled around, we cleaned up camp and headed back home. The entire time while at the coast, the temperature never exceeded 70, we get back home...it's 103. I want to go back!

It's been a little while...

So it's been a while since I have updated my blog, but life gets busy occasionally. Lexx has had a couple of tournaments, one in Modesto the other in Huntington Beach. Her team won the sand soccer tournament in her age division and everyone had a great time. Todd and I managed to get sunburned, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was in the 70's while we were there, and unbeknownst to us, it was 108 and 114 degrees at home. I'm sure glad we were there. Poor Austin couldn't join us because he had to work, but we had a good time for him :)

After we returned from Huntington, Todd took his new kayak out. We visited Stumpy Meadows and had an amazing time. We saw a bald eagle, otter and a momma duck with her ducklings. The best part about the trip was that there was hardly anyone there. We swam a little after kayaking and amazingly the water wasn't freezing. Again, Austin couldn't go because the Deli needed his assistance. Don't feel too sorry for him though because he will be joining us on vacation at the end of the week.

That's all I have for now, but I will have some 4th of July photos and vacation pictures in the next couple weeks. Until then, enjoy your summer.

That's Mr. Engineer

Well Todd did it! He graduated from CSU, Sacramento on May 20th with a Mechanical Engineering Technology degree and boy was he happy. After twenty-two years of perseverance, all his hard work paid off. Family and friends were there to help celebrate. The smile on his face i says it all. Congratulations Todd! Woot, woot :)

What a Week For Alexxa

Alexxa started out a wonderful week last Saturday. She attended the Junior/Senior Prom with her boyfriend Cory. The two of them looked wonderful and so grown up. They met at our house for pictures and then went to a friends house for dinner. After dinner Lexx and a group of her friends were chauffered down to the Sacramento Ballroom (by yours truly) and danced the night away from 8 PM-12 PM. When Todd and I arrived to pick the gang up, Alexxa walked up with a tiara on her head. I was thinking what in the world. Apparently the Junior class votes for a Prom Princess and Alexxa received the honor. This just goes to show that her father and I are correct when we tell everyone that she is a little princess!

On Tuesday Lexx had an academic awards banquet where she recieved the trophy for digital design, and on Wednesday she had her high school soccer banquet where she received her third year varsity letter, first team all league midfield, academic all league (3.5 gpa and above), and team MVP for the third year in a row.

As you can see...it has been quite an eventful week for Lexx, and we are all so proud of her. She really does work hard and it's nice to see her rewarded for her efforts. Way to go Alexxa and keep up the good work.

Todd Had an Ouchy

Well this week was busy as usual, but in a different way. Todd had a hernia and he needed to get it taken care of...so I took Thursday off from work and in he went. It was fairly confusing trying to figure out where to go and when, you wouldn't think it was rocket science, but this is Kaiser we are talking about so need I say more? In Todd's preop consultation the doctor said he would have surgery in Roseville and that he would get a phone call during the week to solidify all the details. Wednesday at 4:30 PM we get a call telling us to be in Folsom at 11:20 AM and to hurry and call as they will cancel the surgery. Nice, neither one of us even gets home until the earliest 6 PM. So we call and confirm, no prob.

We get to the surgery center at 11:20 and sit, and sit, and sit, and sit. They finally get Todd in to prep at 12:15 PM. I am starving by this time because I haven't eaten because Todd can't eat and I didn't want to tempt him. So, they tell me to wait and as soon as there done prepping him I can go in and talk to him before surgery. Okay, my blood sugar has dropped and I'm going to kill someone by this time. I give him a kiss and practically run out of the building and grab some KFC (yum yum yum). I go over to DWS, an awesome shoe store with about 1,000 different style shoes...a girl's paradise, then run to Wal Mart and then get gas and come right back. He is out of surgery and waiting for me by 2:15. What the heck? He's wide awake and saying, "That's it? That's it? No way." about one million times (yes he was higher than a kite). So he is dressed and ready to leave by 3:15 PM.

Todd is now in a panic because he wants to go watch Alexxa's high school playoff soccer game. I tell him I don't think that that is such a good idea, but he says, "I wanna go watch my daughter play soccer." So off we go. They lost, but Todd got to see the second half of the game and over-time.

The gang gets home and Todd decides he's hungry so he eats chicken tenders (doctor said no solids for a day or two-nice Todd). He keeps saying there is nothing to this surgery thing and everyones a wimp.

Long story short, Todd's meds start to wear off and he starts to change his mind about surgery being easy. Todd ended up in bed the rest of Thursday, Friday, most of Saturday and all Sunday.

He is recuperating well and actually went to his college class today. I have to give him kudos, the doctor told him he probably shouldn't work for 1-2 weeks. Four days later, he's up and going...that's my honey!

A Great Weekend!

Another wonderful weekend has come and gone. Alexxa's team played in the State Cup semi-finals and they lost 3-1. While the team didn't quite click, Alexxa played an outstanding game and was very happy that she gave it her all. Because we didn't win on Saturday, we returned from Morgan Hill, and were able to see my cousin and her daughter that were visiting from Vancouver, WA. Madelyn is 3 and full of life and energy. Alexxa had a good time playing with her, and I think now understands what it would be like to have a younger sibling. Brooke looks great and was enjoying her vacation away from work. It was great to see them and spend time catching up. Sunday rolled around and Alexxa had competitive tryouts, so it was up at 7 AM again for her. She, of course, made the team.

So, we all enjoyed a wonderful and peaceful Sunday, except for the fact that Todd may have a hernia...we will find out tomorrow when he goes to the doctor. Poor Austin had to work, but enjoyed a meal fixed by his Nana and Papa, so he was very happy. I caught up on laundry and sleep and Alexxa caught up on her internet surfing. All in all...a great weekend!

Pictures: Alexxa and Madelyn, Madelyn eating her well deserved ice cream, Brooke and Madelyn, and Alexxa heading the ball at State Cup Semi Finals.

State Cup

The fam, minus Austin, headed to Morgan Hill on Saturday for another State Cup game. We spent the night in San Jose, arrived at the complex at 8 AM Sunday morning, and the game started at 9 AM. The girls started off a little sluggish, like perhaps they were still asleep, and within a couple minutes the other team scored. That woke our girls up and within a few minutes our team managed to score. Not to be outdone, Madera Red Star, managed to beat three of our four defenders leaving Alexxa with two marks, and again Madera scored. Finally, Eclipse decided that was enough and got down to business. We managed to score a total of 5 goals in the first half. For some reason the center ref didn't call half time at the normal 45 minutes, but instead called it at 49 minutes, and of course, our team fouled, Madera received a PK and made it before the first half ended. The score at half was 5 to 3. Second half was much less interesting and when the game was over the final score was 6 to 3, which advances us to the quarter finals of State Cup. This is pretty impressive for our team because this is the highest level the team has ever managed to go. We have at least one more game next Saturday in Morgan Hill, and depending how we do possibly Sunday as well. The girls were very happy with the way the game was played and hopefully we can keep good luck (and good play) going. Cross your fingers for us!

Pictures are of Alexxa with her whip pony tail coming down from a header and the team after the game posing after the victory (all smiles).

Easter

The Easter bunny made it to our house again the year. Austin and Alexxa enjoyed some gifts that the bunny decided to leave, and then after they enjoyed some of the treats we gathered up the gang and headed to my parent's house. It was a nice intimate get together and the food was delicious. My mom worked all afternoon on the meal and unfortunately we couldn't stay to eat seconds and thirds because everyone in our household had homework (except for me - hehehe). We didn't even color eggs this year, instead we tie-dyed shirts. We did happen to snap a couple pictures, but not too many. The first two are at my parent's house, the last two are the kiddos with their baskets-obviously. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Spring Break and Easter, and I can't wait to see pictures of everyones festivities.

An Exciting Weekend

This weekend started off the same as most of our weekends do, with soccer of course. Lexx played two games on Saturday and one game on Sunday. Her team did well and will advance to the next level of State Cup which will be in Morgan Hill on April 19th. The Eclipse did especially well when you take into consideration that five of Lexxa's teammates were either injured or sick so we had no subs. Saturday was grueling because the eleven healthy girls played 180 minutes (or 3 hours) of pure soccer with no relief, not to mention it got to 83 degrees that day. That may not seem too warm, but you have to remember that it was snowing about a month ago and the temperature has been around the mid 60's. Sunday was cooler, but the winds were blowing hard. If I had to guess I would say they were probably about 20 mph winds. Anyways, while waiting for Alexxa's Sunday game to start, I find out that my niece Ava is in California with her parents. I have never seen Ava before because she lives out of state, so it was a special surprise when I got to see her cute little face. It was a nice visit, and I wish they lived closer, but beggars can't be choosers and I will take the occasional trip out here. We visited for about six hours and then I had to get Alexxa home to do homework. Ava's family turned around the next afternoon and went home. It was a short trip, but very sweet...thanks to Ava.

It's been a while since I've posted, but I really do have a good excuse. I haven't been home on the weekends for the past month basically. Alexxa has had tournament after tournament so my blog has suffered. In the past month we have gone to Las Vegas, Redwood City and Anaheim. Last weekend I left for Anaheim after work on Friday (we actually left El Dorado Hills at 6 PM and rolled in to our hotel at 2 AM). Saturday morning we woke up at 8, Lexx played games at 10 AM and 4 PM, wen't to the team dinner and got back to the hotel at 10 PM. Sunday we woke up at 6 AM, Lexx played at 8 AM and 2 PM, and then we were back on the road by 4 PM. We actually arrived back home at 11:30 PM, and both Lexx and I had to be back up and ready for the week by 6 AM. What a loooooooooong weekend!

Alexxa's team did well and actually won the Anaheim tournament. They did manage to lose 3 girls for the weekend in the process. Geneve rolled her ankle within the first minute of the first game, Alyssa fell and a girl stepped on her arm which we thought was broken, and CJ fell on her collar bone (the same side she had broken earlier in the season). Stephanie did something to her knee during her high school game, and it's looking like she is probably out for the rest of this season, and Amy suffers from ongoing ankle and back problems. Talk about the walking wounded! So the picture above is of Alexxa's team, minus Gabby (Lexx is the girl standing next to the coach, and yes she is taller than him). The picture was taken immediately after they won the playoff game and about half the team needed to hurry and leave to take flights back home. It was an interesting weekend and Lexx and I had a good time, but if we have to do that again...we're going to take a few extra days off and go to Disneyland!

The Big 19

Austin is super duper excited for cake.

Loki enjoying Austin's birthday celebration...

Todd enjoying Austin's frosting.

Well Austin turned 19 on Tuesday, and we could only do a quick celebration as everyone had stuff going on. Don't feel too sorry for him though because his Nana and Papa had a birthday party for him at their house, and his Grandmother and Grandy will be celebrating this coming Saturday. Anyways, we had a nice little dinner and enjoyed each others company. Austin is a little anxious about getting so close to 20, he said that it's almost like he's an adult, but we all know better hehehe.

Las Vegas Trip

Todd, Alexxa and I headed out to Las Vegas on Friday (poor Austin couldn't come because he had to work). It was a loooooonnnnnngggg drive. Tehachapi Pass was closed due to poor weather conditions, so we ended going up the Grapevine and over on 58. We made it to Las Vegas Saturday morning about 10:40 AM, and Alexxa played her first soccer game at 12:40 PM. No problem...we had two hours to spare. Alexxa's team ended up 1-1-2, a little disappointing, but the team had fun playing against Canada, Utah, Minnesota and Nebraska. Because we didn't make it to the finals, we were able to head back home Monday morning around 9:00 AM. So, around 11:30 AM, while still on the road, we get a call from Todd's mom telling us that there is a bad storm rolling in, and they may close down the passes....Oh geez! That can't happen because I have work the next morning, Todd has work and school, and Alexxa has school and soccer practice. So instead of stopping at IHOP to satisfy my pancake craving, we blasted through Barstow trying to beat the storm. 58 was closed this time, but Tehachapi happened to be open (the exact opposite of when we were driving there). We ended up making it home by 8:00 PM with no problems, and for those of you wondering, yes we did stop at IHOP....near Fresno....around 3:30 PM.

P.S. The pictures I posted are of Alexxa's team, Alexxa doing what she does best...bossing people around, and Lexx doing a header (with a bad back and neck-genius).