Accounts and Afterthoughts of August

I should actually start with the end of July because my roomie from freshman year at BYU passed through our town on her way to a Giants/Dodgers game in San Fran. I was able to introduce she and her family to my favorite breakfast place, First Awakenings, and then I was able to have Laura and her (almost) whole family come over for dinner that night. It was so wonderful to see/hug her, meet her kiddos and reminisce with her parents and little sister.

For your enjoyment:

THEN.... (12 years ago..gasp!)

and NOW...

You still got it Roomie!

Now into August, a lone female elephant seal came up on Carmel River Beach to molt, so we made a family outing to go check her out.

A monumental moment this month was Lily starting kindergarten. It was one of the happiest days of mine and her lives. No tears, just smiles and good byes!  

The school is only a block away and so we mostly walk. Here she is taking strides with confidence on her first day.

Her real classroom was still under construction on the first day of school and so the kids made do with a temporary one for the first 3 weeks.

 Lily didn't care. She was so excited to be there and had been counting down the days until this very one. My only complaint thus far is that a week into kindergarten she came home wanting to write notes to a boy named Jon...love notes. I "heart" Jon. 2 Jon "heart" Lily. She was trying to hide them from me and sneak them in her backpack to take to him. Yikes! I don't remember having crushes until at least 1rst grade. We have rewritten those notes together and they now read,"2 Jon You are my friend. "Heart" Lily". That is a little better at least, for now. I don't even want to know what we are in for.

I can't fail to mention that Lily lost her first tooth back in July. I got it on video but not on a still-shot. She was SOOO proud of that gap in the bottom of her mouth!

We spent a few Saturdays out at Garland Ranch in Carmel Valley. There are some beautiful hikes that we never really get very far on due to our little complainers, I mean, darlings.

I don't even know what we are doing here. Probably celebrating the arduous 100 ft. we had just hiked.

The second time we brought friends out with us and I forgot my camera. The boys, as in men, caught a plethora of crawdads and the kids had a blast with the vicious little crustaceans!

Wow, that is all I have for August. Short and sweet.