Boo! Piper le Pew

And as much as some people think that one is celebrating bad things on Halloween, I have personally claimed this holiday as the day I celebrate community. There are a lot of cool memories that can be made - kids and parents wearing silly outfits, neighbors meeting each other, getting to know people in your neighborhood...in fact, while we were taking Piper for the rounds, we found out that one of our neighbors had undergone pretty extensive back surgery. I would have never known! (great neighbor of the year award does not go to me....) Sometimes we're all so cooped up in our own houses and lives that it's nice to have events and holidays to make people get out and into each others business - not in a nosy way but in a "we're all in this together" sort of way.

Anyway, in a nutshell...or a pumpkin shell, it was a stellar Halloween and wonderful time to party with the community and family.

I carved the pumpkins while Avie baked the seeds.

Then, I shared my Halloween tradition with Avie and Piper - watching the Michael Jackson "Thriller" video and dancing around my house like a moon-walking queen. They were thoroughly impressed - more so with Michael Jackson than me though.... Brian couldn't be apart of the dance party but he did make it in time for the candy!

After some pics, it was on to Piper's first Trick-or-Treating in the 'hood.

Needless to say, she was the most adorable skunk I have ever seen. After a couple houses, we called it a night - we determined that Piper sufficiently scored enough candy for her parents.

After Piper was in bed and the door bell rang less and less, Brian and I left Nana in charge of the lil' skunk and Brian and I got an impromptu date. The only thing showing so late was the 3 Musketeers...and in keeping in the theme of Piper's costume, it kinda stunk; but I did get to ride on Brian's bike for my first time, so that made it fun. It was even more fun that as we rode away in our neighborhood, I cackled and made some late night trick-or-treaters scream. Mwwwaaa hahaaha!!! Happy Community Day!!! Not as good of a ring as "Halloween", but I'm working on it...

October Family Trips

In mid-October, the weekend of the Lemoore Air Show, my Dad and Deb came out to central Cali. Not only did they come out to see where we've been living, but it was also my Dad's Birthday weekend! 'lo and behold, a day or two before they arrived, the military scheduled a detachment for which Brian had to leave town. Poop.

Brian or no Brian, our Saturday was spent catching up, watching football, playing with Piper, eating, drinking, and cooking - just basking in each others company. We were originally planning to go to the Air Show that Saturday, (I love them Blue Angels), but Piper's napping didn't sync up and ultimately, we didn't want to brave the crowds and heat on a day when we could catch up and watch college football in air conditioning. Later on in the afternoon, we got a call that Brian would be coming home to spend the rest of the weekend with us - what a treat! That night we prepared a welcome home feast.

The next day, we loaded up and headed west for some wine tasting in Paso. Aside from the opera that Piper sang for us on the way out, the day was incredibly relaxing - filled with great appellations, scenery, and company. Or as my Dad would say, "Just DELIGHTFUL!" :D

We capped off the evening by going to a restaurant by the Ocean. Happy Birthday, Dad! :D

A couple weeks later and a couple of hairy commercial flight connections later, Brian went to KC to hug his Mom's Saratoga. After about 6 hours in KS, his mom and him hopped in the plane and started flying west. They stayed in Phoenix with family and then continued their trek to central CA.

It seemed that as soon as he got here, he spent the rest of his time on base. Sometimes his military life gives him a TON to do and sometimes there's not much! (this week was the former)

While he worked, Avie and I managed the home front. She also worked from her computer and I taught my french and piano students. Nana sure was awesome to have around if I ever wanted step out of the house to run an errand or if Piper got a little rowdy during a lesson!

In the middle of Avie's stay, we got to take Piper to her first pumpkin patch. We were amazed at the variety of pumpkins - white ones, green ones, multi-colored, flat ones...and of course the classic orange. 

Luckily, the paparazzi was there to catch Piper in her glory.

Before we knew it, it was the weekend and we were in Brownie the Third (our big brown truck) and heading west. You can take the people out of wine country but you can't take the wine out of the people...or something like that. The pups and our friends, the Walkers and Napoli, were able to come along too!

After wining and dining, we went to the beach to throw tennis balls for the the dog, enjoyed a sunset and then found dinner at an ocean-side restaurant. If you can't tell by now, we have a protocol we like to carry out on the weekends...usually involving wine and the beach :D

The next day, I needed to regroup and organize my house - so Brian and his mom hopped on the Bike and went to the mountains. I could tell they had a wonderful time because their pictures are amazing and they had a definite case of helmet head upon their return :)

And then there was Halloween - but more on that later!

For now the AC is finally off *I'm waiting for as long as I can before I turn on the heat*
bread is the in oven
my house is a mess (because someone just learned to open the cabinet doors and pull everything out of them....surprisingly, it's not my husband...)
Juneau and Tommy's ears are cold when they come in from outside
I'm preparing for the months to come
Autumn and Winter crafts are on my table
And I finally feel like there's a crisp in the air
What a wonderful past month it's been
I look forward to beautiful months to come!

Sonic Boom Conclusion

October has kind of reminded me of that sonic boom that happened over the Valley a couple weeks ago. It was a loud noise that made the ground tremble, makes your heart race, and causes you to question if there was bomb or just a beautiful firework.


I guess it was both a bomb and a firework.
A dose of scariness mixed with the beauty of resolution.

The month began with the looming possibility of returning to Kville to sort out some prior landlord issues. When it came time to discuss our matters over the phone with all the people involved, both parties were semi-willing to conclude the problem, however, nature was not so amicable.

Before our big conference call on our home phone, Brian and I awoke to rain, a loud pop, and the deafening noise of....silence.
"Hello darkness, my old friend..." saith Paul Simon.


It was just like the action suspense movies where there's a quiet calm before something scary happens. I braced for it and....nothing. Still silence.
oh Hollywood, how you've jaded me.
Then we started to hear the sirens of emergency responders a couple blocks away. Come to find out, people occupying a vacant house were siphoning gas from a neighboring house and there was a minor explosion/fire; somehow the rain set it off - everyone was okay - not to too smart, but okay.

Ultimately, we had no power and no power meant
no coffee
and no conference call on our home number to resolve the issues.
Of all days, when it never rains and the power never goes out, it was today.

Brian got coffee, came home, and the power came back on the minute before we were called - hallelujah.
The conference call wasn't great but the bigger aspect is that it meant it was over and we didn't have to book a flight to Texas for a court date.

We currently await God's voice in telling us the purpose of such events in our lives – burglary
defense
the right in protecting one's safety (is there such a right?)
how much you're willing to pay for safety - money
the purpose of laws (do they really protect people?)
how far do you go in standing up for what you believe in verses succumbing to what other people want so you can move on with your life
...existential questions here!

James 1:2-6 comforts me when I try to make sense of such things:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds,”
(I guess literally and figuratively)
“because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. “

Truth is, I'm afraid to ask for wisdom (along with other valuable traits) from God because I know that He won't give you wisdom. He'll give you an opportunity to acquire wisdom; those opportunities can suck when you're in them. However, I'm reminded of Don Miller's recent book, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" - in order to create a real story, the central character doesn't just get by in life - there have to be crazy events, opportunities to change, and character growth. The best stories have the wildest events. So far, I think my story is shaping up to be pretty good. In reality, it's hard, but on paper, boy, am I fascinating! hah

The second aspect that has affected us, that is pert near resolved, is our moving claim. To recap, about 6 months after our military move, our king mattress, guitar, ball caps, baby blankets, and other paraphernalia are still unaccounted for – HOWEVER, we are finally awaiting a monetary compensation for those items so we can finally re-purchase a bed and other replacement goods. All I can say is, Thank God for friends that will loan you a spare mattress for such a long stint….I would be a very grouchy woman if I would have put up with crawling out of an air mattress every morning....

So legal issues and moving claims….sonic booms….they happen and eventually, they conclude. It’s not so exciting when it’s occurring but once they’re behind you, you hope that you’ve learned perseverance, wisdom, and gratefulness so God doesn’t try to reteach you those valuable traits in another way.
"To every season turn turn turn...and a time to every purpose, under heaven" - The Byrds and Ecclesiastes 3


I think I may reshape my prayers into asking God to teach me the wisdom behind massages or manicures and pedicures...hmmmm

9 months - Friends, Family, Crazy Travels, and a Bear, Oh MY!

Hello September and the beginning of FALL! Sadly, CA Valley heat reaches its peak during this "fall" month which only causes us to want to flee - so we did - to Georgia!

This was Piper's first commercial flight and due to military timing (her dad couldn't leave town at the same time), it was just the gals flying across the country! Thankfully, Piper was a champ - despite the amount of toys I brought, Piper found most of her entertainment with my mints container and a plastic cup with which the flight attendants serve a complimentary beverage. A classic Baby move. :)

Upon arrival, Piper met her Aunt Mackenzie and thoroughly loved hanging out with Papa and Yaya. The next day, Piper also got to greet her Dad and then meet her Uncle Brenton, Aunt Kerri and Uncle Carter. That's not all - The NEXT day Piper met her Aunt Laura and her Cousins! This little gal went through a whale of a weekend but she was still able to find some down time and adjust...well sorta...just enough that her Mom and Dad could still have some awesome family time and make some quality Georgian friends. :)

And as a little blessing before our return to the west, GA had some thunderstorms. As someone who grew up in the Midwest, the sound of thunder and the sound of rain can be...enchanting...yes, a simple little storm.

Despite the weather, our flight departed on time and NOW Piper could jump on Dad as well as me for the 4 hour flight from GA to Phoenix, AZ and then on to Fresno, CA! The flights were semi-seamless and we were quite content to be home.

And may I just add, flying with a baby sorta restored my faith in humanity.
There were several times throughout my travels that I would be holding Piper and then, outta nowhere (it seemed), she would be smiling like crazy...then I would follow her glance and see that some complete stranger would be making a goofy face at her. I wish I could have taken pictures of all the faces that "mature adults" made to cause my gal to laugh and smile on the long trip. And a special shout out to those that helped me fold up the stroller and helped me juggle a million things while going through security or boarding. This lady says Thanks, people.

A week or so after Georgia, we realized that our calendars were starting to book up and it was time to visit friends and family in San Diego before time got away from us! Traffic was a little horrendous outside of LA but as soon as we were through it, we were greeted with Pacific breezes and sunny 70's. It's always beautiful in San Diego. We stayed with my Aunt Carla and Uncle Keith in Coronado,
enjoyed a wonderful home-cooked meal, got some much needed catch-up time and then the next day we walked around the island and met up with friends. The sights, dining and fabulous home-stay lodgings were so much fun as was the laughter that was had with friends and family.


A couple weeks after San Diego, Brian and I prepared for the arrival of Grandma and Papa Skip. Since they came in the middle of the week, I had piano lessons to do and Brian had some flights to complete. However, as the weekend approached we started scheming for trips to Wineries, the Ocean, and the Sequoia Trees. (Hands down, my favorite aspect of CA: the option to do all of that in one weekend).

We tasted wine at three vineyards in Paso Robles.
Got some cookies in the quaint coastal town of Cambria.
Threw the tennis balls for our dogs on the beach in Cayucos and then made our way back home.



The next day, we loaded up the truck with some wine we had tasted the day before, drove up to the mountains, enjoyed a picnic under huge pine trees,


saw A BEAR (safely from our vehicle),

saw the largest Sequoia tree and then made our way back to the Valley.


Not only did we do a ton, but I realized that I didn't do dishes the whole week and my Mom also helped me get Piper towards an earlier bedtime (hallelujah) the blessings of having another momma in the house!

Now the part a lot of you have tuned in for...PIPER.
This past week alone she has grown leaps and bounds developmentally. She recently began throwing her arms in the air either signaling that she's praising God or calling a good field goal.

She also figured out how to clap her hands together.

She no longer "trees" herself and can inch towards things she wants by sidestepping or kneeling.

Her two bottom teeth are growing along with her little fuzzy hair.
And she's as goofy as heck; her personality is starting to show through when she snorts from laughter, repeats noises, or rolls a ball in your direction.


She's in 12-18 month clothing although we're getting closer to the latter and her 9 month doc appt is later this week. (poor gal, those shots are brutal but at least we'll know more about her health stats). She's eating more solid food and she finally likes my cooking - all basic things I think about on a daily basis. Still lovin' the gig of motherhood. :)

Ultimately, we feel most certainly blessed.
We're all healthy, happy, love our friends and family and we live in beautiful country!

8 months

The 8 month mark has been met with a sick little gal :( This past Saturday, Brian and I had to take Piper to the urgent care clinic due to a temp of 101! Sadly, the little lady is dealing with a runny nose and congestion - which she, in turn, passed on to her father (probably sharing those slobbery kisses) who, in turn, passed it on to me. Sharing: this is what being a family is all about :)

Luckily, we are all feeling great now. It's nothing a little streaming netflix, kleenex, and loads of fluids couldn't fix.

From being cooped up the weekend before and seeing the forecast for "the century mark" (as the local forecasters like to say), we decided to venture away from home and travel west. We knew we needed to find the cool temps and the 60's were found on the Pacific coast. All we had to do was load up the cooler, the dogs, the baby and her periphenalia and we were on our way!

At only two hours from home, we were in heaven. We drove through wine country, ate lunch at an oceanside bar & grill and then strolled along the beach. We didn't stay on the beach for long because it was quite breezy. Plus, I hadn't realized that Piper had grown out of her stocking cap so we went into Cambria to shop! This town was filled with privately owned businesses boasting of the best pies, cookies, wine, clothes, and knick knacks. My kinda place. We found Piper a cap, sampled some cookies, and then we went on to Morro Bay to wear out the pups.


After having a full day around the coast we went back home to the hot San Joaquin Valley.

On Sunday morning, surrounded by a messy kitchen and piles of dirty clothes, we looked at each other and said, "let's go there again!" Back to the ocean we went except this day we spent in Cayucos (next to Morro and Cambria). We ate a picnic lunch,


walked and threw the tennis balls for the dogs
and then found a romantic little cafe called Indigo Moon for wine, appetizers and watching the fog roll in. Despite Piper grabbing and throwing everything in sight at the cafe, (it had been a long day), it was a wonderful weekend and just what all of us needed.

Piper loved celebrating her 8 months of life no longer being sick and looking at the waves. Our little bean sprout is already in 12-18 month clothing and weighing in at 17.3 lbs. Lately, she is able to pull herself up to her feet, however, she doesn't know how to get back down. We like to refer to this as "treeing herself" - just like a cat.
She's working on it.

And lastly, she got her FIRST tooth in the middle of August. When looking at her, it's on the bottom left. We're so proud of her tooth-growing skills and how much fun our little girl is at 8 months old.