the getty

one of the items on our summer to-do list was to visit a museum.  i give the kids' art teacher a lot of credit for inspiring them to learn about painters and works of art.  all three of them have an appreciation of art and self expression.  it's so important to me that they are creative. a bonus was getting to catch the herb ritts exhibit while it was there.  so off we went.

love that the museum has free admission, although parking was a little hectic.  i've only been to this museum once before when jordan was a little guy.  i only remembered the garden and seeing reese witherspoon with her daughter at the family center.

we started at the family center with lots of fun things for the kids to explore.

 and me too.

then it was off to the garden.

beautiful dahlias in every color.

peaceful spot with the most perfect weather.

then we took a break and got a snack.  this salsa was delicious.  i'm glad my mom was with me so we could figure out how to make it.

we went to the ritts exhibit and saw his famous photos of madonna, britney spears, and cindy crawford.  we navigated through the nude photos with care.  but i would love to go back and take my time admiring his work.

then it was on to the paintings.  it still blows me away that we can walk right up to a famous work of art that i've only seen in books.

we all loved the paintings by monet, van gogh and degas.  sofia was impressed to see the paintings in real life.  she kept saying "ms. bloom showed us that in class".  thanks ms. bloom!

and that ended our short visit.

the tram back to the parking lot was our last adventure.

cross another thing off the list.

weekly menu: week 31

the weekend is over and i didn't take many pictures to document it.  well, most of the pictures would have been of us glued to the tv watching the olympics.

friday we had breakfast at john o'groats.  my mom wanted andrew to try the lemon pancakes.  sofia got the chocolate chip pancakes and stated "I'm in pancake heaven".  then we went to the getty for some artistic inspiration.

the rest of the weekend we enjoyed some swimming, hanging out with out of town friends, dinner with my sis and brother-in-law and watching the olympics.

this coming week will be different.  the kids will be with grandma and grandpa tom until the wedding this weekend.  that means bobby and i have the week without kids.  what to do?  i know i will be getting myself, the house and our life ready for the fall.  as august quickly approaches we will be consumed with school (and all that it involves) before the end of the month.

so with just two of us home, what will we have for dinner?

making this week:

monday: turkey paninis, salad

tuesday: ??

wednesday:  ??

thursday: dinner out

friday: rehearsal dinner

saturday: wedding

sunday: ??

gonna play it by ear.  thinking one night of appetizers, one of leftovers, or maybe eating out all week. i'm up for anything.

enjoy the last 2 days of july.  looking forward to august.

let the games begin

we are so excited to watch the opening ceremonies and the games this weekend. in fact i expect to be glued to the tv for the next 17 days.  what am i looking forward to?  swimming, gymnastics, beach volleyball, rowing, track and field, archery, tennis...  ok, i love it all.  i especially love hearing the athletes' stories.  it is a huge motivator in so many aspects of my life.  the focus, dedication and sacrifice reminds me that i shouldn't give up.  anything is possible.

a huge dream is to one day that one day attend an olympic games.  maybe sochi 2014 or rio 2016. anyone want to join me?

around here

we are eating strawberries from the farm stand.  at $8 a tray, expensive but so good.

he is making a lot of progress. he has an awesome outside shot.

we are celebrating babies to come.

we are trying out a new place.  verdict is still out.

we are eating a little too much of this.

we are enjoying the top ten episodes.

i am totally engrossed in the twists and turns of gone girl.

we are excited that he will be home on friday nights.

we are reconsidering our food choices.

Source: theidearoom.net via Gioconda on Pinterest

we are contemplating color choices.

we are buying textbooks, ugh.

we are enjoying our summer.  hope you are too.

weekly menu: week 30

shrimp lettuce wraps

feels like the summer is slipping away so quickly.  not that we aren't taking full advantage of everyday.  it's just going so fast.  we're not ready to start school supply shopping!  i'm not ready to give up on our free time.

making this week:

monday: chopped salad

tuesday: jamaican jerk turkey burgers with tropical fruit salsa

wednesday:  blt

thursday: bbq chicken quesadillas

friday: pizza

saturday: eat out

sunday: appetizers and the olympics

enjoyed a nice weekend with basketball, movies and a baby shower.  the party never stops around here.    simple week ahead.  might cross a few more things off our list.  making some clean up progress.  and getting ready for a little interior re-design (very little).

have a happy week.

before & after + before & after

yesterday was a very special day around our house.  i honestly don't know who was more excited, me, sofia or jordan.  andrew was like, "huh?"

after almost 20 months jordan got his braces off.

here's the before and after then:

and here's the before and after from yesterday:

yes, i know he needs a haircut.  it's on the list for this week.  but can you believe how much he has changed?  that little boy is turning into a young man.  

and here's what the orthodontist gave him when he left.

a bottle of sparkling cider, and a bag filled with all of the things he couldn't eat with his braces on: popcorn, gum, skittles, and a lollipop.  most of the work was cosmetic which resulted in a quick treatment for him.  plus jordan did a great job taking care of his teeth during this time.  even through the pain he never complained or fussed.  it's another  testament to the wonderful person he is.

hooray for growing up and looking great.  congratulations jordan!

the family reunion

last year as my cousins gathered for a housewarming and birthday party, claudia had the wonderful idea of organizing a family reunion.  but what was even more incredible about her idea was that she actually made it happen.  she didn't just put it out there and let it fade. she didn't wait for everyone to figure out a date that worked.  she thought it and did it.

from the beginning the date was set for july 14.  those that could make it would be there.  those that couldn't we would see them next time. we communicated via facebook.  claudia made sure that everyone was invited, had the information and just like that the first palacio family reunion was born.

we met in san diego where a lot of the family lives, or is close to.  all of my mom's brothers and sisters were there, and most of their families.

there was no real plan.  no extravaganza to prepare for.  no set schedule or agenda.  just a gathering spot, a loose menu and time together.

the location was perfect.  spanish landing in the port of san diego.  we had picnic tables, a play area and water for the kids to play in.

for lunch we grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. then everyone brought something to share.  there was crab ceviche tostadas, my aunt's famous potato salad and lots of chips.

there was also a plan to take family photos of all who attended.

we have lots of family members that gather at occasions like this.  lots of stories to tell.  a few new family members to meet.  and some that we won't see again but are remembered (and missed) in these moments.

i know it made me feel nostalgic.  remembering the summers spent with my cousins, going shopping, on trips and  listening to music.  the jokes, lots of love, and some fighting thrown in.  it's all part of being a family.

both bobby and i come from big families and we are close to so many of them.  we know it's impossible to go to every birthday party, wedding, and, baby shower.  gatherings like this remind us how important it is to stay close and connected.

i love what claudia said during the picnic, through tear filled eyes, "i want my children to know my family."  it's that simple and true for so many of us.

we are a big family, growing every year, and that is a blessing.

thank you claudia for your hard work to bring us all together.  this will happen every year.  we will make sure of that.

mini vacation: san diego

i mentioned that we were not going on a big vacation this summer, but instead taking a few long weekend trips.

this past weekend we went to san diego for a family reunion, comicon and some time with family.

on friday the boys went to comicon so bobby could "work" and see some of his friends.  comicon is a huge convention for, well nerds.  (i say that only because the boys have admitted to it.)  it started as an event to exhibit comic books and other pop culture to fans.  it has turned into a huge 4-day spectacular  of cartoons, tv shows, toys, even movies.  bobby's been going for a few years now to connect with industry people. it seems that everyone goes to comicon.  jordan and andrew got to tag along and had the chance to see some of their favorite tv characters and "things" they like to do with their free time - minecraft, legos, halo. (see what i mean - nerds.)

they went to a panel for the regular show, a cartoon network show. a friend of ours is the voice of rigby. this show is a fan favorite.

they hung out with "the boy". jordan's classmate, basketball teammate, and good friend.

they saw storm troopers.

and were almost trampled by trolls.

my love, my precious and superman.  (you guess who is who)

it was a crazy time on the streets of downtown san diego.  people from all over the world were in costume, in character and probably in heaven.  next time i think i will spend a day just walking around downtown people watching.

sofia and i spent friday hanging out in east county with our hosts, the stephens.  we went swimming, read, and took pictures of these precious kids.

adorable.

saturday we had a family reunion (more on that tomorrow).

then sunday we hung out with our cousins and just relaxed.

melissa and derek were so sweet to let the five of us crash at their place.  we know it was a lot of work to double the dishes and the food and the noise but we had a fabulous time. 

this was better than any resort.

the best part was watching the kids together.  they played ring around the rosie.

  and they all fell down.

the worst part was the five hour drive home.

thanks to all for making this a great weekend.  stay classy san diego.