WOW. I haven't visited here all summer. Mostly because we enjoyed a very quiet, restful summer. The last couple months of school were very hectic so when school let out, so did I. Well, when August approached, I realized how boring we had been and quickly booked us up! We started out the month with one of the best vacations we've ever had.
The entire Davidson (and Fisher) clan packed up our camping gear and hit the beach. We drove out to Camp Pendleton where we stayed for a week at one of my favorite spots...San Onofre.
Earlier this year we reserved our camping spots, but unfortunately we were unable to get three spaces next to each other. Of course the lady working the front desk at SO that day could not have been more unaccommodating to our conundrum. We ended up with two tiny spots on the bluff overlooking the ocean and one giant spot squeezed in between some cottages with only pieces of an ocean view and what we were told would be full hook-ups. (One can only guess what I am getting at here) We decided to keep all the kids at the one giant site and Mom and Dad would take one of the ocean view sites. The other we abandoned. I think Mom and Dad were happy to be able to get away from all of our noise at the end of the day! Unpacking proved to be quite the task as we set up our campsite to service three families! Mom, Dad, and Chelsea set up our galley while Jeff and I unpacked the trailer and the kids played.
I can't believe how much STUFF we all brought! This family definitely doesn't travel lightly. Even Derenger looked a little alarmed about all the happenings. Once we got unpacked and set up it was time to play!
And time for Mom to cook! Chelsea was our family organizer and kept us all on track all week. She organized who brought what food, who should cook it, and kept our camp space clean all week. what would we have done without her? I'm sure we may have starved and been very dirty. ;)
I say that this was one of my most favorite vacations for many reasons. It was a peaceful, restful time full of family laughs and memories. We didn't have a schedule and everyone seemed at peace with each other. It seemed like we were just there hanging out, accepting each other for who we are, and truly enjoying each others' company. This vacation did not have one giant, amazing, fun moment, but was made up of many, many sweet moments that I always want to remember. Here are a few of them:
There is something very special about watching Hub play with his daughters. He is the "fun parent." When I first met him, he had a little 2-year-old cousin who love, love, loved him. The way he played with his cousin told me that he would be a good dad....and I was right.
Uncle Noah is a great Uncle. He is patient and kind and generous with his time. He treats my kids like people, not just kids. I appreciate the time he spends with them
Talking my girls into a surfing lesson was high on Noah's list of priorities that week. And he was successful!
This was a beautiful moment that I don't want to forget. Laying on the beach with Katie, I "threw her a bone" and turned Taylor Swift Radio on Pandora. Katie loves to sing to Taylor Swift and I love to listen to her do it. Watching the waves come in, sitting next to my daughter, and TS crooning in the background made me so very thankful for all I have and grateful for the God who has given it to me.
This is a face I want to remember. He woke up from his nap and came down to the beach. He was so happy to see us. I pray he is always this happy to see us!
Watching the boys stack rocks at dusk on the beach while the kids played on the playground. Big Sigh. So relaxing.
This one just makes me laugh! Olympic basketball USA vs. Spain on the ipad. The boys just couldn't live without it.
Did I mention we brought A LOT of stuff?
Natalie reading to Nolan. I love how he is just splayed out on the bed! SO relaxed!
Our last night on the beach with Mom and Dad
Deren and I hanging out on the beach. He looks thrilled.....lol
Did I mention we brought a lot of stuff?
This is how I will remember this trip....peaceful
This was such a sweet family time. I will especially remember how we brought so much food! How the kids got so dirty! How we brought way too much stuff! How we took so many naps! And how we played cards by the fire and Mom cheated so blatantly and terribly all because she wanted to get the game over with and to bed! We laughed so hard that night. Good times. Very good times.
This is Natalie's first year taking ballet. She is so excited and it has been so much fun to watch her grow in her talent. At the end of the school year she performed in her very first ever ballet recital! She looked so beautiful (I may be biased) and she did such a great job! We are very impressed by how far she has come this last semester!
Last weekend we had an awesome opportunity! We received an invite to come hang out with our old friend Natalie from CCO. We jumped at the chance, not just because we hadn't seen her in quite a while, but also because it was for a great cause that is near and dear to her heart.
We entered Natalie and Micah's backyard which had been completely transformed with Natalie's sweet and delicate decorating touch. Vintage fabrics abounded and the tables were decorated with sweet tea filled mason jars adorned with striped straws, handmade fabric garland hung from above, long work tables ensconsed in quilted cloths, tiny color coordinated cupcakes teetering on dishes, and a large table inundated with chic and amazing trinkets ready for raffle. The area in itself was delightful, but the decorations were not the best part. Brightly colored fabrics and scraps of old denim jeans long forgotten by their owners littered the tables. People hovered over their sissors and pinking shears, working at cutting out tiny patterns that would soon make the long journey from this idyllic backyard, across the ocean, to be put into the hands of Africans who will sew them together and make them into shoes.
Here we were introduced to an awesome young charity, Sole Hope. Sole Hope, concerned with the health and well-being of African children who are affected by jiggers, sand fleas, and general poor health conditions, works to not only create closed toe shoes, but to provide them to those in need. The beauty of the whole operation is not just found in the provision but in the idea of teaching a trade and giving independence to those who do not have access to such opportunity...teaching people "to fish" if you will. Sole Hope employs widows and those in need to assemble and sew shoes using donated cloth uppers and recycled material soles. The shoemakers are provided with machines and tools and paid a fair wage to assemble the shoes. The feet of the children are cleaned and given medical attention and they are given closed toe shoes to protect their feet.
The breeze wafting in under the canopy, the sweet decor, cold sweet tea, chatting with friends, and the feeling of doing something worthwhile all contributed to a wonderful afternoon! Natalie and Micah's shoe cutting party was a huge success, and a lot of fun. I was grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside Katie and visit with friends that we had not seen in a while. Katelyn enjoyed the project so much that she is planning on putting a shoe-cutting party together very soon.
Katie's job was to assemble all of the pieces into a pair, ready for transport.
Natalie, being a little too young to cut patterns, instead employed her "baby whispering" skills by helping with adorable Elsie. It was so nice to see little Elsie as we have not seen her since she was a baby!
Shoe pieces and sweet tea....good combo on a hot summer day!
Meanwhile, Natalie had so many donations that she will be raffling the remainder HERE. Stop by and take a look at these gorgeous items, knowing that the proceeds are going to a great cause! Also, you can purchase Sole Hope products HERE. Be on the lookout for Katie's invite!
The girls attend a public charter school that specifically accommodates homeschoolers. Thus they attend weekly classes and activities, and are at home the rest of the week. This year our history studies focused on the Middle Ages so for our last day of school it was only appropriate to put on our own Renaissance Fair! One of the teachers was able to bring in a re-enactment group to our campus, setting up stations for our students to rotate through, learning along the way.
The first part of the day involved class demonstrations. Watching intently, students and parents cheered on some of the classes who performed the skills they had learned this semester. The Writing, Ballet, Irish Dance, and Choir classes all gave beautiful performances!
Opening Ceremonies ;)
Ballet class performance-Nat is hiding in the far right rear
Irish Dance class demonstration
Irish Dance Class
After all of the demonstrations, the students were dismissed into groups. I had the privilege of being a group leader and escorted the girls and some of their friends around to each activity. Jeff joined us; we learned so much and had a blast watching all of the kids try on chain mail, make impressions, learn how to stamp coins, fight with a sword and pell, weave with silk and flax, and create illuminations. We also visited classrooms where all of the students displayed their work from throughout the year. Following the festivities, we returned to the "banquet hall" to enjoy a Medieval Feast! The recipes, made by the moms, were from the Middle Ages so the kids could have a taste of the different flavors and foods of the times.
Last day of school meant the garden class needed to harvest all of their veggies. They made some of these huge radishes available to all of the families along with bunches and bunches of lettuce.
Roman style armor was on display for the kids.
Natalie tries a gauntlet
Katie tries on some chain mail. That is some heavy stuff!
Stamping coins
VAE VICTUS!!!!
Nat's project display from her Zoology class. The projects that the students displayed were quite impressive!
An ocean box from a student who studied "Swimming Creatures"
The Swiss Family Robinson classes created a large diorama of the island and its inhabitants.
"New Switzerland"
This project was especially impressive. It is a report on the 1960's in scrapbook form. Photos don't do it justice.
Hand made miniature Greek dolls, popular in the Middle Ages.
Mrs. Kridler demonstrating the best form for warfare
Examples of silk to be weaved
The girls were learning the fine art of Illumination and viewing examples of silver leaf.
Before we knew it the day was over and so was our school year! I can't believe how quickly it passed. This year was a big change for us as we moved from a school we had attended for several years into a new school and a new format (charter school). It was scary and I prayed that I was making the right choice for our family and my kids. It turned out to be a year of growth and learning for all of us and we have definitely found a home here.
This time of year is always bittersweet for a mom like me. While I am eager to put away our school books and kick up our heels for the summer, I am also nostalgic as I put away the phonics charts and addition flashcards. I know in my heart that I have no use for these items anymore. I look at the books we have read together over the course of a year and as I slide them away smoothly into the bookcase, the memories wash over me. I remember the time we have spent on the couch together laughing at the mistakes made by Anne of Green Gables, astonished at the antics of Catherine Called Birdy, sentimentally tearing up thinking of Little Ann and Old Dan, disgusted as yet another unlikely animal is discovered by the Swiss Family Robinson on the island of New Switzerland, giggling as we attempted to memorize together the best of Shel Silverstein at our weekly Tuesday Tea Parties, busting a gut watching our homeschool friends start a fire in the backyard to cook a Roman Meal. I marvel at all of the gains we have made and I am overwhelmed with gratitude as I know how blessed I am to be able to spend this cherished time with these two little people. We have truly created some amazing memories this year! As I pack it up and put it away, I know that summer lounging will soon be replaced by September anticipation and we will do it all over again. I can't wait!
Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival
Temecula, CA
May was a quiet month filled with rest and relaxation so now that June is here, we are ready for some more adventures! This past weekend we packed up the trailer and hastened a short distance down the freeway to the rolling hills of Temecula Wine Country where the 29th Annual Balloon and Wine Festival was being held. It started in a dirt lot and has come a long way, now finding a home at the Lake Skinner Recreation area. Camp spaces here are hard to come by. The spaces open up in March and usually sell out within the hour so we felt fortunate to not only get one, but two! My cousin and his wife, and some old friends joined in on this adventure.
We started the weekend off with some wine tasting and my favorite part of the whole weekend....the balloon glow! The balloon pilots drag out their balloons and set them up around the perimeter of the wine garden. Just after twilight they count down a burn and we watch all of the balloons glow! They also coreograph the glowing balloons to popular music. We got some great pictures as the pilots filled the envelopes with cold air, and then fired up the burners, pushing them into the sky.
The rest of the weekend was filled with shopping at various vendors, wine and beer tasting, awesome music, and hanging out with friends and family at the campground. Our friends Tony and Crystal came to share the weekend with us bringing their twins Ashlynn and Paige. We had such a great time with them. The last time we saw them was back in March in NorCal at the Carrs. Campfires, failed apple crisp, wine and bacon for breakfast, and great concerts were just a few of the memories we made. Lifehouse played the Saturday venue at the main stage and we staked out our seats early to get good spots. It was a hot weekend but full of laughs and good memories. We are already lining up our strategy for obtaining more spots next year!
Just as we wrapped up our Newport Dunes trip, the girls and I headed off for a day at the Renaissance Fair. A friend of mine set us up at the school days version which is considerably less bawdy and much more child friendly.
We lathered ourselves with sunscreen and drove out to Irwindale, apparently the new home of Ren Fair. I have not been to Ren Fair in many years, the last visit ending sadly. It was during my days as a college news reporter and I lamely showed up to report Ren Fair with a cute little sundress in 60 mph winds....need I elaborate?
Anyhow, I have emotionally recovered and for my kids' sake, decided to give the fair one more try. It turned out to be a great day! The fair is HUGE and there is no way we could have accomplished all of it in one day. However, we did our best! The kids reveled in all of the activities and actors. The characters were very convincing and we enjoyed watching them interact with each other and avoiding them when they turned on us and tried to involved us in their guises. ;)
The girls jumped at the opportunity to take a ride on the giant swing and no young girl's Renaissance Fair experience is complete until you have swathed your head in a flower wreath.
We wound our way down the winding paths, learning about weaving, gambling, illuminating, spinning, iron working, and various other Medieval guilds. We eventually wound up at the jousting tournament and we became very involved in the festivities when I was chosen as the fair maiden bestowing the knight's colors on his joust. We watched as the knights battled it out, demonstrating their talents. Well, our knight in shining armor lost the match, but obliged us a picture with Nat and her friend, Amelia.
We learned so much about Medieval culture at the Renaissance Fair and we all had a great time!
The characters were teaching the kids how to gamble ;)
Natalie signing her name for this man, for what reason, I still do not know...
Learning to weave
Putting the dads in their place!
Katie trying her hand at archery
This huge man scooped Natalie right up! Thank goodness she was okay with that!
WOW. I haven't visited here all summer. Mostly because we enjoyed a very quiet, restful summer. The last couple months of school were very hectic so when school let out, so did I. Well, when August approached, I realized how boring we had been and quickly booked us up! We started out the month with one of the best vacations we've ever had.
