Bike Adventures

It's so great that Levi is getting so good on his bike--bike riding is something we all enjoy and can do together. It's going to be a fun year as he keeps getting older and better! 

This was Levi's first off-road adventure, our favorite trail at Lake Hodges. We carried his bike up and down the steep parts for him, but I was really impressed with not only his riding skills, but also his ability to run up and down all of those parts without tiring out! He did a great job. And Parker always kills it on the trails :)

I couldn't get everyone to stay still long enough to get a good photo to commemorate the occasion, so I had to settle for a still-life instead.

I took Levi to Mission Bay on Tuesday morning, and we did a short loop together. I wish that this was closer to home, it's the perfect place to ride with kids (or alone, for that matter)--nice and safe, no cars to worry about, plenty of places to stop and play or rest along the way. 

He brought his new stuffed fish along for the ride! He waited at least a week for this fish to come in the mail, and the people sent us the wrong one :( We ended up keeping it, though, and Levi has warmed up to him.

We found this trail along the lagoon in Del Mar last weekend--it's fun because it's dirt, but there aren't really any parts that are too hard for Levi. I took him back there today for a ride, but it was 84 degrees out with no shade and super windy--we didn't last long.

Monster Jam!

Thank you to Dee and Niki for a fun-filled Monster Jam weekend in San Diego! We got to enjoy a little mini-staycation with the family at the Marriott on the Bay, swimming in the pool and enjoying great food and wine. And in the middle of it all was the main event--the Monster Jam show at Petco Park! We went to the Pit Party on Saturday afternoon before the main show, where we got to check out some of the trucks up close and Levi got to have his picture taken with the driver of Metal Mulisha--the 2014 Freestyle Champion! The hotel was within walking distance of the stadium, so we could easily go back and forth from the rooms to the show. The weather was beautiful on Sunday and we enjoyed a last afternoon lounging by the pool and playing in the water. It really felt like a vacation! 

The view from our balcony

Enjoying stories and a fine New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

Nate is up there waving from his 16th floor balcony

Another angle of our view towards downtown

Walking along the Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade to the show

Getting a peek at the Pit Party from the line outside

Levi with the driver of Metal Mulisha--he signed his shirt!

Checking out El Toro Loco

Cousins with Captain's Curse

Grandpa Niki and Levi with Captain's Curse

Mohawk Warrior used to be one of Levi's favorites

A view of the Pit Party

The main event in Petco Park

The sun setting behind Point Loma--view from our balcony

San Diego

We spent a couple of nights in Point Loma enjoying the warm fireplace in the guest house :) We lucked out with two sunny, fairly warm days to spend on the beach in Mission Bay with Nate and Alex and our little fleet of Sabots! We all got to take turns sailing--even the three boys went for a spin! (while Jared sailed alongside). It was warm enough that the kids played in the sand and water for hours, until the sun finally began to go down and they were suddenly freezing! 

Post-Presents Playtime

Merry Christmas!

It was really fun having Uncle Nate spend Christmas morning with us!

We made a trip to Jared's favorite lumber shop and he picked up some pretty hardwoods to use for some woodworking projects. He made this picture frame this week with Peruvian Walnut and Padouk. 

Christmas Eve

We watched a beautiful sunset from the cliffs in Carlsbad before heading out for Mexican food and then home to watch Charlie Brown's Christmas. Levi sprinkled reindeer food on the lawn (oats with glitter) before staying up until 10:45, too excited and delirious to fall asleep! 

Double Trouble

Well, we've finally added a second Sabot to our growing flotilla of boats! Jared has spent the last couple of days fixing some holes/damage to make sure that the hull is watertight, and it was ready to launch today. We'd like to eventually repaint the hull and it definitely needs a different sail, but it seems like it will sail fine and be fun! We're really looking forward to having some races and being able to share both boats with family and friends.