Yippee Ki Yay

Grandpa has some very nice friends. First, Mr. Augustine lets our kids ride on his cool wagon in the Pleasant Valley Days parade for the past few years. He hitches up his beautiful black horses, which in itself is very cool to watch, then lets 6 kids he's not even related to scramble onto the wagon

and throw candy to the spectators. The parade lasts all of 20 minutes or so, but the entire venture takes a couple of hours. It is very nice of him to spend the time and effort to give our kids a thrill.

Secondly, Mr. Sweeney saddled up his beautiful horse, "DP" and again let our 6 kids enjoy themselves. The 4 big ones were led by halter around the yard, but Natalie hitched herself up there and rode with Ellie and Abi, and she took the reigns like a pro. (The flip-flops were not cowboy issue, but she looked good anyway.) So, thanks Grandpa for having a nice little ranch house in Young, and for having extra-nice friends.

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday . . .

If the title of this blog caused any of you to suffer the Monkee's song "Pleasant Valley Sunday" being played in your head on an endless loop, I apologize. However, that would make you feel my pain, because EVERY time I see the Pleasant Valley Inn sign in Young, the song starts playing and doesn't stop. And since the Pleasant Valley Inn is on the same street as the ranch, and I've been at the ranch for a week, well, you get the idea. It is a lovely song, but I'm sick. Of. It. Playing. In. My. Head.

It was Pleasant Valley Days this weekend in Young. There were wagon rides, and horse rides, and creek visits, and sparklers, and bungee jumping (just in our front yard involving a clothesline and bungee cords, but still) and Abi's birthday ding-dongs and lots and lots of cousin time. Fun all around, and I ended up with three exhausted kids by Sunday Night.

These are pictures from Haigler creek on Sunday Morning. Billy got to be the King of the rocks, and I bet that boy threw 150 rocks from his perch. What could be more fun than throwing rocks? It was beautiful at the creek, and a nice, cool break from the heat of the ranch.

Emi and Chloe stuck together like glue, as usual, and Ellie tried her best to keep up. I did have to keep telling Ellie not to drink the water. Um, gross.

Last Day at the Beach

These are the last beach pictures, I swear. For now, anyway. The morning we left we all headed to the beach, even Chauncey and his friend. My foolish brother decided it would be fun to race his much younger, much faster, much more in shape young nephew. It was pretty darn entertainig, and Travis is a brave man.

Emily and Chloe spent the morning dancing and jumping in the waves, and I would have paid good money to have a video camera. It was so lovely to see.

Just look at her moves . . .

Of course I had to include another gorgeous picture of Abi's beach bod- she works hard to maintain her form.

And finally, here is Chauncey. He and his friend Thomas joined us for the weekend, and spent the morning at the beach with us. Billy and Hayden were beyond thrilled to have him there, and isn't he handsome?

Goodbye, beach! hello Pleasant Valley Days!

happy 4th!

These are from the 4th. Its so much fun to actually be outside on the fourth of July and see all the flags up and the general patriotic-ness. (Yes, I totally made that up.) I would also like to point out Ellie's black eye. We THINK chloe elbowed her in the night- although we don't know for sure. It is almost gone now, almost 2 weeks later. Ellie told me that she looks like a football player. :)

Take a look at Abi's rolls- Travis calls them her Pack of Hot Dogs. How cute is that? The little frog on her swimsuit could barely hold it together. When do fat rolls go from cute to not cute, because mine are NOT cute.

Billy the Beach Boy.

Another day, more fun

Here are the kids running races behind grandma's condo. It was quite the entertainment one evening- Chariots of Fire- the Sequel. I wish I enjoyed running half as much as the kids do.

See, I told you i had lots of pictures of Squishy. And here is her sister, Emily "Ivanka" Deatsch. I swear she has the build of a supermodel. All legs and gorgeous face.

And my own sweet model- she'll have to stick to modeling Petite lines.

Play Ball!

One of our events while in Carlsbad was taking in a Padres game. Tickets were bogo, the weather was fabu, and the kids were having a blast. The Padres lost, unfortunately, and the game was delayed by a swarm of bees in left field in the 9th inning. Good thing we left at the bottom of the 8th! Perfect timing, perfect day!

First Beach Day!

Let the Carlsbad pictures begin . . .

We had the whole clan at the Beatsch house for the week of 4th of July. That's a lot of kids and adults in a condo for a week, but it was remarkably fun. We partied with neighbors, visited various amusement type places, went to a Padres game, and of course, the beach. I took a few hundred pictures, of course, but don't worry, I won't post all of them. Just the best of the best or the cutest of the cutest. I have a Abi-heavy (no pun intended) load because that girl was so darn cute all week. She has the entire family wrapped around her squishy little finger.

It was a great week, the cousins all got along well, and I even have slightly tan legs. Very slightly, but I'm thrilled nonetheless.

Chaucney is how old???

I can't tell you how many of my friends say that now. They remember Chauncey when he was 4 and 5, and I'd take him places with me and he'd charm the pants off of everyone around. He was the cutest little guy ever. Now he is 16 and not so little anymore, and my sweet nephew is just about a grown up. He still is the cutest guy ever, and very charming.

Here are a few pictures from his 16th birthday party. We had cousins and barbecue and swimming at our house, and it was fun. The only downside was that Hayden missed it. He and Papa were stuck in the Atlanta airport for 12 hours, so they didn't arrive in phx. until midnight.

Happy Birthday, Chauncey! You are loved!!!