Thursday, May 31, 2012

Snapshot #578: New Beginnings


May 31, 2012.  San Jose, California.  Last week my youngest sister graduated from high school.  This week she got on an airplane and flew to San Jose.  She is now living with us with hopes to find a local job and save money for college.  I'm excited to have her here; she, on the other hand has already expressed how out of her element she feels. 

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Snapshot #577: Magic Blanket





May 30, 2012.  San Jose, California.  Our little Hazel has grown attached to a fuzzy little blanket inherited from my sister in Wales.  It is a magic blanket; it quells cries, dispels sadness, and eliminates the feeling of aloneness when being tucked into bed.  She LOVES this blanket and has a terrible time trying to sleep without it.  Unfortunately, we lost the blanket somewhere along our hike last Saturday, and by the time I retraced our steps it was nowhere to be seen.  Miraculously for us...our neighbor and friend happened to have the exact same blanket and graciously gave it to Hazel.  We are so very grateful!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Snapshot #576: Loads of Laundry


May 29, 2012.  San Jose, California.  Camping for three days is really a six day experience.  One day to do the shopping for food and supplies, one day to pack and load the car, three days for camping/hiking, and now one day to unload the car, do the laundry, and put everything away.  It's all worth it though.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Snapshot #575: Hiking with Hazel














May 28, 2012.  Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Felton, California.  Here are all the photos I took of Hazel during our Saturday hike at Henry Cowell.  I think she loves the great outdoors. 

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Exploring California: Snapshot #574: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

May 26, 2012.  Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Felton, California.  We met up with some friends and went camping at Henry Cowell this weekend.  I appreciated the accessibility of decent hiking trails starting from the campground, so we never had to leave and yet we still 'got out.'  The campground is a 45-minute to 60-minute drive from San Jose.  Reservations can be made up to six months in advance through reserveamerica.com.  



The following are photos from our hike, starting with The Powder Mill Fire Road which was extremely close to the campsite and (in my opinion) the most scenic of the trails; the above photo says it all.



We then took the steep Buckekye Trail down to the San Lorenzo River.  In the Fall I would like to return and hike the Four Crossings trail which actually has you wading through the river four times for a more scenic experience (not that we were lacking).






We retraced our steps back up the Buckeye Trail and then continued along Pipeline Road to the scenic overlook with a glimpse of Santa Cruz in the distance.





We turned off Pipeline Road to hike Ridge Fire Road which is one of the most unusual trails I've ever encountered; the higher we got the more powdery and sandy the trail, as if we were hiking along a sandy beach...so strange!  Theories claim that the land was once ocean floor.







At the peak of Ridge Fire Road there was beautiful wildflowers and an observation deck.





Finally, we returned to our campsite along Pine Trail.  In all, it was a great walk--the most difficult terrain being Buckeye Trail and it's steep descent to the river.  We accomplished the feat with a baby on our back who slept most the way. 

Friday, May 25, 2012

Snapshot #573: Campsite




May 25, 2012.  Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Felton, California.  It's our first Memorial Day Weekend with Hazel and also her first camping adventure.  So far...it's beautiful, but COLD!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Snapshot #572: Going Camping


May 24, 2012.  San Jose, California.  The whole of today has been spent preparing for the upcoming weekend's camping adventure.  I have raided our emergency suitcases for supplies.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Snapshot #571: Seed Starter Progress Report




May 23, 2012.  San Jose, California.  Displaying photos of the seed starter from Day One, Day Seven, and Day 21.  The Mesclun Salad Mix is thriving.  I also have seedlings for Basil, Cucumber, Onions, Bell Peppers, and Tomatoes.  So far no sign of the Cilantro or Zucchini.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Snapshot #570: Little Miss Social


May 22, 2012.  San Jose, California.  Hazel has turned into a social butterfly.  She loves people!  She loves getting their attention, flirting with them, smiling at them, making noises at them, giggling at them...anything to get them to interact with her.  She's a marvelous wonder.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Snapshot #569: Teething


May 21, 2012.  San Jose, California.  Hazel is teething again.  Her top two teeth are just barely showing through the gums.  She is still an incredibly happy baby...but she's found it more difficult to fall asleep.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Snapshot #568: Solar Eclipse 2012


May 20, 2012.  San Jose, California.  We watched the solar eclipse today with some friends.  This picture is to prove that Hazel was there. (Do you see the crescent sun on her forehead?)

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Snapshot #567: Happy Birthday Dave


May 15, 2012.  Mountain View, California.  I insisted that Dave take the day off work so that we could celebrate his birthday together.  We had a fun-filled day at The Tech Museum in San Jose then a savory dinner at Vive Sol in Mountain View.  

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Snapshot #566: Gift of Motherhood


May 13, 2012.  San Jose, California.  The first time I held our little Hazel was one of the most precious moments of my life.  I am profoundly grateful for the gift of motherhood.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Snapshot #565: Pier 39

 

May 12, 2012.  San Francisco, California.  Dave, Hazel, and I spent the day in San Francisco with my brother--reminiscing the good old days when that beautiful, foggy city was our home turf.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Snapshot #564: Visitor from Japan


May 11, 2012.  San Jose, California.  My brother, currently stationed with the Navy on the USS George Washington in Japan, has flown to the Lemoore Naval Air Station for training; only three hours from San Jose.  Lucky for us, we get to spend this weekend with him.  

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Snapshot #563: Custom Headboard Design


May 9, 2012.  San Jose, California.  Long ago I promised to post photos of my "homemade headboard" and then I never did.  So...here you go.  Custom Headboard designed by Keri Wood, built in 2009 by Keri, Dave, Keri's brother and Keri's dad.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Snapshot #562: Biking to Work


May 7, 2012.  San Jose, California.  A photo of Dave heading to work this morning.  He has started to bike to work several times a week.  Go Dave!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Snapshot #561: Hazel's 9 Month Photo Shoot






May 5, 2012.  San Jose, California.  Hazel is 9 Months.  She brings great happiness into our lives.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Snapshot #560: Before & After



May 4, 2012.  Sunnyvale, California.  My latest service project (for a friend).  It took 2-1/2 gallons of yellow paint, 3 coats of painting (over a pale blue), and 28 hours of labor.  The end result is quite lovely.  And sweet little Hazel needs a shout out...she was an angel!  She happily played with toys and crawled behind me circling the room over and over again.        

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