California Moments, part V

Gamble Gardens
Palo Alto

Call me crazy, but I really love it when the camera captures un-posed photos. Isabella was enjoying her "time out" way too much! A true toddler & mama moment!

I love Gamble Gardens in Palo Alto! I think I've made it perfectly clear to Brian that I really, really want a garden like this someday (okay, maybe on a smaller scale). And living in Palo Alto, I could definitely handle that!

California Moments, part IV

While visiting Jon & Angela we had the opportunity to tour Jon's workplace, NASA: Ames Research Center. Brian loved the experience of flying a Boeing 747 (simulation, of course) and he did a great handling take off and landing. Now he anticipates the cinematic moment when he can stand as the flight attendant announces over the intercom, "Our captain has become incapacitated, anyone know how to fly this plane."

Before California...Design Mom

Just a few days before I headed to California I had the fantastic opportunity to do a party for Maude Blair. Her mom, Gabrielle Blair, is the amazing woman behind the popular blog, Design Mom. Gabrielle posted a fabulous bit about the party and has a ton more photos on her flickr photo stream. View the write up here. For more information about my fun science parties go to www.ScienceExplorersNY.com.

California Moments, part III

Our lovely photo shoot on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. In the mustard flowers, of course!

L to R: Jon, Sabrina, Angela & Olivia

California Moments, part II

Morning sunshine with cousin, Olivia "Baby Leeva".

Cousin Sabrina

I LOVE farmer's markets. And the one we went to in Sunnyvale with Angela (Brian's sister) & Jon did not disappoint. All the samples of delicious produce were fantastic, I don't think I've ever tasted a pomelo until then.

"Hello, my name is Kiasa, and I'm addicted to farmer's markets."

We ate a ton of delicious strawberries.

Honey!

Corn.

Oranges...so juicy.

Angela & a delicious blood orange! Yum!

Strolling with the goods.

California Moments, part I

Visiting the duck pond at one of my favorite childhood parks in Elk Grove.

Isabella LOVED wearing Aunt Alex's shoes. Alex has got style and my little girl knows it!

We ate too much ice cream! This photo is when it all started. During our long and scary night at the hospital I promised my brave little girl that after it was all over she could have some ice cream. When she woke up from the anesthesia in the hospital the first thing she asked for was ice cream. Now when she retells the story she says, "Medicine, doctor, go sleep, wake up, HAVE SOME ICE CREAM!!! Chocolate, really cold."

Celebrating my 28th birthday, again. My nephew, Silas, helps from afar.

Riding ATVs with Aunt Alex.

Getting dirty.

Throwing rocks into Folsom Lake with cousin Gillian.

Isabella getting her hair trimmed for the first time. She didn't like the process, but loved talking about it afterward.

Playing with cousin Emma and Harold, the duck.

Watching cousins Mary & Emma in their Roadshow.

Pulling the tall grass and feeding it to the horses.

Visiting the Sacramento Zoo and seeing the animals up close.
L to R: sister Anika, niece Gillian, Mom, Isabella, and nephew Silas.

Family Photos

We got home late last night and I just finished downloading all 1800+ photos off my camera from the trip. I wish I had time to sit and go through them all, but I'll have to do it in phases. I've become almost teary-eyed going through some already, so many fabulous photos! So, for today, a few of my favorite photos from a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Sunnyvale, CA. Thanks Angelina for playing photographer.

Catch up, Califonia & Cravings

It's midnight here in CA and I'm wide awake. I fell asleep for about an hour while trying to get Isabella to bed and then woke up. I'm still hoping I'll be able to get a few more hours of sleep in before dawn...I seem to suffer from pregnancy insomnia. (NO fun!)

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted and now I don't have hardly any photos to show...because they are still in my camera (all 1200+ that I've taken in CA). A lot has happened.

Back in February we were suppose to move to a new apartment but some weird, crazy things came up with the new place and we were able to get out of the lease the day before we were to move (a lot of our apartment was already packed up). I spent the following two weeks completely cleaning out all the closets, painting some of the rooms, redecorating, etc our old/current apartment. I still need to finish up some of the decor, take photos and post all that we did. Brian's brother, Spencer, worked his magic and the apartment looks fabulous. One evening when Brian came into the apartment he commented how it finally felt like a home, "our home". And I cried!

As soon as the apartment was coming back into order I became swamped with work. And since then I have spent the last three weeks visiting my family while getting a healthy dose of sunshine and spring in northern California.

Isabella and cousin, Gillian, modeling Aunt Alex's fancy shoes.

This trip to California has been one of the craziest. I had planned to relax, work on sewing projects with my mom and drink in the sunshine while Isabella played in the tall grass with cousins. I got to do a bit of that in the beginning. (Thank goodness!)

Preparing for the operating room. The bandage keeps her from playing with the IV.

But this trip also brought some unexpected obstacles: a trip to the emergency room, which included a stressful, all night hospital stay (Isabella aspirated a piece of a cashew) and a death/funeral (my aunt, Nancy, died, at age 62, after battling cancer the last three years). I will so miss Nancy's wit, smile and gentle boldness.

After the services for my Aunt Nancy, Brian said, "I must be getting old because I really enjoyed the funeral." And it's true, the service was so sweet, wonderful, uplifting and brief. Then afterward there was a lunch for everyone (provided by the local Relief Society). We talked and laughed (and laughed and laughed) with family for a few hours. It was great. And I guess that means I'm getting old too. ;)
Now I'm craving rice crispy treats. I've been thinking about them for a week now. Ever since I saw my niece enjoy one at Pluto's in Palo Alto. Crazy!

I think it's time I have a bowl of cold cereal and drift off to sleep.