s.u.p.

I did it! After eyeing people all summer cruising in and out of the harbor, and wanting to try it, it was finally my turn to stand up paddle board.

I love indian summers. I love the fact that it is sunny and warm even in October. When you expect cold and dreary and you get bright and warm... I don't know... just something about it.

My adventurous friend Mayra and I met up early Saturday morning, hit up Verve Coffee Roasters and then headed for the harbor.  Even though we were the last in the class to arrive, I raised my hand to go first.  I had been looking forward to this.

Well it was 'easy peasy lemon squeezy' as my son Levi likes to say.  Standing up and balancing came pretty natural.  My arms were tired after two hours of paddling, but I would expect that our first time.

Left to my own devices, I think I would have liked to sit down on the board and dangle my feet in the water.  We didn't really get wet at all.  Sometimes cold droplets would splash onto my toes as I rowed, and it felt good.  I tried once to sit ... Mayra joined ... but the teacher saw us and told us we were regressing, haha.  So back up on our feet it was.  One of the men in our class fell when we neared the opening of the harbor by the lighthouse.  A swell came and he lost his footing.  I was secretly, slightly jealous.  It looked so refreshing.  My pride is too great to fake fall though, even if it would have been nice to take a dip.  Plus I imagine the harbor water is not very clean.

Mayra and I shared lots of giggles and bantering.  She's great.  I think we both would like to do it again.
Not too much else is as relaxing to me as is the water.  It was a great way to end such an anxious, hard week. Good time with a good friend.

to those who stay put, 

the world is but an imaginary place. 

but to the movers, the makers,

and the shakers, 

the world is all around them, 

an endless invitation.

the mumlers

about a week and a half ago i finally got to see the mumlers play a show.  i like this band a ton and think you should too.

 get busy and shake your medication...

Easter

Had such a nice Easter with Seth, the boys, my mom & dad, grandpa & grandma and friend Julie.  Low key and chill, but still fun.  Oh how I love Easter.

Rebecca and Kyle's Wedding

Two weeks ago was such a great day!  The day my little sister became Mrs. Craw.  Their wedding was cute and super fun.  It was country themed and all of the guests were told to wear "country casual" attire.  People went all out dressing up from cowboy hats, to tight jeans to big belt buckles. 

It was at a mini western town called Long Branch Farms in Half Moon Bay.  We had the whole town to ourselves for the day, including the saloon where The Quick and the Dead was filmed.  

The church building was adorable.  My favorite part was that the whole front wall could open up on hinges.  It reminded me of a doll house.

I was so happy to be the maid of honor and have a front row seat to watching them exchange their vows.  I know my sister had been waiting for this day for a long time, and it was a blessing to watch it unfold before my eyes.  Their personalities are perfect for one another and compliment each other nicely.  I pray that their marriage will be totally blessed by God for years and years to come.

Rebecca was beautiful, as always.

Here is some of us girls getting ourselves ready before the wedding.  The very cool thing about the bridesmaids that Rebecca chose is that I happen to be good friends with them too.  We had so much fun together, and they are some of my favorite people.  I totally love them which made for a very fun weekend.

Here is a photo of the whole wedding party.  Levi was the ring bearer.  He got to wear his bright red cowboy boots.  He did a good job walking down the aisle and standing up front.  Throughout the ceremony he kept winking at the flower girl, his friend Mia.  She kept getting shy.  So. CUTE.

At the reception there was lots to do, including archery . . .

And dressing up in pioneer clothes . . .

and dancing.

We had to do the electric slide . . . at least once.

Rebecca decided that it would be a good idea to shove the wedding cake in her brand new groom's face.

But don't worry.  He got her back.

Congratulations Rebecca and Kyle!  I love you guys!

Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.  
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?  
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

*** All of these wedding photos were taken by our friends at Aptos Photography ***

Just Shoes

Check out these cute shoes I scored at Crossroads.  They are Steve Madden.  I got to go shopping with my mom today which was nice.  We haven't done that much (as me being an adult anyway).

But as excited as I am to find deals and such . . . . shoes are not what I feel like blogging about.  Nope, it's not.  What I really want to write about is my sister's wedding.  Her wedding was so wonderful, so fun and such a special day.  Or I could write about her masquerade bachelorette party, or how much fun I had swimming with her and her bridesmaids after rehearsal, or visiting San Francisco with relatives Monday, or hanging out with friends on the beach this week and jumping off of the jetty.

You get the point.

But it is late.  Five minutes after midnight actually.  This is the first chance during this amazing whirlwind of a week that I have had to sit down for a decent stretch of time.

So for now I'll just blog about shoes.

Hopefully, someday soon I'll be able to sit and reflect on all the phenomenal and pure carefree fun I have been blessed to have.  Now is bedtime though!  Nighty - night!

Toy Story

Pizza, candy, soda, popcorn and Toy Story 3!

How we roll

Roller Skating.  Yes!!

Hunt Photos

What we've been up to...

I'm way behind on keeping this blog up-to-date.  I've been a busy lady, in a good way.

Levi is still in swimming lessons twice a week, while I'm still in my workout/maintenance program twice a week.  Levi and I have been jogging on the beach quite a bit lately also.  He doesn't view it as jogging, we are playing tag, but it's the best way to get him to run!

On Sunday afternoons for the last couple of months while Seth is doing worship practice I have been going to my friend Chris' house with other girlfriends from church and we have been watching a different Jane Austen flick every time.  Let me tell you, Chris lays out the most marvelous spread of yummy tea party treats!  We have tea sandwiches, wraps, chocolate, cheesecake, cookies, fruit, etc.  not to mention tea.  We kinda end up talking through most of the movies, but I love it and totally cherish the girlie time.  Chris' awesome son Matt plays with Levi (and all the other little kids) outside.  It is a really nice break.  We haven't watched my favourite movie of all time yet, Sense and Sensibility (the one with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet) but it is so fun to watch new ones I have never seen before.  Time before last was Jane Austen Regrets and I just loved it!

We also were busy preparing for Easter weekend.  Our church had a giant Easter Egg hunt (as you can see from the post below) at a park for the community.  We stuffed over 5,000 eggs!  The event turned out awesome.  It was so packed!  There was face painting, candy, prizes, refreshments, balloons, and coloring/crafts.  There was even Starbucks, and our friend Imelda walking around in a bunny costume posing for pictures.  I got to be one of the photographers and help stuff eggs.  Have I ever mentioned that I love assembly lines?  Because I do.

Seth and I were also in a short eight minute skit that we performed Easter morning at our church.  It was a dramatization to music of how Jesus has redeemed us.  That afternoon we had lunch at my house as we do every year.  Our friend Jack came and joined us.  I adore celebrating Easter at my house every year.  It has become one of my very favourite days.  We are the only ones with a big backyard, and I get to be the one who hides the eggs.  This year it was so rainy that we took a rain check (ha) and we are gonna do the hunt next week.

That evening Levi and I left for vacation -- sadly leaving poor Seth behind.  He wasn't able to get the time off of work that he requested.  My sister's roomate's family has a cabin right on the water in Clearlake.  They let us stay there for free, which is super nice of them.  It ended up being my dad, mom, sister, my sister's boyfriend, Levi and I.  We basically just hung around, went on walks, the guys fished, and everyone napped everyday except my mom, me and Levi.  It was kinda a forced relaxation type of vacation.
I realized on this trip I am sooooo "citified" and get bored way too easy.  "What do people do out here for fun?"  I kept asking myself that.  I still don't know.  Beats me.
The lake was so gorgeous, and the highlight was taking out the canoe and rowing around.  We paddled to an island with a mysterious, really neat house on it.  We could tell that people rarely used it so we got to walk around and explore.  It had a hot tub, a hammock and it was decorated all asian style.  I wanted to buy it right then and there.  We could tell it had been someone's sanctuary at one time, even though no one had been there in a while.  Our imaginations ran wild of what we would do to fix the place up.  With just a little work it would be one of the most amazing houses ever.
Our last night at Clearlake we made an hour long trek into a town with the nearest theatre.  That is so different than what I am used to, all I have to do is step out my door at home and I am in middle of the city, surrounded by crazy, homeless people and all.  To drive that long to find a small movie theatre was a trip.  Over all we had a good time.  Nice to be gone, and nice to come back home, haha.

Today Levi woke with a bad cold.  He sounds congested and has a horrible cough.  If you think of it, please pray that I don't catch it.  I am really worried about that.  I am hiding away in the bedroom right now, but that can't last for long...

Anyway, that's a little bit of what we have been up to.

HUNT

If you live near by -- come join us on Saturday! We have stuffed 5,000 eggs full of yummy candy. There will be refreshments also, and it is free.

Date: Saturday, April 3, 2010

Time: 1:00

Location: Cuesta Park

Street: 615 Cuesta Drive

City/Town: Mountain View, CA

Going Stealth

In the past some of my close friends have told me they always knew when I was in a crowded room because of my one-and-only-distinctly-Leah cough. I was always hacking. Whether I was aware of it or not, it just came along with the territory of being me.

Coughing didn't really bother me too much, after all, I was born with a cough and coughed my whole life. I was pretty used to it. What bothered me more was how yucky it sounded and how everyone always thought I had a cold... or worse.

This past week Levi and I met up with our friends the Riggans to have a play date at the park. Levi wanted me to play hide and seek with him, and energetic person I am these days I was happy to. I ran across the playground to find a good tree to hide behind. I crouched there waiting for the two little boys to find me. They were taking forever because they are both too young to be good at the hiding part or the finding part. As I sat there I had a realization that I didn't need to cough! My whole life coughing didn't usually bother me except for the times where I was trying to hide or be sneaky. In a game like hide and seek where you run and then hide, I would get so out of breath only then to spend my whole time hiding trying to suppress my cough so as not to be found out.

This time was different.

I no longer cough! At all!

I'm happy about my new ability of being able to be sneaky. This might just come in handy...

Swimming Lessons!

Loving the Light!

I'm just loving the time change!  This morning I made dinner in the crock pot, set it to slow cook, and played all day!  Levi and I hung out down at the beach.  The weather was just gorgeous.  We went on a long walk and found some tide pools with sea anemones.  We always touch them to watch them shrivel up as they suck our fingers.  I jogged a bit and it felt wonderful!  We raced so many times.  Levi wanted to climb on the jetty so we did that too.

Later after dinner the three of us went on a bike ride until after sunset.  As we passed through the different neighbourhoods it smelled as if everyone was BBQing.  I think summer is on it's way!  It is days like today when I just love living in Santa Cruz.

On the Lake

Look what I found!
This is a very old photograph of Levi, but I just love it.  I took this several years ago with my Holga.
We went kayaking and packed snacks and picnicked out in middle of the water.  It was a beautiful way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon.
I can't wait to do it again!

Pop and Nana

My grandparents were here in town visiting for this whole week.  We had a nice little time.  Levi and my grandpa (his great-grandpa) spent hours playing together.  Very special times.  They were drawing together  with chalk on the sidewalk and playing Legos for hours on end.

One of the days we attempted a walk to the park but got caught out in the rain and had to return home.  Have I mentioned that I'm looking forward to warmer weather yet?

It has been one of those "normal life" kinda weeks.  Busy week, and a very busy weekend ahead.  I'm thankful for the energy to keep up.

Anyway, I just wanted to post something quick -- instead of nothing at all.

Our Trip - Day Three

Day 3

Our third and last day in Yosemite it was snowing the hardest.  It was just dumping.  We had another day of playing hard.  It was cold and wet, but all of the fresh snow was nice and powdery for great snowball fights.

Crane Flats is where we spent the day. We, like all of the other days, had the whole place to ourselves.

We made our own sled run, and went down in saucers.

We dug a tunnel and we all three crawled through it, (but not at the same time)

Levi built a hideout fort... 

Gas station.