Google Picnic!

Google put on a ginormous circus summer picnic. We all headed across the street to Shoreline Amphitheatre to engage in free fun games and grab free food and enjoy free entertainment. The keyword here is FREE!!!!!!! Chase still couldn't believe that everything was free. "I can have another brownie for free? Really?", exclaimed Chase several times.



There was a reptile petting zoo.








I like how this snake is pick-pocketing his owner. NICE!!!!!









Then we headed over to the tattoo area and got airbrush tattoos. My stars came off that night because I slept with my hands on my chest. AARGH! Jared still has his sexy lizard and Krista is sportin' the turtle as we speak.













Circus time.


Somtimes I wake up in the middle of the night to see Jared practicing his hand stands.







If Chase is ever bad we're going to ship him off to the circus.






Krista became an expert and in stilt walking.




Here she is coaching Jared on his technique.

Special Guests from SC !

Jared's younger brother and sister Krista and Chase came to visit this week. Thursday Jared took a half day at work and we headed up to S.F. First we set off for the Exploratorium. It's a fun place with lots of hands on science projects.


















Jared, Krista and Chase created a tornado buy running around in circles.














Jared and I found a chair big enough for two:)




We went in the Alice in Wonderland fun house.









Chase grew a lot on this trip. His family will be very surprised.








Jared got this cool hat where he can listen to everyone, everywhere.









This is a wall of bacteria.








After we walked across part of the bridge.

Jelly Mania!

In honor of Pioneer Day our good friend Emily decided to celebrate our Mormon culture with...JELLO!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of it.


Here is Emily's deep blue sea Jello trifle.


Rebecca outdid herself (again) and made a Jello temple...


...along with pioneer traveling to visit the green temple.


Casey and Amanda the darling newlyweds (their marriage just over a week new) also came along.



Jared and I won a package of pancake mix for the tastiest Jello creation. I made Dad's Birthday Jello. My mother used to make it for my Dad on his birthday every year:)

Dad's Birthday Jello
1 #2 can crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cup pineapple juice and water
1 package lemon jello
~ 1 Cup of grated carrots
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream

Drain pineapple. Add enough water to juice to make 1 1/2 cups. Heat to boil. Add 1 package lemon jello. Stir until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, lemon juice. Chill till thickened. Add pineapple and grated carrot and whipped cream. (You whip the cream and then gently fold it into the chilled but not too set jello mixture). Fold pineapple and the whipped cream into the gelatin. Pour into 8-inch mold or dish.

It's official!!!!!!!!

We're moving to Switzerland!!!!!!!


September 30th!!!!!!!


Zurich to be exact!!!!!!


And we will go see the Matterhorn!!!!!

Triathlon fun

On Saturday Jared and I did a sprint (1/2 mile swim, 11 mile bike, 3.2 mile run) Triathlon in Pleasanton to prepare for our Olympic one that we're doing in September. Here's Jared the night before fixing his chain and adding triathlon bars to his bike for faster results. Well, it must have helped because he came in 3rd place out of 1,000 people, (even after having to stop and fix his chain in the middle of the ride.) The previous time we did it in 2004 he came in 8th place. I beat my target time by 8 mins. so I was pretty happy about that.



We were happy to be done and to have already burned ~1,000 calories by 9am Saturday morning.

Who's leg is who's?

Jared's salad

Jared is such a great help when I'm making dinner. Here's a delicious salad he made. He cut up everything perfectly (and I'm pretty particular about the shape of things in a salad.) He preserved all of the strawberry without the stem. What a pro.

Recipe:
Strawberries
Peaches
Basil
Fresh Mozzarella
sprinkle of Kosher Salt
few dashes of balsamic vinegar



And he did this all with time left to learn how to juggle before dinner was ready.

Bouncy Balls

Only my friend Pam would remember my obsession with bouncy balls while growing up and gave me a rockin' wedding gift that was a bag of bouncy balls. I shared a couple of them with my nephews but I was strangely greedy with them. I actually did my senior HS science project on bouncy balls. "The effect that temperature has on the bounce of a rubber bouncy ball." I did it all the night before and one 1st place and was sent off to S.F. science fair where I won 4th place.

Anyhow, Pam just forwarded me this sweet video. I wish I were there when it was shot. It is giving me some ideas. Jared's younger brother and sister are coming to visit next week. We are planning a trip to S.F......I do have a lot of bouncy balls on hand now thanks to Pam....combine that with a big hill...total JOY! Tune in next week.

Half Dome

A week ago Jared and I climbed Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. I had already done it 5 times before and vowed never to do it again. Jared had never climbed it so I happily but a bit hestitantly agreed to climb it again, (because I knew what was ahead.) We drove up Friday evening and hit the trail about 1am. (A more detailed play by play is posted on Jared's blog.) This was to beat the heat and crowds. We also wanted to see...


a beautiful sunrise...


...after we had to climb up these cables...

...Jared and I were happy to be on top...(in a record 4 hours ~ 9 miles and 5,000 ft. elevation gain)...


...we stood out on a ledge overlooking Yosemite valley...


...on the way down Jared as usual hopped upon the giant boulders in a roaring river...


...then we gazed down a beautiful waterfall...


...and above to another one...


...on the way up I took a fun snapshot of the full moon...


..."Look at that weird growth coming out of that tree." exclaimed Jared on our hike down...



...the only wound I received from clumsily tripping while walking on the granite rocks:)