It's Summer time!!!
This baby is arriving with the most perfect timing. I had my last day of work last Friday and Nate's 6th graders graduated on Thursday, so we've been enjoying a whole week of summer vacation before the baby. On Saturday we kicked it off with another one of Santa Barbara's glorious parades! The Solstice parade (a.k.a. "The Crazy Parade") was on the hottest day of this year, around 95 degrees. Santa Barbara doesn't really know how to cope in the heat. No one has air conditioning, so we all sort of rough it and everyone slows down to a slither when it gets this hot. Personally, I like it - it reminds me of home. All the crazies come out for solstice and the whole town really parties harder than the 4th of July. It was a good time.


Finn checking out some hot dancers. (Notice the red face. Poor kid.)


I don't even know what this is really. That's part of the beauty of this parade I guess.


Crazy man dancing in our faces.



Crazy woman dancing in our faces.


While I walked, Nate and Finn took a leisurely ride back on the skateboard.


Just a few more days!

We've been really enjoying this last week with just Finner-magoo. We went to the Natural History Museum to check out the dinosaur exhibit. Finn was impressed, mostly commenting on how he has dinosaur pajamas at home. Ah, kids.

Nate, Finn and T. Rex


He loves the hands-on stuff at the museum.


Just a cute picture of Finn and Ramona on the porch swing. It so fun to have great friends as neighbors!

My Baby Shower/Blessing

(Warning. This is a long posting.)

I have the greatest friends in the world! I do. They threw me the most eclectic, spiritual, unique baby shower I've ever been a part of. Instead of showering me with gifts (I don't need much for baby #2) they showered me with blessings, pampering, amazing food and drink, and other rituals to show their love and to welcome baby #2 into my life and theirs. Liza made the most amazing Carribean-esque spread complete with roasted apricots and goat cheese and home-made ginger beer. Here are some of the events of the shower and some photos.


I loved the simple things like washing our hands before entering the room.


Jessica gave me a sage blessing, a native Santa Barbara tradition dating back to the Chumash Indians.


We did a ceremonial washing of each others feet, as Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.


The ultimate pampering: I had a neck massage, my hair played with, my fingers and toe nails painted, and arms and legs massaged, all at the same time. Awesome.


My friends beaded a rosary for the baby (almost none of them are Catholic...so it was really special how intentional they were with it being about Me and my family) With each bead they shared either a blessing or just thoughts of love and friendship and all kinds of emotional things that women like to share with each other. Yes, there were tears.


Cynthia, Joyce, Jess, Liza and me.


Me, Beth, Jos and Leanne.


A couple of nuts.... I mean, Lindsay and Lina.


A couple of days before the shower, Josephine painted this cool original henna drawing on my belly. It's still there almost 2 weeks later, but fading.


A highlight of the weekend was visiting with Jess. She's due about 1 1/2 months after me. It's fun to be pregnant with a friend, even if they live 6 hours away.


Okay, enough about ME, here's some more of Finn and family.

Here's a random fun video of Finn reading. I just got a kick out of it and happened to have the camera nearby. Notice that all of the animals in this book "snort".




I love Santa Barbara, if not for the sun, surf, mountains, shopping and farmer's markets, then for their PARADES!! It seems there's a parade down State Street for every major holiday.....but last week it was the annual Dog Parade. While there was major demolition going on in our bathroom (see photo below) Nate and I took Finn and his buddie Thomas to see the crazy dogs and dog owners in all their canine glory.


The Greyhounds.


We ran into Finn's little buddie Reese riding with her dog, Georgia. So cute.


Finn's favorite. Dogs, bike and helmets, all things Finn likes to point out whenever possible.


Thomas' favorite. The hot dog.


My favorite I think.


Nate trying to let the boys see. A heavy load.

Here's our old bathroom. Hopefully we'll have a new one before the baby comes!

Thomas helping out with the 1st day of demolition!



The end of day 2. Yikes.

A Lovely Weekend

Trying to keep up with our weekend excursions to fun hikes in the area, last weekend we frolicked around the Monarch Butterfly Reserve and Elwood Bluffs. It was a beautiful day. Finn enjoyed "seeing" the ocean. (He's pretty scared to get close.....even to touch the wet sand sometimes.) He enjoyed throwing rocks and just playing in the sand after the walk through the Eucalyptus forest.


Finn was a trooper on the long walk.


Yes, sometimes he claims to have a baby in his tummy too.


The SB airport is nearby, so every 2 minutes a plane flies overhead. So naturally this led to playing "airplane" with daddy.


Finn finds a buddy at the fence checking out the surf at Shoreline. I bet the conversation went something like, "So, you like stripes too huh? That's cool bro."


A friendly game of croquet at Shoreline with Jared and Josephine.


35.5 weeks and counting!


Back at the homestead, a quick ride on the tree swing.