Thanksgiving Day 2008!

This year, we ALL celebrated Thanksgiving with Nana and the Scharnells in Newport Beach! Good food, good fun and good family time!

It's a bird, it's a plane...

Look VERY closely... you may think this is a spot of dust on your screen, but it is actually the International Space Station with the space shuttle, Endeavour attached! We just watched it fly over the house! Really! Amazing!!

What a difference a day makes...

Today, we woke up to sunny skies and not too much smoke. Amazing considering the day before, the skies were full of smoke ~ and not too much before that we were watching flames above the city.

Tea Fire ~ November 2008

Last night at 7:30p.m. (November 13)

Looking down Cabrillo Boulevard towards Montecito this morning. View from Santa Barbara City College.

View of the Riviera.

Beach walk

A day off of work is the perfect time for a beach walk and Kelly and I took full advantage of it! The tide was extremely low, the sun shining bright and the breeze blowing just so. It was also a day of discovery... you never know what you might see on the beach!

Many thanks...

... to all who helped celebrate Dev's 20th birthday in style (of course, this includes Kelly and Derek)!!!

SCORE!!

On Saturday (November 8), Devin turned XX...two decades... twenty years... one score old!!!
You are such an inspiration to so many! We look forward to your amazing future!! Here's to you, Dev!!! WE LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

VOTE!

Tomorrow is Election Day! This evening, before dinner, Devin and Kelly, filled out (for the very first time) their respective ballots ~ quite a moment for me to watch as a mom. I did the same and although it wasn't my first time, I cannot remember a time when I was more excited, or more proud to vote ~ having the feeling that we are a part of something so BIG!
GO TO THE POLLS TOMORROW! EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT!!!