Back in action!!!!

Leave it to a Grandmother to get your butt back on track!!!  She has been checking my blog every day (I haven't posted since June) to read all about my new life here in Cali... OK, disappointing myself is one thing, but disappointing my heart-of-gold Grandmama, is another animal entirely!

Well, I asked, in my original post, to be called out if I didn't stick with this...  It's true, I fell off the proverbial wagon.

This is not to say I haven't been pursuing any of my artistic endeavors these past couple of months...  Quite the contrary, in fact!!!!

I have taken TONS of awesome photos and I have learned several new techniques, which have proven to be INCREDIBLE!!!  In fact, these photos have turned out so well that I am going to start selling them on-line and at the various local markets!!!

In other news:

Mariah spent three weeks with us!!!! We had such a blast with her!  Gpops donated a couple of tickets to the the world renown San Diego Zoo (he gets them with his membership), so I could take her.  She enjoyed it for the first thirty minutes or so, then she began to pick up her pace, until she was flying past each animal exhibit...  It suddenly occurred to me that she was OFFICIALLY a teen...  SIGH... I miss the days when everything was new and exciting!!!  Oh well, I was there myself, not too long ago (or so it feels anyway!).

We obviously spent a lot of time at the beach, as that is always a novelty to anyone visiting Cali.  I took her to a free (YES, FREE!!!) scuba lesson at our local Sport's Chalet (a sporting good store with a huge indoor diving tank).  We went to the Birch Aquarium (we both got some amazing photos--- She's quite the awesome lil photographer!). Lastly, we spent a few days camping in Cuyamaca (funny name, but beautiful place)!

It was soooooo great to get to spent all of that time with her!  She is growing up too fast!

A week after Mariah left, my Dad, little brother Ryan, and his friend John came to visit!  It was awesome hanging out with them!  We spent a lot of time at the beach and hanging out with Gpops!  Of course Ryan and John spent majority of their time being teenagers (whatever that entails), but it was great to sneak in a little time with him whenever I could.

All in all, it's been a busy, absolutely WONDERFUL couple of months!!!