Where is the love?

Taking a break from playing at the park in sunny San Diego, mom 
decides to get creative with the wood chips that cover the ground. 
There is no shortage of love in this sweet family. 

--- Chelsea B

Goodbye my lover. Goodbye my friend. You have been the one. You have been the one for me.

And there it goes... goodbye summer! Goodbye freedom! I got 2 very much needed weeks off school for summer. The Mister had 4. He needed them more and man, oh man am I sad to see them go. The two main things we did to celebrate summer included spending a week up in Southern Oregon visiting family and gallivanting, and going to see Lost Boys in Santa Cruz (where the above picture was taken.) Other than that we lazed around in our underwear, bbq'd, watched a lot of tv and ate a lot of popcorn. I'm sad to see it go... How long is it until Christmas?

Help me prolong my summer by sharing yours. What are your plans?

Send your gypsy feet pics to wandering_shoes@live.com

Santa Cruz, you're not that far...

Yesterday we had a great day in Santa Cruz even though the weather was drizzly and gloomy - felt like home to me. I can't wait to go back to the Santa Cruz boardwalk in the summertime. I'm sad it'll be without my big brother and his girlfriend but going with the husband will be fine ;)

After our gallivanting in Santa Cruz we had pizza for dinner then went to the cinema to see Sherlock Holmes. The perfect end to a fun day.

I don't think you're ready for this jelly:

I really like to do fun things. Sometimes I want to do something that sounds like fun to me because I can see the potential in it but it sounds completely daft to someone else. I think this was one of those things.

Stuart only has one day where he gets home before 4.30pm through the week. That is the day I'd like to try have our adventures on. So this week I researched and chose wisely my adventure. The Jelly Belly Factory.

How could that not be fun? I think Stuart took me just to get me off his back, which I appreciate because I don't necessarily enjoy whining, not at this age. I do however enjoy sweeties and I know for a fact that he enjoys Jelly Bellies - specifically the Pomegranate ones - be careful not to get them mixed up with Cinnamon because I did that this morning and had to give myself CPR.

Now we know all about how Jelly Bellies came into existence and I am more than happy to share that knowledge with you but I won't spoil the tour for you so let me just say, Jelly Bellies are from heaven. They were completely inspired by angels. They are beautiful little beans of glory and you should go visit the factory. You won't be sorry. Amen.

They give you free candy on a FREE tour!!!

Have you "bean"?
Was it like being in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory?

This is home now.

Unpacked - mostly.
Making friends - I'm trying.
Husband happy and in school - completely.
Back in housewife mode - Yeppers.
Excited for life - 100%

An Experiment in Awesome:

Jasmine of An Experiment in Poverty is one of my favourite bloggers. I think she's great and I'm so excited that she's joining in the Gypsying! Thanks Jasmine! -Laura

summers in southern california start late. it's our penance for having brilliant weather for the rest of the year.

some might say that the beginning of summer is the fourth of july, but i don't think summer starts until the orange county fair begins.

every year, i go right before the sun sets.

every year, i eat way too much greasy food (have YOU ever tried australian battered potatoes with nacho cheese and ranch?? 'cause they're delicious.).

every year, i spend way too much money on sketchy rides that were delivered to the fairgrounds in boxes.

every year, i laugh at the poor fools who have willingly submitted themselves to the power of the hypnotist.

and every year, i have the most amazing time.

there's something for everyone at the fair. it gives everyone the chance to remember what it feels like to be a child. and isn't that what summer's all about? trying to capture the essence of childhood summers long gone, but never forgotten.

"Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?..."

"My husband and I had fun on a Ferris wheel in the Newport Beach area on our 8^th year anniversary last August."
-Laura S

Great Expectations.

"I spent 4 days in LA with my sister and a girlfriend visiting our other girlfriend. We found LA dreary and dismal, I mean the Hollywood Blvd we all see on tv is only 3 blocks long! Our highlight was Disneyland. But on our last morning, before our plane left, my local friend took us to Santa Monica Pier. It was gray out and smelly. And no one was around. But I did get some great photographs. And this one is my favorite. It sums up the highlights of the entire trip and our expectations for what we had hoped it would be. It’s my sister on the left and my LA friend on the right."

"I hate my feet… they are known as Damon Feet. A throwback to the Flintstone era inherited from our father’s family, our feet are wide and thick, and we all have them- brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles. So imagine my surprise when my beautiful baby boy is born and he has long thin feet with long toes! I love this picture with our wedding rings. He is only a week old, and still soft and squishy."

-Erin

Joy's joy:

"This is babies first time feeling the sand between his toes at Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles California taken in February of 2009."

-Joy and Ki

If you're going to San Francisco

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

Cali-Feet-A

Like california but not.



The Happiest Place On Earth.



One Plus One Make Two.



Lego Giraffeeeee and Meeeee.



Wet feet of My Two means no shoes for him and then new shoes for him.



Pacific Ocean Wet Feet – burried in the sand tainted water.



Pacific Ocean Dry Feet

Fantasy world and Disney girls, I'm coming back:

"This is a picture of us at Disneyland. It was the first time in our married life, since we started our family, that we have gone anywhere alone. I have always had a hard time leaving the kids. I think it meant a lot to [my husband] to have me choose him this time. He is my best friend and although he doesn't think much of himself he makes me happy and loves his children. I thought the 50 year anniversary was appropriate since he'll turn 50 this year."

-Beth

Hero feet:

Long days.
Short nights.
Sharing a love with a family member.

Perfect.

Looking forward...