Liv's New Playground

Liv and I took the stroller down to the new playground in the neighborhood. Unfortunately,  we were the only ones there this morning.

Not that that stopped us from having a great time!!

We rode the cow! Liv solo & then both of us together!

We  must have gone down the slide 2 dozen times!

Big 'Ol Grins - every time!

And counted our way up the stairs (every time). She can recite the numbers 1-10 (almost always in order - lol) . But is still working on assigning the numbers to quantities of things.

We had a great time at the park - lots of fun. And even made the hike back up the hill afterward! :)

Christmas Tree!

Liv is pretty excited about the pretty tree & lights in the living room.
(even if it is artificial)

We put the tree up a few days ago but just today we started putting on the ornaments.

And here's a cute shot (if blurry) of Liv & Daddy video-talking on Skype to Grandma & Grandpa Ruoss.

A Short Hike

It's been a while since Liv and I last got out for a hike...

This morning we got our act together & got out!!

Jeff went out for a round of golf, and he called & said the course was practically empty... so I decided we'd walk down along the cart path and meet up with him for a couple holes.

Look who else was running around the cart path! A road-runner!!

We met up with Jeff and jumped inthe cart with him & tagged along for a couple holes.

Liv likes to drive the "baby car"

Seems satisfied with the parking job.

At the bridge here is where we parted ways. Liv & I hung out on the bridge for a while; Jeff played on!!

She fell asleep about half way home.

Had to post this!

So I have been telling Olivia she can be an astronaut. Of course one of the first things you need is a helmet right???

We're Back OnLine!!!

The calvary arrives (Finally!)!

Jeff has some questions for the tech.

YAY!!!

I have a two-page list of things I need to do on-line. Luckily, we have a hyper fast connection with fiber optic run right to the house!!

We're going to try the skype-in (voip) thing first, then go to land line at the first sign of compromise. I'm fed up with any lack of connectivity! :) I'll send an email soon with totally new contact info.

anyway... for now I should be available on AIM & Skype, when I'm not playing with Liv or washing windows or something! ;)

A Few Pics of Liv’s New Home

Here are a few pictures of our new digs, taken while we’re in the process of moving in… There are still boxes everywhere, we need to invest in some rugs and window treatments, and landscaping; but you can get an idea of why our new living space is such a joy for us!

With Liv’s help, the lovely floors glow in the afternoon sun!

We take all our meals here in the “b’fast nook;” here’s Liv enjoying an afternoon snack at the table.

the view from the other side of the kitchen.

Open yet separated living area. There is a door to the patio & back yard (to be) to the left of those columns that designate the “bar” area.

and the Living Room, with gas fireplace.

As far as status of the move: for now, we are still fighting with the local telecom… what drama! We have all our appliances (soon to be installed, LOL) and are mostly unpacked. We should be getting our mail delivered pretty soon. The new construction deal seems to complicate things a bit…

Trip to the Monastery

I tried to post this from my phone while we were traveling… apparently I don’t have that set up properly yet. Sorry.

But at least this time I can include some pictures.

We had a delightful visit to The Abbey of New Clairvaux (http://www.newclairvaux.org/) with our friends, Ellen, Eric, Hayden, and Cecelia, and Ellen’s dad. Cecelia’s baptism was a small gathering and an intimate, beautiful ceremony


The kids had a splendid time running around and playing together! It was a joy for them and anyone within ear-shot (at least they assured us that this was the case!) A favorite activity was visiting the koi pond! (of course) and Father Mark even invited the kids to feed the fish a few times!! Woo-Hoo!!

Ellen’s uncle, Brother Pierre, is an amazing host. He was incredibly generous with his time, affection, and knowledge. I enjoyed his company immensely.

Brother Pierre is the chief orchardist and a fountain of energy and information regarding the 650 acres of orchards (mostly plum and walnut) and the vineyards. He brought us fresh fruits every morning (avocado, pomegranate, persimmon, grapefruit, grapes, tomatoes, and more!!) WHAT A TREAT!!! He joined us on walks around the grounds and talked to us about the pruning, harvesting, planting, irrigating, equipment, selling and anything else we could think of to ask!

They are in the process of reconstructing the medieval Spanish Ovila Chapter House (circa 1200), using the stones brought to CA by William Randolph Hearst. (http://www.sacredstones.org/) We had an opportunity to speak with the master stonemason briefly and observe him and his 2 assistants at work. (They work on this project during the summers and on the Luxor in Egypt during the winters, he joked that he split his efforts between 1200 AD & 1200 BC. Whoa.) Incredible effort and craftsmanship… it’s already an inspirational space.