Last Hurrah at Malibu Beach

The view at Malibu beach

L-O-V-I-N' the Choo-Choo at the park

Uncle Jeff is just the best at this!!!

At the beginning of the ride (note happy trailer girl!)

"I Love the BEACH!"

Our second-to-the-last day in LA consisted of going to the Griffith Park and Observatory (all of us for the first time even though some of us have lived there for 22 years!) That was awesome and a great deal. Choo-choo rides for dollars, pony rides, playground, free parking and just down the hill from Uncle's house. Marie had a blast and did a lot of things out of her comfort zone, like riding a pony.

Last day was the true Southern Cali experience. We got bikes and rode them from Venice Beach up to Malibu. Marie sat in a little trailer Jim pulled behind his bike with a $4 bag of kettle corn; she was digging it. The view is just amazing and as we rode I kept trying to think of where in the world is there a comparable experience? We have a bike path along the bay here but it takes 10 minutes, not over an hour! I don't think there is a similar path anywhere...it was so amazing. (Okay, second time I said that.) Once we stopped and were down at the water's edge I laughed because I immediately got my "nature eyes." I could feel the eye strain as I started scanning the ocean for spouting and jumping, looking for dolphins and whales. And I did indeed see a pod of dolphins leaping as we biked back!!! Jim reports that on the return trip, he kept hearing Marie report from her little trailer, "Almost done!" He wondered what she was "almost done" with! Sure enough, once we unzipped it we discovered that the kettle corn bag had become a pillow, she had completely unpacked the backpack and, best of all, had liberated all the wipes in the little travel pack of wipes I carry and decorated her trailer with them. The day ended as we scarfed down dinner at a Cuban restaurant afterwards (cause there are SOOO many of those here in Northern Michigan!) Sadly, the next day it was back in the airplane to come home. And next week, teachers report on Tuesday. This may mean that summer is over : (

"Gotta Go to the Getty"

The Getty Villa

At the Griffith Observatory

(Okay, Marie's not in this picture but I love it of my big bro and me)

Jim as some sort of Roman soldier...living the dream

Marie touring the halls of the Getty with Daddy and Uncle

Decorating a vase in the kids room

After hearing, for years, that we had to go to the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, Jim and I finally made it. The Getty Villa is a recreated Roman villa tucked in the hills overlooking Malibu. It houses a part of JP Getty's antiquities collection. It's 100 percent Jim's dream to stroll through the Villa and pretend it's all his...alas, he had a toddler with him so the strolling was brief.

Marie has been learning body parts (this is going no place good). She has been intrigued with some found only on her father, if you get my drift. Well, the Romans were not big believers in keeping it covered. You've seen a Roman statue? It's all out there. Like most museums, there is a hushed atmosphere in the galleries, so little voices can ring out and fill the room with their pronouncements. For example, Marie noted loudly that many statues did not have noses or that they have big eyes. However, the guards and patrons truly loved it when we walked into a room, came face-to-face with one large statue and she proclaimeed at the top of her voice, "That's a penis!"

I am so proud...

Arrival in LA, CA

The Diva in her hired Lincoln ride from the airport to Uncle Jeff's

Checking out Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame

"I could get used to this hot tub thing..."

Some chocolate milk for Marie and Green Tea for Uncle Jeff at their first breakfast

Home from Hollywood land...a great, too-quick trip to Uncle Jeff's town. Too whipped to tell it all now but you can see that Diva Marie had a fabulous time! She loved the plane; those seats aren't too small when you are 26 pounds and your feet don't reach the seat in front of you. We are all tired, sugared out and jet lagged as we got up at 5:30 LA time and got home about 7pm EST. Took Marie down to the lake for some strategic swimming/running in the water and she conked out immediately. Now it's my turn!

I Need a Nap

The view from the top of the Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore

Does that water look a little too yellow-y to you?

Jim getting an arm workout by entertaining an 11 yr old, 3 yr old and Marie.

Watching a hot air balloon

Marie combines her favorite activities of singing and eating.

Get it when you can.

We were treated to a nice visit from some of Marie's cousins. The boys live downstate, about a 4 hour drive away so this was their first visit up this summer. We did almost everything you are supposed to when you go "Up North" in Michigan - swam in the lake, boated, saw a bald eagle, got ice cream at Moomers (voted The Best Ice Cream Shop in the USA by Good Morning America), went to see the animals at the 4-H fair, caught toads, played at the park, went to a drive-in movie, climbed the sand dunes and ended with a trip to some big waves at Lake Michigan. The only thing we forgot to do was S'mores. (I do not think the sugar was missed though.)

The kids had an amazing time playing together. The boys taught Marie how to rough-house and she taught them some things too. After loading the screaming 3-yr old in the car because he didn't want to leave, they are off. We have a short va-cay at Uncle Jeff's this week and then one more bout of cousins before Labor Day.

Dog Days of Summer

Me looking exceptionally tired with my little peanut who is in Play-Doh Heaven. For those wondering, we are not at home but at my Aunt's house. Our house doesn't have nearly that much light.

At the fair with Grampa. For some reason, she looks spooked. She LOVES the carosel. I don't know why she has this look cause I know she is in Heaven.

Petting goats with Aunty.

It's the weird part of the summer - the accelerated part. In Michigan, once August hits, everyone realizes that it's just a beautiful place to live and that school starts right after Labor Day. So people go on serious-summer-mode, there are hundreds of 4-H fairs and Festivals...it's SUPER vacation time. For example, in the past week we have had...
1) My dad and other family over for dinner
2) Two sets of friends over for dinner and boating
3) Two beach dates
4) Family that have come up from downstate to spend a few days
5) Phone calls from more family preparing to come up
6) Marie has gone to the fair
and, sadly 7) Momma has had to go to work for 2 days (gasp!)

There is canning to do, still more trips to go on, lesson plans to start to write! It's B-U-S-Y but G-O-O-D