JAM!

It's a summer tradition in our family to make strawberry jam. Ever since I can remember, Nana has made jam to last our WHOLE family last the year through! This is incredible, seeing as Sean goes through about a jar a day. I might be exaggerating. But seriously, that kid eats PB&Js like nobody's business!
Every time Lindsay and/or Rach come home from Utah, what do they make sure and take back with them? Strawberry jam. 

What is requested when we drive out to Utah to visit them? Strawberry jam.
What is served at dinners with Nana's homemade bread? Strawberry jam.
We love this stuff :)

Step 1: Start with succulent Santa Maria jam berries, wash.

Step 2: Mash!

Step 3: Add zee sugar

Step 4: Let sit, add pectin. Stir, stir, stir. My mom teased me about my face when I was on hour 3 of jam making and stirring as I stared off into space. I looked thrilled I guess ;)

Step 5: Pour into containers and put in Nana & Bobba's freezer!

Sandy says, "You guys are boring...just in the kitchen working all day. Play with me!" 

Hooray for strawberry jam 2009!

Next summer, little Ada will be there with us learning the ways of jam making :)

Click here to hear the song I was singing all day...throwback to jazz dance class '93!

4th of July!

We had a wonderful day celebrating our nation's freedom.

First, Matt and I headed down to Lompoc to join the Millers for yummy burgers, juicy watermelon, Shrek corn (ask Ryan about that one), and badminton! Don't mind me hitting it over the fence...oops!

Of course we forgot our camera. I'm forgetting lots of stuff these days...pregnancy brain is real! Matt was so sad because he wanted to document the momentous occasion! The last time he remembers his family doing something like this was Thanksgiving when he was 7 years old. It was wonderful :)

In the evening, we drove to the beach to watch the fireworks with some of my family visiting from Kansas.

Here is Matt telling his riveting story of Francis Scott Key to Jessie, Becca, Chris, Daniel, Colleen, and my mom.

Two of my beautiful cousins, Becca and Jessie.

The best accidental picture ever!

And the beautiful fireworks at Oceano. It was great because we had these right over our head, and could see Pismo's show down the coast as well.

Some people ditched their fire, so we swooped in and took it over! We sang Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, & Foo Fighters songs accompanied by Matt on guitar. It was a perfect day!

Swimsuit Dilemma!

Here I am last summer in my adorable Layers swimsuit. I love it! I actually just wore it to the beach last week. It's high quality and has held up really well. I'm hard on my swimsuits, so if they last more than one summer - I'm sold on that brand! The only thing I didn't like was that it's a wee bit boobalicious. So I went shopping this season for more coverage up top.

I stole this picture from Ginet's blog...this is her daughter, Summer and I jumping over the waves at Avila Beach! She is fearless and loved riding on my boogie board doubled up with me. Her little teeth would be chattering but she'd still want to stay in the water! Reminds me of ME at her age :)
**I need some beach days -- I WILL be that tan again!**

Okay, back to my quest for a great swimsuit.
Enter this lovely little number! Another Layers suit, more coverage up top, cute polka dot print = HAPPY KARA! With my birthday money I ordered this cutie and waited anxiously for it to come in the mail.
The swimsuit never came, but a very sad e-mail did.
"Unfortunately, due to popular demand, the Sandra Dee Top Medium and Sandra Dee Bottoms Medium that you ordered is permanently out of stock. According to our records, we have no immediate plans to replenish our inventory with these products."
What?! I'm no business woman...but if you have DEMAND for something, shouldn't you get more of that something?! Seriously...so I wrote back, "You should update your website...it says that all of the swimsuits are in stock." So that lovely little red SOLD OUT is my doing. She put it up the next day.

If you know me, you know when I get my heart set on something -- I want only that. If I'm in the mood for Mexican food, nothing else will do. So in my head, all I wanted was that Layers suit, and nothing else looked as cute. I went to Macy's, Nordstrom, looked online at Down East, the rest of the Layers swimsuits, and nothing else looked as cute! Until...
I found this on Land's End website! The top comes up a little higher than my current swimsuit, and the sides can be adjusted on both the top and bottom.

It came last night and I LOVE it! I modeled it for Matt and he said I had a 50s butt. We had to clarify that one...he meant the style of bottoms has more coverage, like a 1950s suit. Not that I had a 50-year-old lady butt. Ha!

I would put pictures up of myself in it...but as I said before, I need to get tan! C'mon weather, give us back that gorgeous warmth and sunshine! I'm all ready in my new cute suit! :)

Summertime = Projects!

I FINALLY painted our nasty TV stand! Wahoo!!! 

Doesn't it look great? I forgot to take a "before" picture, but humor me here. Tell me it looks amazing. :)

Hooray for time to get those projects checked off the list!