Meet my new husband, Bill....

...the guy in the green shirt with no hair--but we were only together for about 30 minutes and the relationship consisted of sitting on a bench and waving to a crowd.

Here is the real story:

Dale and I took the kids to Sea World today. While Hailey and I were waiting for the dolphin show to start we were approached by a worker and asked if we wanted to participate in the show. Now who's going to turn that down?

For those of you who have seen the show, you know there is a trainer posing as a "pretend" spouse. I won't give any further details than that on the matter-- just in case some of you want to be surprised if and when you come.

Hailey and I were decked out in the most fashionable boots--black rubber with a bits of sand and salt water inside. Hailey looked much cuter in hers than I did. I got to signal a dolphin to sing and wave then feed her a nice raw fish (that made my hand all stinky) and snowball. Hailey got to actually touch the dolphin named Cindy and play a game called, "Splash me in the face." I don't think she understand the game very well because she came out as wet as the dolphin. Now Hailey is determined to become a dolphin trainer when she grows up and has already selected five names for the dolphins she will have.

We were fortunate that Sea World had a photographer there because the battery on my camera died after Dale took one picture. Oh yes--I am keeping Dale!

Fun Times with Family

I didn't realize how attached I am to my family until we moved to California and all of them (except for Lynda, thank goodness!) were so far away. Now when I get someone out, I am absolutely giddy! Eric, Julie and kids came out in April for Spring Break. Leslie and Rachel arrived in July for some quick visits. I'm still waiting for the rest of you to come out!

Pinewood Derby!

When Hunter started Cub Scouts in January, Dale's first question was, "When is the Pinewood Derby?" It was scheduled until June but Hunter and Dale got started right away planning for the long-awaited event. (You should see our "pinewood derby file"!) After hours of painstaking sanding, painting, and sanding some more, the boys were ready for the big day. The hard work paid off--Hunter got second and was able to spend some quality time with Dad who is still a cub scout at heart.

Beyond Pink

I have to be careful whenever I take Hailey shopping with me because she loves clothes. During an excursion to Mervyns, she spotted the girls' dresses and since they were on sale, I told her we'd get one since all of hers are getting too short. Expecting she'd bee-line for the pink ones, Iwas surprised when she insisted on a brown dress with white polka dots. She also decided she was too old for "little girl" sandals and selected her first set of heels. Of course, she had to do a "Dancing with the Star's" pose with her Daddy.

Myford Elementary's Walk-A-Thon

In April, the kids' school had a fund-raising Walk-A-Thon (oh joy for fundraisers). Hunter was very gung-ho about earning money because it meant possible prizes so I told him HE was free to call any of his relatives to ask for pledges. After about 4 calls, he decided that was enough, so if you didn't get a call don't feel bad. You saved yourself some $. The day of the walk was a hot one even for California in April. Hunter completed 7 of the 10 laps. Hailey participated for the social aspects and the popsicles.

Sisters and cousins

A definate plus of being in California is having Lynda and her family close by. By close, I mean one hour in terms of good California traffic. We take advantage of our Disneyland passes and have met there close to half a dozen times.

Grandparents are the best!

We had so much fun with our grandmas and grandpas in February! Hailey, Papa, and Grandma Dottie enjoyed a special tea party while GrandMarie and Grandpa John spent hours playing in the sand and waves at the beach.