Fishing!!!

September 1, 2008

Look Who Went Fishing!!!

Mommy, Daddy and Grandpa took Gannon on his first fishing trip on the boat. We took him to Englebright Lake and it was gorgeous - while there were high powered winds in Yuba City...there was perfect weather on the lake (lucky us!). It took me a while to let Gannon go out on the boat because I've been a little cautious. I wanted to be certain that he was mature enough to sit still while the boat was moving and that he understood when not to look over the edge, and I also wanted to make sure he was comfortable around large bodies of water. Needless to say, Gannon did great! He was a natural boater - just like his Daddy.

Gannon fished with his very own fishing pole and caught a little perch. He was beside himself with pride and excitement. We were so proud of him. When his little bobber went under, we all yelled, "Get him Gannon!" and he reacted with a great and patient catch. I knew that after that "show" his Daddy was beaming inside with such happiness thinking of all the great moments those two have in store in the coming years...think camping, boating, hiking, rock climbing, etc. Richard loves the outdoors and all parts associated with it and Gannon does too. What a pair. My Dad was so proud of little G too!

Gannon had so much fun driving the boat with Papa, swimming with Daddy, fishing with Mommy and barbecuing hot dogs for lunch. This was his kind of day!!!

Daddy caught a yummy little rainbow trout.





THE CATCH OF THE DAY!!!

Finger Painting Fun!

August 31, 2008
Gannon is at that age where all he wants to do is either swim, play with his boats or get busy with some sort of project. Today's project...finger painting! He created some beautiful art!

California State Fair

August 30, 2008
Gannon experienced the fun and HEAT of the California State Fair today. As usual, where there are rides and excitement, Gannon had a great time. Notice the blue sea lion stuffed animal...this was Gannon's first WIN! He won the animal with a fishing game and was extremely proud of himself, as were his parents and grandparents!

Garbage Man?!

August 27, 2008
Gannon is obsessed with the garbage man. Every Wednesday morning, Gannon wakes earlier than usual just so he can get a glimpse of the garbage man and give him a wave. Future career?! On this particular day - Gannon insisted on running outside to wave a hello in his Superman underwear!

Promoting the GAP

August 21, 2008
Today was a fun and productive work day for me. My team at work put in long (approximately one year) and patient hours to assist our community in the formation of a tobacco-free park where children play. This past Spring, the Yuba City Council passed a local policy creating the new Gauche Aquatic Park (GAP) be 100% tobacco-free. Who knew policy work was in my future 10 years ago, however as I continue to work as a Health Educator...policy work has become a forefront of my duties.

As a result of the GAP local policy, I was able to produce a commercial that promotes the tobacco-free park. When the opportunity came to me...I instantly had a concept and the perfect "actresses" in mind (THANKS AGAIN Leah and Casey! You guys were great!!!). I needed real Moms and real kids appreciating the tobacco-free place to play. Below are photos from the shoot. David Essary taped the commercial and is in the process of editing it. Watch for it on our local cable station soon!

Gannon playing around at the beautiful park.
The production in progress.
The actresses!
Splish and Splash made an appearance.
Precious little Audrey.

Special News!

August 11, 2008

Yes, I am pregnant with baby Blake #2 and we are delighted! I am 13 weeks pregnant. Rich and I always knew that we wanted our children about 3-4 years apart, and after Hawaii we said...now is the time, and we were blessed! In 2-1/2 weeks we will learn the sex of our baby...Gannon is certain that "his" baby is a girl and he has already named her Livvy (short for Olivia - a precious little girl at his school that I think he really likes). My Mom, of course, is hoping for a baby girl. Whatever the baby's sex, we are overwhelmed with joy and happiness, and are excited to expand our wonderful little family and love another child!

Happy Birthday Chooch!

August 5, 2008

Happy Birthday Baby!

We love you so much!!!

A Great Day in Monterey

August 3, 2008




Understanding that today was our last day in one of our favorite locations in California, we got busy. The morning was spent back at the Fisherman's Wharf to watch the sea lion's roar and to see the "pirate ships". We then headed back to the Aquarium to see the sharks once again, and to participate in the Creatures in the Deep presentation (think the crazy fish in Nemo that has a light on top of its head - scary stuff) because Gannon is obsessed with weird fish such as the one mentioned. He was loving the presentation and being able to see all of the unusual creatures that the research institute has recently discovered. After the aquarium, we headed to Cannery Row and rented a scurry (a silly family-style bicycle) and rode up and down the coast - wonderful!!! We ended the fabulous day at the IMAX to watch Sea Monsters. The film was produced in 3D...it was amazing.

A Night on the Town

This evening, Gannon and I took Daddy to the Fisherman's Wharf for a birthday dinner. We went to the yummy Old Fisherman's Grotto (which had the best calm chowder that we have ever had). On the way to the restaurant, we encountered a sea lion that was taking a rest on the rocks below. He was so close to us that we could have practically touched him!

The Gorgeous Coast!

After a long morning at the aquarium, we took a walk down to the coast. While Mommy sat on a rock and just listened to the ocean, Daddy watched Mr. G run in and out of the water and make new friends. My little guy is definitely a beach bum!!!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

August 2, 2008

Rich and I took Gannon to the Monterey Bay Aquarium exactly two years ago (2006). He was 16 months old. We decided to spend our weekend in Monterey as a means to celebrate Richard's upcoming birthday, but we were both very excited to watch Gannon experience the aquarium this time around. And boy - he was amazed and in awe with all of the wondrous sights and animals at this world-famous place. Gannon had a great time...his favorite part of the aquarium was seeing the hammerhead sharks. And Rich and I feel in love with the aquarium all over again while watching Gannon learn and grow.

Gannon truly enjoyed every moment of the aquarium. Check out this small film of him being so excited while experiencing the "tidal wave".

The Good Ol' Y-S Fair

July 31, 2008
Our evening was spent at the annual Yuba-Sutter Fair. I was there to judge a portion of the pagent, so I drug my family along for the "ride". Speaking of rides...Gannon loved each and every ride in the children's area. He loved seeing all of the animals close-up too, but he did comment on how smelly the livestock area was! All in all, it was a great evening...full of heat, junk-food and long-lost friends!