We went to Yellowstone and did stuff ...

This year marked the beginning of a new tradition ... It was the first Pea Reunion.  All the living things in the following photograph are Pea's (I say "things" because I'm including the dog).  For the first reunion, held in early June, we went to Yellowstone - the cabin in which we stayed is not in Yellowstone - it's in Island Park ... So here we are in Island Park:

At Yellowstone, we saw all the usual sights and took all the usual pictures.  I have pictures of the sights, but for this post, I'll focus on people ... If you look closely at the reflection in my shades, you can see the bit of earth that is Old Faithful.  Old Faithful is just as faithful - I have photographic evidence!

Little Miss and I were excited to see it erupt, can't you tell?

Mr. Pea wasn't there.  Every morning, before proceeding with our hiking and sight seeing, we dropped him off by a body of water and he did what he loves best, after me, baseball and track and field, of course.  He went fly fishing.  After four years of enduring a trout fishing drought, it was time he replenish his store ... I don't think he's seen any part of Yellowstone other than the rivers ... 

As per tradition, we took a face shot. We were in a rush, so we didn't do as well as usual.  We were excited!  He was excited to meet some fish and I was excited to meet some vistas.  Ha!

The kids were eager to spend several days with their cousins and Grandma.  I love this picture because of the background; the rest of our family is walking behind the skipping group ...

If you're wondering what I did most of the time, here is the answer:  I took pictures.  I'd forgotten how breathtakingly beautiful and majestic Yellowstone is.  Here I am at Mammoth Hot Springs with my face behind the lens - practicing one of my loves, after Mr. Pea, my children, fresh fruit and rock climbing, of course ...

I learned a lot over those four days.  I learned about nature.  I learned what to do if I saw an American Bison or Elk.  I was reminded how beautiful Heavenly Father's creations are.  I remembered how graceful a sport fly fishing is ...

Most memorable of all was what I learned about the other three Mrs. Pea's: I learned that I am SO excited to spend eternity getting to know them because our differences add such spice and fun to my life.  We married into a great family, didn't we, girls?

So here's to Yellowstone and other stuff!  The "stuff" is what makes my life so great!  

I'm sure Old Faithful can rise for that!  ;)

We love it here:

That is all.

The View

Our room has a magnificent view ... 

Two tired children lying peacefully in bed ...

and White Christmas on TV:

Though I love the movie "White Christmas", my focus isn't so much on the TV; my favorite view is the way my Mister's head looks as it rests against me.

Perfect moments come and go; I'm glad I have a way to record them and make them last a little longer.  Goodnight!

Since August 6th ...

We've been a little busy ... Our basement flooded; we purged a lot of stuff - including all our packing supplies; the Mrs. attended a funeral; the Mr. applied for jobs; Lolo flew in from California; we drove up to Minnesota; we attended a family reunion; we met the newest member of our family; went to a few favorite stores; shopped in a giant mall; played at a theme park;the Mr. applied for jobs;  the Mr. and Mrs. played softball - the Mrs. played in borrowed shoes; we saw an amazing storm; B started second grade and soccer; the Mr. applied for jobs; Little Miss signed up for ballet; B lost another tooth - he exercised forgiveness when the tooth fairy forgot to visit (she came the next night); the Mr. applied for jobs; the Mr. got a job; we celebrated 10 years of marriage in Denver; the kids spent 4 days with friends; the Mrs. uploaded 381 pictures; and the Mr. PASSED the bar ... It's been a productive month.  We feel so blessed.

It's time to amp up our productivity because, unfortunately, a house can't pack itself.  Denver, here we come!

A Little Road Trip

We thought it fitting to end 2010 with a trip.

Once we reached our destination, we drove a little farther and let the kids search and scavenge around a room full of gingerbread houses.

After crossing everything off their lists, they posed for the camera.

Upstairs, they dressed like pioneers and pulled a handcart.  Sometimes they had help.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped for a few pizzas.  Then off to our adjoining rooms to eat and swim.  

After breakfast and a little more swimming, we went to the Children's Museum.  (Thank you, Science City Pass, for helping us get in for free.)  At the museum, the Mr. and I were able to relax and have some fun.

Little Miss and her friends painted faces, watched balls drop from the ceiling and explored.

B-Man raced around a track, met some supervillians, played with balls and paddled a kayak like a pro.

Several hours later, we headed to a brick paved street and ate some delicious food in Old Downtown.

After all of that, we headed home.  The sun was setting, it was New Year's Eve, and we were able to reflect on the events of this trip.  

We came for the fun, but really, our purpose was a little more than that ... 

We were able to find answers to important questions and peace in this special place.

Happy New Year!

A Lot of Pictures and a Thank You Note

Dear Mom and Dad, 

This post is just for you.  It is filled with photographs of the sights we saw and what we did on our drive back to Kansas ... Thank you for loving us and for loving our children.  They love you so much and keep talking about you.  We miss you already and have loved the time we had to spend with you.  Thank you for your generosity and kindness ... 

These are images from Nevada and the Virgin River Gorge:

We drove until we got to Cedar City, where we spent the night.  The next day, we drove through Western Utah ... So beautiful:

We also drove through Eastern Colorado (again, BEAUTIFUL):

The kids slept in the car:

At night, we stayed in hotels.  In the morning, the kids used the beds for jumping exercises:

On the way out of Denver, the Mr. saw his dream van.  It was dressed to the nines and I think he was drooling:

We drove on to Kansas:

We could tell we were close when the scenery looked like this (not quite as dramatic as Western Utah and Eastern Colorado, but lovely just the same):

We saw many "amber waves of grain" and I was grateful for the opportunity to have such a beautiful song in my head.
Mom and Dad, thank you again for everything you do ... 

Love, US

The Final Day

On our last full day, we went to Huntington Beach where an old friend met us for some playtime.  Our kids played well together.  B-Man taught their youngest some muscle man moves he learned from goodness knows where ... We just know it wasn't from us.  (Dear Miranda's:  Let's not wait so long to play again.  We miss you guys and we're so glad you're our friends.  Love, The Pea's)

After our friends left, we continued to play. B-Man joined us for some play time in the water:

Little Miss was content to watch and play in the sand: 

As for my parents, they went on a few walks, but mostly they relaxed and played with the kids:

After the beach, we headed to my aunt's home for family time, karaoke, fun and of course ...

FOOD!  (After all, we are Filipino.)

Our final day in California was relaxing, just as it ought to be.

Through Roger Rabbit's Tunnel

There is a tunnel scene in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit and this is where that scene was filmed: 

The tunnel leads to the Griffith Park Observatory:

On one side of the Observatory, you can see this sign:

On the other, a birdseye view of downtown Los Angeles:

When I was in highschool, my friends and I came here to watch laser shows and hang out - we did it a lot. 

I love coming here and I was excited to show my own family one of my favorite haunts:

We didn't watch any shows because it was Sunday ... but we did tour the inside of the observatory. 

We learned a little about the universe and admired the painted ceiling:

In the newly remodeled basement museum, we learned what Einstein was really pointing at:

We also learned that marble floors and benches can cause a wicked goose-egg.  Poor little guy:

Luckily, we have an emergency kit in our car replete with a disposable cold pack and tylenol.  We hope our B-Man has good memories of the Observatory and not just that it made him, in his words:  "An egg head."  To which I replied, after smiling to myself:  "You have a goose egg, you are not an egg head."