The Jones Girls

Friday, Reyna and all of us drove over to Casitas Lake which is in Ojai.  What a beautiful place!!   We ate lunch and enjoyed the views of the lake.  There was an awesome playground and the girls spent a couple of hours playing there.  

I put down a couple of big blankets and Reyna, me and Mindy laid out and watched the girls play around.   There was a friendly game of football going on so we rooted them on!!  

It was so beautiful.    We wanted to rent a boat, but I have no boat driving experience.  We will have to come back with Cliff and rent a boat for us!!

We got back and everyone played in the jacuzzi while Reyna made the best barbecue dinner for us!!  It was a wonderful day.

The weater was about 75 degrees – 20 degrees cooler than where we live.  It was so nice!!

Last Thursday we drove up to Santa Barbara and had a blast at the zoo!!    My childhood friend, Rene, and her daughter, met us at the zoo.   The Santa Barbara Zoo had so many beautiful exhibits and animals!!  The girls fed animals and cracked up when the pig kept oinking at them.    It was hilarious!!   We took a really neat train ride through the zoo.  It was a great way to get a tour of the zoo.  

At the end of our visit, the girls were cashing in on my promise to buy them a little something from the gift shop.  Savannah picked out a little stuffed giraffe.   Miranda picked out a 6 inch neon green crocodile that squeaked.  Maryssa picked out a 4 inch frog the ribits and lights up when you rub its belly.  She also picked out these cool rubber frog rings that light up when you press the head.   Amanda picked out a cute stuffed green gecko lizard.  She has been into lizards lately…

At 6pm we said our goodbye’s to Rene and her daughter Savana.  We drove down to our family friend, Barbara Hobbins, who lives in Ventura.   For dinner, we brought dinner for everyone and Barbara’s favorite, burritos from Chipolte.   We met her boyfriend Jim.   She has been keeping Scotty for us and she loves him.  The girls were so excited to see Scotty.  We got lots of pictures and everyone had a great time.

At about 9pm that night we drove to our friends house, Steve & Reyna.  They live in Oxnard.   We were up for a few house and then spent the night at their house. 

What a fun and eventful day we had!!

Yesterday we spent the day at Newport Dunes in Newport Beach.  It was amazing the difference in the weather…in La Habra it was 98 degrees and at Newport it was 75-80 degrees.   We spent about 4 hours there.    Took us about 40 minutes to get there, not a bad drive at all.

I was a little disappointed because their website mentioned they had daily crafts for kids.  When we got there, they had no crafts going on that day and they said that they run most of their crafts on the weekends.   Wish they had mentioned that on their website.

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Mindy spent the night with us Sunday night and was a huge help with assisting us in cleaning the hosue and getting ready for our trip back to Los Angeles.

I did 3 loads of laundy Sunday night, packed all of the clothes in the boxes. 

Mindy was a huge help Monday morning, vacuuming the carpets and helping me get the girls ready.    We mailed out the boxes of clothes att he post office.    We headed out at noon towards Boston airport.

We arrived in Boston, dropped off our minivan rental and checked in at the airport.  They advised us the plane was running a half hour behind.  Well that was much better, tell us before we board on the plane, and let us wait in the airport not on the plane for the delay.   

The flight went well.  The airline stewardesses got together and purchased me a little bottle of wine.    Now how thoughtful was that?  They said that I deserved it watching me entetain all of our 4 girls and keeping them quiet on the plane.

Sid our neighbor drove our minivan and met us at the aiport.   Our plane was supposed to arrive at 10pm but arrived at 11:45pm instead.    Long haul for all of us.

We were lucky enough to get re-acquainted with Cliff’s cousin, Doug.  He lives a couple of blocks from our house.     Doug brought over his girlfriend Sandy over so we could meet her.    This women is a true peach and I just love her.   

They both invited me to take a look at their beach that they had along a beautiful river in their backyard.   I was imagining this rediculous little swimming hole.  

Well, when i stepped onto their property, I was blown away.     They truly have a sandy beach the stretches out to the river.  They took me on a little nature walk and was I surprised when before me was the most beautiful water falls, right there on their property.    Totally cool!!    Sandy’s house was beautiful    Their whole property is just beautiful.   They invited us to spend the day at their beach the next day.

So on Sunday, the next day, Mindy, my niece, Grandma and Grandpa Belden joined us at Doug and Sandy’s Paradise Beach Resort.   I suprised the girls with shovels and buckets to play with down at the sandy beach.   They played with an innertube and we walked them through the water.  It was a truly amazing and beautiful experience.  

Then we had a cook out.  Sandy made this awesome homemade pasta salad that had us begging for seconds.   Doug is quite the barbecue guy and grilled up some amazing food!!   

We could have stayed all night.  Unfortunately we had to call it a day because the next day we were heading back to Boston to fly back to Los Angeles.  Gosh I had wished that we had met sooner and could have enjoyed other days at their Beach Resort during out time in VT.

Sandy and I have made fast friends and we have promised each other that when we are there, we will be spending some quality time with them on the Paradise Beach Resort.    We are also planning on them coming out to visit us in California for a vacation in February.

Thanks for a beautiful day Sandy and Doug!!

We were invited to our neighbor’s 1st birthday party for their baby girls Paige, AKA Squishy Cookie.   This baby girl is the cutest little thing.

The weather started out nice.   We had lunch at their house and the girls played in the yard with the other kids.  Then the looming dark grey clouds attacked our party!!   I mean really, the weather is so unpredictable in Vermont.    One minute the sun is out, the next minute it feels like you are in a crazy storm of the century.

So of course those huge boulder rain drops came upon us and in 2.2 seconds everybody ran for cover.   Thank goodness our house was next door.    It rained like the dickens for a few hours.    Then when it cleared up we ventured outside again.  Then at bedtime, around 9pm, the clouds came back and argued with anger as we heard the loud thunder and lightening for hours and hours that night.   There is nothing like a summer storm in New England.

Grandma and Grandpa Belden gave the girls some birthday money.   Cliff and I thought it would be fun for the girls to have their 1st trikes at the house and also for Savannah to have her own bike.   

So we went down to Walmart which by the way is about a 1 hour drive from our house.  Yep, we are in Mayberry my friends.   Anyway, we got the girls their trikes and Savvy a bike.

We took them home and Cliff got them all put together in about an hour.   Another thing that me me proud of Daddy Cliff.    The girls had a blast riding their new bikes.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Belden!!