Huntington Beach, CA: Escaping The Cold

This year Kiewit's Annual Meeting (the company Joel works for) was held in Huntington Beach, CA. The weather was wonderful! Reminded us of how nice living in California was for us; (and...I have to add, Joel did not like the traffic, neither did I...But I love everything else!)

Anna could not wait to get in the water, it was kind of cold, but a few minutes later you forget it, and just enjoy the warm sun, and the blue ocean.

Anthony was impressed by the amount of water, he was just jumping and screaming "Agua, agua, agua!".

Anna was running away from the waves, but there was a little pile of sand, where other kids had built a "scuplture" like they called it, and Anna tripped in it and got all wet.

Then she did not mind all the sand getting in her behind!

Anthony and I decided to walk around the beach and try to find some cool shells.

We finally found a nice one, but it was still alive....that was until Anthony tasted it! After that, there was not much I could have done, not to save the animal or the shell.

Anna ran and ran and ran...After all it is in her blood, her mom is a Costena...(a person from the coast.)

Anna found something else, a living clam, and this nice gentleman explained to Anna how these creatures live, habitat, food, etc. Too bad those seagulls were around....

We were able to stop Anna before she went into the fountain, she thought it was the pool so she ran to it.

Back at the hotel room, we were tired. Daddy babysitted Anthony while the girls went out to check the place out.

Yep, he is a good little monkey....

Anna showing off her tattoo...

And did some modeling as well, why not?

Castro Valley, Livermore and Modesto

While we were in Southern California, we decided to drive north and visit or friends and family.

First stop, the Shaffers in Castro Valley. Lee Ann and Robin are so tall! Kate we missed you and Lee Ann we wish you get well soon!

Meeting Anthony for the first time. Matt and Peggy have three girls of their own, so they got the chance to hold a monkey boy.

Being held, cheerios, clean diaper, pretty girls, what else could Anthony ask for?

Anna had so much fun jumping on the tramp with Robin, it was hard to say good bye.

Visiting the Cariveaus is a chore in and of its own! Six kids, and three more that I brought in...wait, where is Josiah?

Lets count again, after several tries, we got everyone together for the picture. Dave (the Dad), Jonathan, Daniel, Miriam (the Mom), Josiah (the baby so far), Sara (the teenager), Rebeca, Cristina, Anna, Me, Anthony, and Daddy! It was so nice to see ALL of them again.

If getting all of us together for the picture was hard...You should have seen lunch!

Six Cariveau kids, Three Dyer Kids!

Once in Modesto, We enjoyed good food with family, friends, and the chaperone. Here Mike, Efrain and Anna sharing toys and playing.

Efrain es un nino tan amable, presto los juguetes a Anna sin queja alguna.

Anthony was in car heaven, cars, cars, cars! He was even singing...Leroy Brown!

"Ok guys, let me show you how to drive. Where would you like to go, the living room or the kitchen?"- Anna.

At dinner time The Little Lady has been asking for more vegetables, because she says, that way she will be more intelligent, and she will learn how to drive like her Mom and Dad (I wish she drives like me.); not only that, she says she will teach, the teachers and people how to speak Spanish, so that way the won't say things like their mouth is in "fierro", like Pilar's husband said when he wanted to say his mouth was in "fuego".

When she grows up, she will learn that people says even worse things when they are hungry or if they have an itch..."Hombre, Hambre, Hombro, Hembra".

Watching the Football Game. Joel enjoyed some "Real Beer" like he calls it.

Yin, eres un buen ninero!

Y Claudita no se queda atras!

Te voy a contar todas las travesuras que Anna me hace abuelito.

Sleeping on Lolis cozy arms. Anna and Mike played 'til they droped.

I can drive back home! Just look at me go!

This is the way Anna sleeps when she is on the road.

We were all having a blast watching Anna sleeping, Anthony thought it was the funniest thing. He has never seen Anna with her mouth wide open, so he was laughing like a baby!

"I was not sleeping with my mouth open...You are joking".

Playing pick-a-boo with the glasses on the back of his neck...Anthony loved it!

Can I have fries with that?

Back at our home sweet home..."Anthony plays like a kitty-kitty!."

Anthony went back to his beloved cars.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Feliz Dia del Amor y la Amistad!!

Let me wrap a present for you...

Dejame envolver un regalo para ti!

Celebracion del Primer Cumpleaños!

Birthday Boy!

Niño Cumpleañero!

I am now one year old!

Ya tengo un añito!

Joshua, Jeremy, Jonathan, Anna, Steve, Pilar, Mamy y Papy cantaron para mi en Ingles y en Español.
They sang to me in English and Spanish, and all I wanted to do was to eat that chocolate cake. I was thinking not to blow the candle but to give it a squeeze, Daddy did not let me!

Come on Pilar let me finish that cake...what allergies are you talking about?

Dancing with my sister was a lot of fun, she sang to me, too. "He likes to move it, move it!".

Finally!

Presents! Anthony got so excited about what we thought was inside the bag. When he got done taking everything out of it, he took all the wrappings and the bag to play.

Let's have some real food. Brocoli is my favorite!

And my sister loves brocoli, too.

Anthony loves playing with his trucks and cars! All you will hear is him going:"Brrrrmmm-Brrrrmm".

There he goes!

Driving down the hall!

And around the kitchen.