Camping at Carlsbad State Beach.

Emily and I went camping with Matt and Nina at the Ocean this Wednesday and Thursday. Of course, we had a most wonderful time. We got there Wednesday evening and had a great dinner with chicken and corn cooked on the grill. Thursday, Nina and I ran 5 miles then we all went to Starbucks for breakfast. Then Matt and I went on a 25 mile bike ride while Nina watched Emily. Emily says that Matt and Nina are her best buddies now. Then we played at the beach all day. There was hardly anyone there. I guess going before the holiday weekend is a good thing! Later we went to a restaurant for dinner. Emily had her favorite - a pinacolada (non-alcohol). In the evening we danced at the campfire to Nina's Ipod music. No wonder she is such a fast runner. Emily was exhausted by the time she went to bed.
This morning, Nina and I got on our wetsuits to practice swimming in the ocean. We started about 7am. It was cold, cold, cold and the waves knocked you down they were so strong. I swallowed a lot of saltwater. Yuk! Emily and Matt cheered us on from the shore. I must say that I will need a lot more practice before doing an Ocean tri. Afterwards, we spent some time on the beach before packing up and coming home.
On the way home we stopped at this 'hole in the wall' restaurant that always has a long line of people waiting. It is in the middle of nowhere at a 'park and ride' and is called Nessy Burger. When we drove up there were a lot of people sitting on their tailgates eating huge hamburgers - hilarious. We all had one. They were very good. Anyway, we had an absolutely wonderful time.

Lois Minich Memorial Gathering at Franciscan Renewal Center

Jim's Mother, Lois, went to her home in heaven on May 10th of this year. A gathering was held for her on Sunday, May 16th. It was held at the Franciscan Renewal Center where Lois attended events with The Daughters of Eve. It was very nice and something that Lois would have enjoyed.

I thought alot of Lois. She was a very special women. Some of my favorite things about her...

She was a great grandma. She always sent Emily (and all the other grand children) a card on every occasion filled with trinkets, book marks and a balloon. Emily loved getting her balloon.

She loved to play bridge and was really, really good at it.

She read Emily a book anytime she asked her.

She always thought of me - always treated me like family. Sometimes she would call just to chat.

I liked the way she said - "Jimmy, where are you?" when she left a message on the telephone.

She loved watching Penn State play ball. She like her tv.

She loved having us for dinner and enjoyed our company.

I liked the way her and Ed held hands! I liked how proud she was of her children.

Here are a few pictures of the gathering:

This was taken in August of 2009. Ed passed away in November. Lois followed him in May.

This is the Labyrinth we walked.

Family.

James and Jake made this in the center of the Labyrinth. It says R.I.P. G&G. Lois used to always sign her cards - G&G for Grandma and Grandpa. After Ed died, she signed them '-G'.

Blueberry Picking

We went to the Temecula Berry Farm and picked a lot of blueberries. Kru and Emily had a blast. So did we. Tony took pictures. Next we will be going to a U-pick cherry farm. Yummy!

Beach Run Bike Run

I am so far behind posting activities. May 13th, my friend, Nina and I decided to go to Oceanside beach for a workout and rest day. We got there about 9:30, parked and ran 5 miles. Afterwards we rode our bikes a total of 28 miles. We rode at the Camp Pendleton Military Base and then to downtown Carlsbad where we ate at a Mexican restaurant. We biked back to Oceanside and ran another mile then spent the rest of our time on the beach. Great fun!
They were conducting training exercises and posing for us with the hover craft.


Great restaurant. We were starving by the time we got to Carlsbad for lunch and very relaxed when we got back on our bikes. In fact, I fell over at a stop light - very embarrassing.
This is the Carlsbad beach.

Emily Gets A New Bike

I bought Emily a beach cruiser and she loves it. I like it to. We went for a ride with Tony, Rikki, Kru and Debbie (Rikki's mother).

Oceanside Beach

One of my running friends - Nina, Emily, and myself went to Oceanside Beach - exactly 45 minutes from my house. We stayed several hours. It was perfect weather. Emily loves the water and the beach. We got way too much sun. Next time, more sunscreen. I am behind on my posts - again. I have got to get better about updating this blog.

Nina and Emily on the pier.

Emily and I.