Dedicating This Post To Picture Time

Laguna Beach, CA

Victoria Beach-Laguna Beach, CA

I'm currently two birthday posts behind...my hubby's on July 12 and my son Josh's yesterday on August 1st. My birthday posts seem to take me forever because I want to say just the right thing to express my love for my family, along with sharing some fun and interesting memories/facts about them. I also have to find the perfect pictures to go along with it. This usually means digging through my picture boxes aka (huge plastic storage containers that are not in any kind of order whatsoever=story of my life.) So I get a little overwhelmed and continue to procrastinate. I've just been posting pictures on my Facebook page and neglecting my blog.

With that being said, I decided to just dedicate this post to some scenic pictures that I've shot lately...I've been quite the little traveler, which I LOVE! I would spend every single day on an adventure if work didn't ruin my fun!;/

Join me on my escape trips! My visual paradise...

Huntington Beach, CA

Newport Beach, CA

Bel Air-Los Angeles, CA 

Newport Beach, CA 

Victoria Beach-Laguna Beach, CA 

Brooklyn New York

Newport Beach, CA

Central Park, New York

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Brooklyn, New York 

Costa Mesa, CA

Victoria Beach, Laguna Beach, CA

Newport Beach, CA 

Victoria Beach- Laguna Beach, CA

Huntington Beach, CA

Newport Beach, CA

Newport Beach, CA

Victoria Beach-Laguna Beach, CA

Costa Mesa, CA

Huntington Beach, CA

Jullien Turns 21 Today!

My little boy man is 21 today, and is celebrating in Paris right now. He left on a two month trip to work/model with his agencies in Europe. He traveled to Germany and Spain already and is now in Paris and will end up in London before heading back to New York. So unfortunately I'm not able to celebrate this momentous occasion with him.

Jullien has always been my tenacious kid. He was born two weeks early and when he was not quite a year old we moved from California to Utah to be close to my family. Just as we arrived he became very sick and listless. We rushed him to the ER and it turned out he had pneumonia. It was really scary and we weren't sure if he was going to pull through; little did I know way back then...I had a little fighter on my hands (in more ways than one!) Luckily he came through it with only slight lingering lung weakness that appears whenever he gets the cold or flu (it drops straight to his lungs.)

Jullien was always a skinny, lanky kid but had a huge attitude to compensate. He would stand up to anyone who came at him or his brothers, his friends, or someone who was getting picked on. This served him well in sports. He was really talented at football, baseball, basketball, surfing and volleyballl. He had a never quit, never let anyone get you down or tell you that you can't do something attitude. He would push through any obstacle like a bulldozer. No one was going to hold him back from something he wanted or wanted to achieve.

During his Senior year he started at safety but was moved up to linebacker for Edison High School. He didn't look like your typical linebacker, but he hit like a freight train. No one could ever understand how he had so much strength. During one of Edison's practices, Jullien kept getting by one of the huge lineman and sacking the quarterback. The coaches began to yell at the kid for being unable to stop Jullien. After about the third or fourth time of getting beat, the 250+ lb kid charged Jullien after the play was over hitting him from behind and knocking him to the ground. Jullien...all 130 lbs of him went crazy on the kid, flipping him over and ended up on top of him punching him. They finally had to pull Jullien off the kid. He definitely earned the respect of the players and coaches and proved that the size of the player doesn't necessarily matter, it's what's on the inside that's important. I think that's when the coaches decided to move him from safety up to linebacker.

Jullien has applied that same perseverance to everything he does. I can honestly say that I admire his fearlessness; his ability to charge at an obstacle and conquer whatever is in front of him. I've been so blessed to have such a wonderful son who has not only a big personality but an even bigger heart!! So today on his 21st birthday...I've posted 21 pictures of my boy throughout the years. I want him to know how proud I am of him and how much I love him. Happy Birthday Jujy!! I love you and am so blessed call myself your mom.
Never stop chasing your dreams!!

 YOU"RE 21 WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow...You Like Me, You Really Like Me

I'm so excited, my Blog is featured on a Travel Website all the way around the world in the Mediterranean Island of Nicosia, CYPRUS!

SEE IT HERE

Philip (Travel Blog Writer) let me know a few days ago that he wanted to feature my "Random California Shots" post.

Wow...um...let me think about it.

Ya right...I said yes immediately!

His blog is amazing! If you're like me and wish you could travel, but never have enough money, you must visit his Blog! It takes you to exotic places around the world.

SO CLICK HERE TO TRAVEL THE WORLD
http://www.taxidiaris.blogspot.com/

Time Crunch

With football season over for Edison, I thought my schedule would free up a little bit. Even though my kids play so many sports & they always overlap...football seems to demand most of my time (I took all the pictures for the Freshman A & B team this year).

This weekend continued to be jam packed with must do's. I had to laugh at my friend Debbie who has moved back here from Chicago and is staying with us until she's able to get back on her feet. I dragged her around with me and my never ending schedule. We were driving home from a dinner party that my boss had on Saturday night and she was wiped out. We spent Friday & Saturday rushing around ALL day. She said, "Man I can hardly wait until Monday so I can relax!" I was cracking up...I was exhausted too and I'm used to being constantly on the go.

Today we went to church in the morning, I had a photography shoot for a family's Christmas pictures right after and then straight to the kids basketball game (they lost by 4). Back to the family's house to review the pictures and then dinner at 8:00. I'm not looking forward to Monday...I'M TIRED!

In the mix of everything else, I've been planning our 10 year anniversary trip. I finally found a really cool place in Mendocino County. I've never been there but the pictures look gorgeous. I found a cabin overlooking the ocean, in the middle of huge Redwood trees (it's been featured on E!, Eye on LA & Channel 2 travel). We'll stay there 3 days and then explore after that.

I always need adventure on every trip, so on the way back we're just going to wing it. Going through little towns, exploring, visiting state parks (Pfeiffer Falls, etc.) and staying wherever we end up. I love just winging it! My husband is a planner & a scheduler, but I think after 2 years of dating & 10 years of marriage, my crazy "lets just go and see what happens" attitude has rubbed off on him. It's so much better not having a plan. When you have preconceived expectations, you always seem to get let down when things don't go exactly as planned.

Even though I'll be stressed the next 4 days...I'll finally be able to relax on our big getaway.

Man Cleavage

Random....
Me & my husband were walking at the beach tonight. A man & woman were walking towards us. The man had a flesh colored baby pouch on the front, carrying a new born. From a distance, my husband only sees the top of the bald baby’s head (giving the appearance of cleavage peeking out of a tight top). Before they reached us he looks at me shocked, “That man has boobs!”…LOL! I couldn’t stop laughing! Just thought I’d share!

VISUAL:
Kind of like this but with a smaller baby and tighter pouch.



More Random...
My sister is heading to Utah on Monday to visit our family for a week. She wants me to go and I immediately said, "YES!" Then I thought, "How can I miss a whole week of work?" I'm an independent contractor and never receive vacation pay. One week without pay will really put us behind. Now I need to decide...I'm torn, I want to go so bad, I feel like I need to get away and re-group! Help!! What to do? Am I selfish because I want some time to myself?

Bryce Canyon, Utah