Back in the saddle...

So, with the advent of Facebook, Instagram, etc.  Ive gotten really lazy about updating the blog.  But I'll start fresh with our latest adventures...our family's bi-annual ESPOSITO family reunion.  Karen's in-laws have a great place out in Enterprise, Utah that we've used for the last two times.  It accommodates all of us very comfortably.  This year there were 23 attending.  Amy's family (7), Brian's family (4), Karen's family (5), and Laura and her hubby, Ken and I, and my sissy and her daughter and granddaughter.  With no internet and cell phone service it really added to a great family time.  Lots of food, cousins playing, "gator" riding, mud baths and more.  I love our family!!!!

 Bridget

 sunset on the porch

 sunset with the cousins

 cousins on the porch

 Heidi capturing the sunset

 Ken enjoying the susnset

 relaxing quiet time

 Ken and Linda

 Nat and Mitchie

 Nora

 panorama of porch

 Beautiful sunset

 Sunset

 Todd and Lolly

Wes

YES!!! I will eventually update and encapsulate our lives over the last 3 years!!! Hang on...

Merry Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Laura is 20

The title from a 70's sitcom just fits Laura...she just has that "something extra" thing about her!

love and caring of siblings

...love of wildlife!

...more love of wildlife!

... caring for the elderly!

...willing to go on adventures to other countries

up for different hair do's

love of friend's through thick and thin...

love of food...

love of glitz...

That's our girl! The girl with SOMETHING EXTRA! she just seems to know how to go out there and be herself, people feel comfortable with her when they're doing the right things (and uncomfortable when they're not!), her honesty is refreshing, you gotta love her laugh!, she is always up for adventure-different countries and communities excite her, she has a sincere compassion and desire to make other's lives better, she's matter of fact and down to earth, she sometimes lacks tact-but when she realizes it she says something charming, she's optimistic but not irrational, she tends to be laid back, but offend her and she spits fire!, she's a freedom lover, but attached to family, just ask her to do something-don't try and order her around!, she is enthusiastic about life and trusts easily, her tastes and dreams are extravagant-but she is practical with her money.

That's Laura! she is loveable, kind and generous..and those qualities will serve her well as she enters a more gown up decade in her life. HAPPY BIRTHDAY my 20 year old baby...

Train Ride

San Juan Capistrano Station
San Diego Station
ticket to ride...

breakfast on the train in the dining car

our shopping destination

Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia (cherry chocolate ice cream)

Heidi and I have talked about taking this train ride from San Juan Capistrano to San Diego, for a couple of years, and now she was really ready and old enough to have some fun with this. Her favorite part? Eating in the dining car! Her favorite part of visiting San Diego? eating the ice cream cone!!! I could have saved a whole lot of money just taking her out to eat!!! :-)

50th Birthday~Linda

Happy Birthday to me from all of my kids!!! S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E! my children came down from Provo, Utah and up from Dana Point, CA to surprise me with a fun dinner out all together! It was the best gift ever! We all went to a Pirate's Dinner Theater in Buena Park and talked pirate talk!

Birthday concert

Some of you old timers will know who the musicians Loggins and Messina are...the rest of you will have to "google" them! This was a special birthday treat for Ken and I. They performed at the Greek Theater in Hollywood, where the weather was warm and nice and the music as good as we remembered it!

Fun times in Tahoe

Beautiful inlet to Lake Tahoe
Dave, Phil, Kevin and Ken
Phil, Kevin, Jackie, Ken, Linda, Debbie, Dave

so...after feeling still a little overwhelmed with Ken's new calling, we took off for an already scheduled get-away to Lake Tahoe with good friends! The Waddell's have a great home there that accomodated all of us comfortably. We spent the time hiking, eating and enjoying the many "words of wisdom" they had for Ken! It was a nice time to relax and catch our breath from the whirlwind of activities that have taken place in our lives.

Shopping with girls

after a long day of shopping with just me and the grandbabies, we had a nice treat out!

Bishop Boyer

On Sunday Sept 13, 2009 President Ronald White of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ordained Kenneth James Boyer, a high priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood, and set him apart as the Bishop of the Claremont 3rd Young Single Adult ward ! Joel McIntyre is 1st counselor, with David Cable as 2nd counselor. This is the beginning of the adventure with the young men and women (ages 18-30) for the next 3 years!

Sonoma

yummy! some of the best Portuguese cheese around! Wish we'd bought more of it...

Ken and one of his favorite comic strips

fields and fields of grapes...

great Italian food in a lively atmosphere.
No sooner had we landed from our Tahitian/Hawaiian anniversary trip, then Ken had to fuflill his obligations as the Optometric Assoc. president to attend a conference in Sonoma, CA. The place is beautiful with all it's vineyards. But the best was finding this quaint cheese "factory", a visit to the Charles M Schultz Museum ,and a nice dinner out to complete the weekend. I love, love, love my inside sources for travel! With it I find off the beaten path sights and restaurants!

Early (like 4AM) the next morning we flew home in order for Ken to receive a special assignment...(see Sept. 13, 2009)