The Sunshine Of My Life

In Loving Memory of Luna

2011-06-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to write this post until now because our loss of Luna was so unexpected and quick. We adopted Luna in March of 2009 from the Northern CA Lab Rescue group and thought she was only 4 years old at that time. She provided us with so much joy, love and comfort in the short time we were blessed with her. Luna loved carbs, especially tortillas, she loved snuggling and hanging out. She passed away suddenly 3 weeks ago due to an enlarged liver and at that time we learned she was really 10 years old. We are still heartbroken to lose our chica, but to know she was 10 and not 6 like we thought, made us feel a teensy bit better that she had lived her last years with us. We love and miss you, Luna. This is a pic of both Luna and Daphne - my best girls.

Water Polo

2011-06-28T10:21:00.001-07:00

My son Jack is learning to play water polo this summer and is totally loving the challenge! He is wearing the #11 cap!

My Valentines

2011-02-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

I am in love. I am in love with my husband Russell, but also our life together and the wonderful children we share. I love JackaMaya with all heart and each day my heart bursts a little more with pride and emotion. I hope the seams are strong enough to support this heart of mine as it keeps on growing.

Vacation, all I ever wanted!

2010-12-06T19:38:00.001-08:00

If you know me, it is no secret how much I love Mexico, especially Tulum. We scrapped and saved and enjoying Thanksgiving week at our favorite resort, Dreams.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

Swimming Lessons

2010-07-31T08:35:00.000-07:00

It is the thick of summer, and my kids are loving our summer of swimming at the Rec Center! They take swim lessons almost every day and then many days we stay for open swim. Just 2 years ago, Jack was deathly afraid of swim lessons and now he is learning to dive! The progress and courage are amazing. Maya is a fish! She can sit criss cross apple sauce under water while holding her breath, she can swim under water and she jumped off the diving board this week! I am so proud of them!

In Memory of Daphne

2010-07-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

My sweet Daphne passed away a short time ago in her sleep. She has been such an awesome and loving and happy dog all 15 years of her life. I got her as a tiny puppy when she was 2 months old when it was just the 2 of us. Then, our family grew and she loved each of us so much. I will miss her happy panting, her loyalty, her smiles, her stealing of food from an unattended plate, her rolling around and barking every afternoon, her love of water and the sprinkler and everything else about my sweet chica. RIP my Daphne Guadalupe Aguacita Cabo San Lucas Norton Johnson. I will miss you...

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-11T09:39:00.001-07:00

My family :)

Another Belt

2010-03-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of Russell and Jack! They tested last week for their camoflauge belt at Taekwando. Cousin Chandler is now a second degree black belt and Josh is a red belt. So proud of all the boys.

The Artist

2010-03-05T06:56:00.000-08:00

Maya loved her first visit to Art Beast in late January. Located in downtown Sacramento, Art Beast is a hands-on art studio for kids to explore and create! Silly me, put Maya in white sweats that day. They were multi-color when we got home but thankfully, all the paint washed out and her cute white sweats are just fine!

Taco Lovers just like me!

2010-03-05T06:50:00.000-08:00

We finally have a Chipotle in West Sacramento! It opened in January and the kids and I waited to be the first customers! My nephew Cody joined us and we declined to eat until he watched us enjoying our chicken tacos. He tried a bite and next thing you know, I was back at the counter, ordering more tacos! It is probably a good thing it is about a 15 minute drive to Chipotle because I'd be there too much if it were any closer!

Christmas Day 2009

2010-02-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at Grandpa & Lola's

2010-02-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

The kids really enjoy the annual tradition of Christmas Eve with Grandpa and Lola. Maya rocked the mini guitar, Jack played Santa and the kids tried to pose for a picture, but there was too much silliness going on!

Karate Chop!

2010-02-23T21:44:00.000-08:00

I've been so remiss in posting to my blog - blame Facebook! I seem to do all my picture posting over there and need to remember my first, this Sunshine of My Life blog. Jack and Russell have been taking Karate lessons since last September and both love it! We spend quite a bit of time at the Taekwondo studio and it is showing! I'm so proud of my boys - they are both yellow belts now and will hopefully be earning their camoflauge belts in March!

My Chica's

2009-12-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

Luna and Daphne are my sweet chica's. Luna is 4 - we adopted her from the lab rescue last March and aside from a carbohydrate addiction, she is perfect! Daphne is 14 1/2 now and she is my sweet girl. She is always happy and so patient with Luna and Maya!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

This year, we spent Thanksgiving in Bodega Bay, enjoying walks along the beach and the ocean waves and beautiful weather. We are so thankful for our family, friends, health and home. Our best wishes to all of you.

Disneyland Fun!

2009-11-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

We had the best adventure at Disneyland 2 weeks ago! Jack and Maya were both such troopers and Maya has become a little daredevil! She loved many rides we thought she'd be afraid to ride. Jack completed the Jedi tranining and it was so cool to watch him battle Darth Vader! Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

Jack was Jengo Fett (Star Wars bounty hunter) 2 years ago for Halloween. Last year, he really wanted to be Boba Fett (Star Wars bounty hunter) and I talked him into being his second choice, Indiana Jones. Well, this year, he still really wanted to be Boba Fett and I thought his dedication to the bounty hunters needed to be honored. Well, Maya had decided on Snow White, but a last minute upgrade in costume made her Jengo Snow White - the best princess bounty hunter in the universe! She was a crack-up in her stroller and costume, cruising the neighbhorhood!

We had a great Halloween. Cody, Ryan, Carter and Hal joined us for trick or treating!

Jack's Poem

2009-10-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of Jack. His poem was selected by the International Rose Garden of Peace Committee, to be displayed in the rose garden this year. Here we are at the unveiling of his plaque after he read his poem in front of the whole school. I am a very proud mommy!

Jack takes flight!

2009-08-09T21:31:00.001-07:00

Russ took Jack to the McCellan Park Aerospace Museum this weekend. They had a wonderful adventure and plan to go back again!

Lovely Ladies

2009-07-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary, Maya!

2009-07-18T23:01:00.001-07:00

Two years ago today, we were blessed with adding Maya to our lives in Guatemala. I love you, my little chica! I cannot imagine a time without you!

Vacation!

2009-07-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a dreamy week at Dreams Puerto Vallarta. We played in the sand, body surfed the ocean, swam in the pool, parasailed and had a great time hanging with our extended family. Here are a few pictures from our dolphin adventure...the highlight of our trip!

My Fish

2009-06-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

Summer is our favorite time of year because we LOVE to swim! This year is especially fun, because we have the new Rec Center in town and the pools are so much fun! The kids are enjoying swim lessons.

June 1st

2009-06-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

We played out in the backyard tonight. Maya and Jack had fun playing dodgeball with Daddy and fetch with Luna! Daphne and I enjoyed watching!

We Love West Sac Rec Center!

2009-05-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Jack and Maya enjoy the preview afternoon at the city Rec Center. The splash pool and lazy river are great! We had a blast and can't wait to spend our summer here!

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

Maya loves the bean dip!

My favorite place to eat Mexican food (outside of Mexico) is Ernesto's at 16th and S Streets. We've been dining there since it opened and looked like a coffee shop with rose colored booths. The atmospheric transformation has been beautiful over the years. The staff always friendly and generous and the food makes my mouth water. The salsa and chips are the best in town. I love many dishes on the menu - the bowl of whole bean soup, the carnitas, the tamales, but my absolute favorite is the chile verde! A margarita on the rocks, no salt really makes the meal! I could go on and on, but now that my mouth is watering (and hopefully yours, too!), I will wish you Feliz Cinco de Maya!

Willing Subjects

2009-04-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

Jack & Maya were good sports this evening while I was practicing with my replacement wide angle lens. You see, I dropped my other one and broke it and my wonderful mom got me a new one.

Fun at the Zoo

2009-04-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

The kids

2009-04-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

Wide Open Spaces

2009-03-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Jack lost one of his front teeth tonight. Thank you Boudin's sourdough french bread!

Happy Birthday Dear Jack!

2009-03-17T15:18:00.001-07:00

My son Jack is 7 years old today! Cheers to my wonderful son! I am biased, of course, but I think he is incredible!

He did it!

2009-03-11T14:01:00.001-07:00

I'm so proud of Russell! After many years of hard work, he graduated from New York Institute of Technology with a degree in English! The diploma arrived today!

Daylight Saving Time

2009-03-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Even though the first Monday morning of DST isn't easy, it is so worth the groggy, tired eyes when we are rewarded with sunshine that lasts long enough to take the kids to the park in the evening after dinner. Even though the evenings last the same amount of time, the extended daylight makes it feel like we have so much more time for fun. We went to the park and Jack and Maya played their hearts out.

The Spongebob

2009-03-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

My kids love Spongebob. Maya was so excited to finally "meet" him in person! This was taken at Pier 39 this weekend. We took the kids on an adventure. We took the Ferry Boat from Vallejo to San Francisco and walked our way up Embarcadero and took pictures, goofed around and had a great day. This was Maya's first time in the city. We had a terrific day.

My Kids - I love them!

2009-02-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

Boyz

2009-02-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

Jack, Drew, Ryan and Hal playing bad guys/good guys.

Snow Day!

2009-02-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

Russ, Kurt, Catherine, Jack and Hal braved a trip to the snow on Monday, while us girls, enjoyed a coffee day at Old Soul and shoe shopping!

Maya has a picnic

2009-01-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

Maya asked me for a sandwich and when I followed her into the kitchen, she had the pink towel and drinking glasses set up on the floor and told me she needed a sandwich for her picnic!

Grandpa Time!

2009-01-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Jack and Maya love every minute of time spent with Grandpa. Lots of sillyness, I promise!

3-D

2009-01-08T19:39:00.001-08:00

Getting ready to read the 3-D books Grandpa gave Jack for Christmas! Maya is alternately scared and excited by the pictures. The Dinosaurs scared her as they came off the page!

I couldn't ask for better

2009-01-01T22:49:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T08:10:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to all our friends and loved ones :)

Santa Maya

2008-12-22T15:09:00.000-08:00

Maya loves her Santa outfit (a gift from Tita), only she calls it her "Shanta" outfit!

Mommy Loves Maya

2008-12-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

Maya loves candy!

2008-12-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

Maya loves the candy called "Fun Dip!" Notice her mouth and hands are a nice shade of green/blue!

Maya making cookies

2008-12-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Maya helps bake cookies at Grammy's house!

Rainy Day Fun

2008-12-16T18:27:00.001-08:00

Where do we go when the rain and freezing cold keep us inside??? Costco! Maya and I spent almost 2 hours walking around looking, touching and playing with almost everything in the store. Of course, I had my camera with me!

Yummy Egg Nog

2008-12-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

Jack, Hal & Maya enjoy a cup of egg nog with Grandpa Bruce on Wednesday!

Christmas is Coming!

2008-12-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we brought the tree in from the garage and put it together and then Jack and Maya decorated. They did such a wonderful job placing the ornaments on the tree with deliberation. It was fun to watch and not lead. Jack is a great big brother and Maya learned quickly about hanging ornaments and we only had one ornament casualty.

2008-12-02T23:04:00.000-08:00

Our first day was spent trying on new hats and swimming in the pool. Note the awesome swim-up bar!

Room with a View

2008-12-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

We arrived at Dreams Tulum in the dark and had no idea the beauty that awaited until we woke up the next morning to find this out the front door of our room. The mangrove below is like a jungle that leads to a white sand beach and beautiful turquoise water.

First Night

2008-12-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

The first night at Dreams Tulum, we were treatd to the first of many pieces of towel art - the kids loved the elephant!

Old Friends

2008-11-15T08:54:00.000-08:00

Last night, I was lucky to spend a nice evening at Zocalo with dear old friends. Kevin, Kathy, Mike and Erin (she took the picture). It's funny how time does fly and you get busy with your own life and family and look back and realize 10 years have passed and you miss your old friends. Nice to know you can go back again.

Monday Morning Maya

2008-11-10T11:44:00.001-08:00

This is Maya on our way to Kindermusik this morning. Notice the Yoda bag and the directions for her new baby stroller in hand. Maya is always prepared!

This is Maya rockin' and rollin' on the floor at Kindermusik. She loves Kindermusik and I highly recommend it for little ones.

This is Maya after class ended. The Yoda bag is courtesy of Tita and she goes nowhere without it! Also note her awesome t-shirt "Conserve Water, Drink Chocolate Milk!" A gift from Tommy & Charlee. I'd love to have one for myself!

Happy 2nd Birthday to Maya

2008-11-08T21:27:00.000-08:00

Today, we celebrated Maya's 2nd Birthday. My little Chica is such a gift, even when she is screaming at 2 in the morning! She loves Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Sponge Bob, Dora, her big brother and all her cousins, gymnastics and practicing her forward rolls. She cheers and laughs and loves to eat most anything. She melts my heart with her smile and her hugs give me energy. I learn so much through her approach to life. Thank you my little sweetheart, I love you so very much and am thankful every day to have you in my life. Happiest Birthday wishes to you.

Her party today was at the Bounce Spot and Maya had a terrific time jumping and boucing with kids and adults!

We finished off the night with take-out from PF Chang's and now we are all exhausted and ready for sleep!

Minnie & Indiana

2008-11-06T13:27:00.001-08:00

Pre-Halloween

2008-11-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

Kylie, Maya and Jack are hanging out together before they get dressed for Halloween!

Annual Pumpkin Carving Party

2008-10-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to Dave's Pumpkin Patch this afternoon. The weather is deceptive, only Russ wore sunscreen and the rest of us have pink cheeks! A warm and beautiful October day! We are now home with the A/C on!

Let's Go Fly A Kite!

2008-10-13T11:43:00.001-07:00

Sunday was the perfect day for flying a kite at the park! We had so much fun, but we did have a close call when a wind gust crashed our kite into a tree. Luckily, we were able to pull it down without any damage and kept on flying our kite plane!

Love My Cousin

2008-10-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

What a great afternoon, Ryan's Birthday Party and Shelley and I were able to visit and catch up. Love ya, Shelley!

Playing Ball

2008-09-23T22:03:00.001-07:00

Having more fun with Photoshop!

Playing with Photoshop

2008-09-22T17:44:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of Jack from our trip to Bodega Bay last May. I am learning to use Adobe Photoshop and having fun using different filters, etc.

Mmmm Good!

2008-09-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Friday Night Fun!

2008-09-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

We had a great Friday evening at the West Sac Moose enjoying tacos and family friendly Karaoke! Maya played with Tita and danced with Grammy and even sang with the girls, too!

Best Cousins/Best Friends

2008-09-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

This is a very short video of my two favorite guys - Jack & Hal. Pictures were taken last Easter.

Happy Birthday, Russell!

2008-09-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

My husband Russell is 40 today! We are on our way to Ernesto's for a celebration dinner. These pictures were taken at our family party honoring Russell from last week!

We Are Family

2008-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Force Is With Jack!

2008-09-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here is Jack trying out his new Star Wars sheets! These aren't just any scratchy, polyester character sheets - these are nice organic cotton sheets from Pottery Barn Kids. Too cool not to buy for my guy, Jack! He loves them! Maya agrees they are pretty comfy!

Adventures with Maya

2008-09-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

Maya and I set out on a photo adventure this week to take pictures for the West Sacramento Photo of the Day Blog. We explored the CA Hwy Patrol Academy and Maya really enjoyed running around the large campus!

Family Swim

2008-08-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

Sundays

2008-08-25T10:31:00.001-07:00

Papa reads a book for Maya :)
The kids cuddle with Dada before bedtime. Maya has learned to say "cheese!" That smile cracks me up!

Are You Smarter Than My First Grader?!!

2008-08-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

The day I've been secretly dreading - the first day of 1st Grade. Jack isn't my baby anymore. He is now sitting in his first grade classroom. All day school. Maya and I will miss our companion. I'm selfish and will miss my guy each day.

We visited his new classroom this morning, met his new teacher and got excited to see that Jack's best friends from Kindergarten are in his class this year! This sure helped ease his nervousness. I can hardly wait to pick him up from school this afternoon and hear all about his first day. I know he (and I) will be learning so much this year!

Boing!

2008-08-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

Jack and Maya popping out!

Me and My Kids

2008-08-09T13:02:00.001-07:00

Russell took this picture of us in the backyard this morning.

2008-07-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Fun in Carson City

2008-07-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

We took a short trip up to Carson City this weekend to visit with the Johnson Family and to spend time with Julie and Cody - here on a visit from Rhode Island. The time passed way too quickly, but I think we managed to squeeze in some fun! Jack and Cody had a great time and Maya bonded with aunt Julie!

Gotcha Day!

2008-07-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 18th was the one year anniversary of the day Maya was placed in my arms at our hotel in Guatemala. We celebrated the day at a River Cats baseball game with all our family that evening. Earlier in the day, Jack and Maya snuggled on the couch together.

Looking back, it seems like we just left Guatemala and then it also feels like a lifetime because I cannot imagine life without Maya. She means everything to all of us...Jack has the little sister he wanted so badly and Russell and I have a daughter who is sweet, loving, funny, strong-willed and very independent. We love you Maya.

Jack did it!

2008-07-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Today, Jack jumped off the diving board in the deep pool! We are so proud of him!

Maya is 20 months old

2008-07-11T09:56:00.001-07:00

My Beautiful Daphne

2008-07-07T21:33:00.001-07:00

My wonderful chica, Daphne is 13 years old now. I love her so very much. She became my sweet companion in 1995 at the age of 2 months. Always gentle, loveable and happy...

Jack n Hal

2008-07-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

Our Tuesday

2008-07-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

While Jack was at swim lessons, Maya was talking on the phone and pointing out the arrival of friends to the pool!

This is how we beat the heat!

2008-06-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Tita, Maya, Chandler and Hal
Mommy and Maya

More Cousin Time!

2008-06-19T10:41:00.001-07:00

Drew and Jack get silly this week while grooving out to the Hipwaders! The Hipwaders are a kid-friendly rock group that even the adults can enjoy! I especially enjoyed their rendition of the Scooby Doo Theme Song!

Cousin Time

2008-06-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Ryan, Maya, Jack & Hal enjoy playing at the park together! Who knew a bike rack could be so much fun! The kids start out on the play structure, but always seem to end up on the bike rack!

School's Out For Summer!

2008-06-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe the school year is finished and Jack will go on to 1st grade! Seems that time passes so quickly now and I'm happy and sad at the same time. I lament the day Jack is "too grown up" to enjoy time with him mom. He's been such a great little guy and friend to me for 6 years now. We've had so much fun together on our many adventures, including this year of Kindergarten. He is still such a sweet, funny and friendly kid and great big brother, I should add. Maya and I will miss dropping and picking Jack up each day at school and seeing his teacher and all his friends. The girls all loved to play with Maya each day and she ate it up, as if she was one of them! I hope everyone has a terrific summer, with lots of fun, good health and adventure. School starts again in August and will be here before we know it!

We love vacation

2008-05-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Normally, we love warm weather vacations, but after our hot spell at home last week, we wanted a cool vacation on the North Coast and this weekend has been just what we needed. We've combed the beaches for shells and rocks (at Wrigth's Beach, where my grandma Elsie loved to rock hunt), took a drive up past Jenner on the windy Hwy 1 - we all felt a little car sick it was so curvy - but the view made it worthwhile! We also found a great little place called the Dog House for burgers and homemade fries.

Quail at the Coast

2008-05-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

I have never seen a live Quail so up close!

Bodega Bay

2008-05-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Googlie Mooglie

2008-05-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

Another one gone

2008-05-21T08:13:00.001-07:00

Jack lost his second bottom tooth yesterday! Hooray!

100 Degrees in the Shade

2008-05-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

To combat this early heatwave, we spent the evening in the pool. Sure did feel good!

Glamorous

2008-05-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

We attended the Mother/Daughter dinner at the Moose Saturday night and Maya had great fun trying on sunglasses and hats!

Friends

2008-05-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Jack, Oscar and Maya enjoy an afternoon at the park! Jack is a great playmate for the two little ones. Oscar is a few months older than Maya and we were fortunate to meet his parents through our journey of adoption. Oscar is such a cool little guy and the kids have a great time at the park during our weekly outing!

Big Shoes to Fill

2008-05-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Maya loves shooozz (as she says) and if I tell her to bring me a pair of shoes, she can find a matching pair for me to help her put on. I find this pretty impressive for an 18 month old (and she's been doing it for 2 months now :) Although she loves her shoes, Jack's shoes are the bestest of all and she can put his blue Crocs on all by herself. Sometimes she wears them over her shoes and sometimes she takes her shoes off first. Here she is, helping Mommy clean the kitchen floor. She is such a big help!

Hello, Tooth Fairy

2008-04-29T15:24:00.001-07:00

Jack lost his first tooth this morning after a week of wiggling the loose tooth. Yesterday, he told me he was sure the tooth would come out tomorrow and he was right! He came running out of his room first thing this morning, excitedly yelling that his tooth fell out! He woke up and felt something strange at his lip and reached in and it was his tooth! Painless...thank goodness...cause he was worried we'd need to pull it out!

Cake Walk

2008-04-20T18:32:00.001-07:00

Maya enjoys the cupcake she won at the tea party and cake walk today at our Moose Lodge.

Hanging Out!

2008-04-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Russ Maya & Jack hanging out and Joshua hanging upside down!