After Work Sunsets

Winter 2017

I'm back to work full time, and the transition is going fine. Owen is getting into a good routine at daycare and his napping is getting better. After spending the day in the office, I love to grab Owen and go for a sunset walk. Sometimes we walk with Rosy at State Park, and other times we head to Rivi or T-Street. It sure helps to wash off the day!

Yard Work with Dad

January 15

Owen loves to do yard work with his dad! He loves power tools!

Adelanto Grand Prix

January 14, 2017

Brandon's New Year's resolution was to get back on the dirt bike and compete in a race again. Brandon's last race was in 2014, and a lot has happened since then for us: moving home, new jobs, buying a house, fixing up a house, and oh wait, a baby! It was great to see Brandon commit to something for himself, and achieve the goal.
Our bikes got worked in on December, and we had a great January practice ride together in Johnson Valley. With all the rain we've had this winter, the desert has had some of the best conditions in a long, long time.
We drove out to the race at 4am while Owen slept in his carseat. We got to Adelanto at 6am and Brandon checked in with the race officials. The race was in the city's minor league baseball stadium and surrounding desert. The stadium had a series of jumps and obstacles, opening up to a track and desert ride behind the stadium for an 8 mile loop. Brandon went out in the early morning unclassified division to practice and see the track. Owen and I watched from the stadium and had breakfast.

Owen had a blast, and took a nap between races.  We watched Blake and Brandon ride in their Veterans class a few hours later. The boys did great. No one got hurt, so we consider that a win!

We are so proud of Brandon for achieving a goal and for staying safe. It's great for Owen to see his dad ripping!

New Year's 2017

January 1, 2017

We kept our 8 year tradition alive, and made it up to the mountains for New Year's Day! We left San Clemente at 2am on Friday (after a horrible night of Owen not sleeping), and made it up to June Mountain at 8:30. We met the whole gang for a great day on the slopes.  Brandon rode all day with Mike, Chanell, Corey, Lisa, Ian, Rosy and Kevin. Owen and I checked out the snow and hung out in the Lodge.  Owen was super tired, but was refusing a nap. I was rocking him until I thought my arms would fall off.  Brandon came in for a break with Ian and Rosy, and Owen finally fell asleep on my lap. I was on the verge of tears from exhaustion with Owen, so I was very very relieved when he went to sleep.  The rest of the day was perfect. The conditions was amazing, and the group rode all day long.  Owen loved going on the chair lift between the parking lot and the lodge. It was really fun to share that experience with him! We had dinner with everyone at their cabin that night, then slept well at our hotel.
The next day, we went to Hot Creek and Mike and Davo helped me get started on my first real day fly fishing. I got a tenkara rod for Christmas, and I was excited to give it a try. It was really pretty, but super cold.  I ended up catching a rainbow and a brown on a nymphing set up. My first fish on the fly! Thanks for all the guidance and patience, Mike! After fishing, we were cold to the bone. We warmed up at the hotel, and realized how tired we were.  We ended up getting in bed at 7pm on New Year's Eve. The nights of not sleeping, mixed with the driving and all the activity just exhausted us and we had to give in.
The next day, New Year's morning, I snowboarded with the group. We headed to the backside of the mountain as a group, and had a beer and snacks at the Outpost.  I had a blast on the groomers with no crowds! The boys hiked up the mountain behind the Outpost and came down through the powder and trees. We all rode back to Canyon Lodge together. It takes a few runs and lifts to get back, and we ended up on a pretty difficult run with icy conditions and a windy face. We were pretty tired when we got back to the lodge!  Brandon picked me up in the parking lot, and we started our drive home!
It was a great trip with friends, and we were really happy to keep our New Year's tradition going.

Colleen's 30th

December 27, 2016

For my 30th birthday, we headed up to Ventura for a quick getaway. We met up with our buddy Blake in the morning, hoping to surf in Carpinteria but the waves were tiny. We let the dogs play on the beach then had breakfast at Blake's. It was fun to introduce Owen to Blake's family. The last time we saw them was last December, when Owen was in my belly. 

After breakfast, we headed to upper Ojai, and hiked along the Sespe River near Piedras Blancas. This is where we did our first backpacking trip together many years ago, and it was neat to see the area after all the rain and snow we've had this year. The mountaintops were white, and the weather was perfect for a hike.  Owen had been pretty wiggly in his car seat all day, but the second we got out on the trail he was as happy as could be. We hiked for hours, and finally found some good pools to stop and sit at for lunch.  It was just beautiful. The dogs were in heaven.

The next day we woke up in our room at the Crown Plaza in Ventura and took Reef out to play while we sipped coffee. It looked like there was a little swell in the water, but the tide was high. It was surprising, because the forecast said the waves would be flat.  I wanted to get wet, so I paddled out despite the conditions.  By the time I got out, the tide had started dropping, and it turned out to be very fun.  I was shocked by the super fun, 4 foot waves coming in. It was so fun! I saw some old friends in the water and got some really long rides in the cove.  For lunch, we went to our favorite taco shop, and said hi to our friends from my old office.  Then we went back to the beach, and I got to surf a second session. Perfect birthday!

The next morning we packed up and looked at the waves at the Ventura Harbor. It was small everywhere else, so the harbor was pretty crowded. We played with Reef instead, and Owen took a nice nap on the beach.  Then we headed to a little skate park in Ventura and did a few laps in the bowl.  We met my good friend Lena for dinner at our favorite pizza restaurant.  It was so nice to see Lena.  We love being home in San Clemente, but really miss friends like Lena and Blake. After dinner we headed home and got ready for our next trip!

First Bike Rides

December 2016

Owen loves to go on bike rides to San Clemente State Beach!

Christmas 2016

December 25, 2016

Owen's first Christmas! We had a lovely holiday break.  Owen met Cousin Natalie for the first time, while she was in town from Texas to visit Aunt Pat and Uncle Tom with her family.  On Christmas Eve, we had dinner with the whole gang at Grandma and Grandpa Mehlberg's. Brandon read Owen the Night Before Christmas, and Owen chewed on the book.  Owen got a little too tired and over stimulated with all the activities,  so he got sent to bed before presents.  We had Christmas morning at our house the next day, and Grandma Annette and Aunt Brooke came over for brunch.  Owen wore the same Mele Kalikimaka pajamas that I wore when I was one year old (30 year old pjs!). Owen got lots of gifts from the family, including from Grandpa Mike in Texas. It was wonderful.