No picture taking?

I just downloaded photos and can't believe what little I have to show for the life we have been leading this summer. I have NO pictures from our week up at the lake house for 4th of July - well except for some videos of Wes, Cody, Graham, Liam, Seby & Zane taking turns driving the toy tractor down the boat launch and whipping it around to a stop - all with inches to spare before they each either fall off the side of the launch, roll over, or just slide straight into the lake. It turns out these were just examples of what I was afraid they would end up doing, yet they never fell. I did make Zane go and put on a bike helmet, and EVERYONE teased me for it. I like his cute face and we had too recently already taken him to the ER for stitches from a pocket knife cut.

We had Liam come stay with us for the past two weeks and last week Seby, Zane & I drove Liam back to Chicago. I also had to go to a hearing for some building infractions we had on the Chicago apartments. Luckily we are all finished with that and hopefully they won't bug us for a while. If they do I have a few neighbors to point out.

I requested that we have dinner at Reza's our last night in Chicago - an old favorite of ours from when we lived in Andersonville in Chicago. Yum. It was still yummy and Reza is still greeting everyone at the door, with many of the same wait staff. Here are some pics of Seby & Zane devouring a new favorite dessert we had after our very large meal.




They each were able to fit 7 of these tasty treats into their already full tummy's. Zane was in a trance on the drive home. Sitting next to him I was a little worried he was going to throw up on me - and in Liz & O'd new car! But he didn't. Just food coma.

Zane HAD to get in a visit to the Lincoln Park Zoo - and who wouldn't love to do that? It is the best Zoo in the WORLD!



The next day Liz, Liam, Seby, Zane & I drove up to the lake house for a quick weekend. Slade, Cody & Graham drove up from Mlsp in our old Suburban - which we left at the lake house as our emergency car. We are so isolated at the lake house and Slade goes thru cars like crazy - there is always a car that can find a home at the lake house. Alex & Od drove up as well. It was lovely to spend the weekend together, even if it was quick. Driving there we saw the most amazing fog. We stopped and took some pics minutes away from the house. The kids also saw a porcupine climbing up a tree.





Yesterday morning we dropped off Seby at REI for his 3 hour drive to Camp Warren for TWO WEEKS! We had to stop at Target to pick him up a stuffed animal, as he realized he left he beloved Bear in his bed.



Enough updating, now I must go to a class at the Y.

last photo i imported to iphoto

Really, this is the last photo i imported. i sent it to slade in an email with four other photos as possible photos for his facebook pic. Cody and Graham have been giving him a hard time about NOT having a photo.

In this pic, Slade is a senior in high school. We are not dating yet, but we have known each other for a couple years. I believe I have already set him up with and counseled several girlfriends of his at this point. I think I am working at Solutions in SF. I remember he and Dominick came over to the city one night and we went and saw Maud in a play. At this point Slade is on his 3rd car (I think) - a black Camaro. On the drive home some low-riders were trying to get Slade to race - I remember they were egging him on while we were still on the bridge, then once we got off Slade opened up the car. It was sweet. He also dropped back his speed and made it clear that he would not race, but speeding in a fun car is - well, fun. It is for that reason alone that I don't think he should buy another one (Camaro) now - one that our two sons would drive and do something similar in, I'm sure.

I made Cody drive my BMW the other day. He drove it just a few blocks, we picked up Graham then he asked me to drive home. On the drive home he said "This car seems like it would be easy and fun to go fast." Probably NOT the right car for the new driver to use. Probably a good call on his part to be clear that he doesn't want to drive it.

Liam is visiting us from Chicago. I'm sorry to say I have no photos. I have been a bad Aunt. It has been fun having a fifth child, and honestly feels just natural with our flow. We hope he comes back soon!

growing up

this is a pic from auntie liz - don't these boys all look so grown up? i love it. ok, i know you can't see zane's face - but the look on cody's face tells me what zane's face must look like.

seby & zane in chicago

seby & zane drove back with the chicago cousins (o'd, liz, alex & liam) - they are spending the week with them. we brought back wes with us. maud, lucas, livia, rose & ann went back to los angeles last night.

here is seby under the bean in chi-town



and zane under some other structure.



here is ann and all the grandkids. we had a great week up at lake lotto - even though we really only had one warm day, one warm enough to be summer at the lake day, and then the day we left was also a great summer day. even with our cold and rainy days we all had a great time. we fined tuned some card games and played an amazing game of pin-the-tail on the donkey - which i was the winner in! rose (8) walked away with the winnings from the first night of texas hold'em, livia (13 and rose's older sister) took home the second winnings. well, i guess that makes sense - they live closest to las vegas!