It's like we have season passes or something...

What's a trip to the boardwalk without a bigger-than-your-head donut?!

 Or a ride on the iconic carousel?

 Or a couple of dozen rides on the sky glider?

As always, Kate and I ran like maniacs onto each ride. But, we lost Jimmy at the Fire Ball... someone doesn't like spinning ride, oops. Good way to end a fast trip.

Hiking- where it's at

While camping, we were able to partake in the beauty all around us! It was so nice to be close to many day hikes. We chose two fabulous ones. The first was a 3 mile hike in Butano State Park. A wonderful hike in mostly shaded area. A great choice for kids. There is some difficult parts, but not so hard that it was impossible for Kate. Plus, how can you go wrong with a few banana slug sightings?! We are definitely camping here next time we decide to camp on the coast- the grounds are impeccable and all the trails lead back to the campsites. Can you imagine a day like this: Wake up, eat breakfast, go on a hike, eat lunch on the trail, go back to campsite, eat a fire-cooked meal, go to sleep, wake up and repeat?!?! My kind of heaven!

The second hike we did was the Ano Nuevo walk along the cliffs. So spectacular! PLUS we spotted a California quail! My favorite. I have an obsession with California quails. I secretly hope one dies of natural causes on our property so I can get it stuffed. I know it's weird, but I am being honest... and creepy, I suppose.

Camping... not a wild success

Jimmy has been a little stressed out at work lately. His boss has had to take a lot of time off due  to family stuff. So Jimmy has been left in charge quite a bit in the past two months.

He FINALLY was able to take two days off and we planned a trip so fast, we were in the car before any of us realized what we just did!

As a family, we have never been camping. NEVER. I Love camping... Jimmy, not so much. Well, after our maiden experience, I can understand why one might not enjoy the experience...

 

Here is Jimmy ready to go!

 And Kate all outdoorsy looking-

 

Our absolutely gorgeous campsite nestled between a horse stable (Kate's dream) and a huge garden (my dream)

 Kate and me before our first night- we look so happy and refreshed and operating on a full night's sleep

 The view from our tent door- the ocean and a light house. Spectacular

 

These pictures are very deceiving, folks... It was a breathtaking drive down the coast to get here. And a cinch to set up camp. And a dream to have running toilets near our campsite. What was not a dream, however:
There was a couple that rolled into camp around 11:00 pm. There tent was planted twenty yards from ours. A suitable distance, I think. But, this couple did not take this twenty yards as a challenge. No siree! They were sure to break sound barriers all night long. What tools did they use to break those barriers, you ask? Well, first off, their car was parked in such a way that the headlights shone completely in our tent anytime they flashed the lights... which was often. Very often. Almost as often as the times they decided to get a little friendly with each other. Let me tell you, these folks were quite friendly. They liked each other a lot. And often. More often than the times they flashed their car headlights in our tent, but less often than the times they woke me up with their talking and playing of loud hippie music. It was a dreadful night. Dreadful. Plus, how do explain friendliness to our nine year old daughter?! Jimmy and I just talked REALLY loud so that our voices would over power, er, other sounds. My patience only lasted until about 4:30 am, when I gave up and took my pillow and blanket to our car. Not too long afterwards, Jimmy joined me and said, "They're getting friendly again..." We picked up Kate in her sleeping bag and transferred her to the back seat of the van, where we all slept soundly for a couple of hours.

Here's what it comes down to:

Drive down: *****

Accommodations: ****

View: *****

Neighbors: *

All in all, a good trip. But I am telling you, that one star really ruined the other good stuff for us.

 

The boy who lived...

I have tried, unsuccessfully for months to get Kate to read Harry Potter. Until last week, that is. Finally, my little girl started the series and finished the book in three days. Thattagirl.

To celebrate the end of each book, we have chosen to watch the corresponding movie. Well, we kind of got into it...
Kate made hats:

We watched with our Butter Beer, Popcorn and magic wands:

We laughed. We cried. We got a little scared:

But I think Jimmy had the most fun of all!:

Guess what I zipped up today?!

MY JUNIOR PROM DRESS!!!

Yes, I am the dork who wore my prom dress to church today.

 

 

We like to party

The Graham family is well known for it's penchant to party...

I went early to help out a dear friend for the Fiesta they had to celebrate her son's first birthday.

It was so much fun!

The food was great, the atmosphere relaxed and fake mustaches abounded.

Happy Birthday to a sweet little guy!!!

Day Full of Boys

At the daycare I work, there were only boys.
Four very rowdy boys.
After work Kate and I went to pick up the boys we used to foster.
Three rowdy boys.

We spent the day at the pool, where there seemed to be more water out of the pool than in it by the time we left. It was a good day that is making the sleep tonight all worth it.
zzzZzzzzzZZZzzzzzz....

Quality not Quantity

I am pleased to announce that we had another missionary discussion with our friend Sue. It was wonderful. She is kind. I love teaching the gospel. I realized when Sue left that I would not be able to do what I did tonight if I had a ton of kids. I love children. But, I am being honest when I say that missionary work is my total passion. I was married at 19 and was not able to attend a full time mission. I would have LOVED it! I cannot wait to go on a mission with Jimmy when we can. I look back on the time I have spent in our ward whilst having one child. Because of the one child and the one child's disposition, I have been able to help and serve in the church. I have been able to give my all and really sacrifice for God's children. I may not have many of His children in my home, but I am not wasting my time on this earth... well, mostly- sometimes I spend hours watching a cooking show and then forget my responsibilities...

But I digress. Maybe Heavenly Father knows what He's doing after all, huh? Our ward has been really pushing the missionary effort. I am happy to be pushed. I go willingly into what is required of me. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity. That's not to say that those who have multiple children do not serve. It's just a different way of serving. For the longest time, I felt that having many children would be the only way to contribute in this life. It was that misconception that made me unhappy with a small family. When I have seen what has been accomplished by our small family in the past few weeks, I have come to realize that we are only small in number.

Oops.

So, as I stated yesterday, I went to the Oakland airport for some friends. My job was to follow them there and take home their company's luggage so they wouldn't have to trek it around San Francisco all day.
I was happy to make the trip. Kate and I had a great time driving and going to the temple, visitors' center and distribution center. We spent a ton of time in Bay Area traffic, too. What a delight...

When we finally got back into town, it was about dinner time. So, we met Jimmy at the local Panera for dinner. The day had already been long and going somewhere to eat really helped me to wind down. Because Jimmy had his car and I had mine, I sent Kate home with Jimmy so I could attend a meeting that night. The meeting wasn't scheduled for another hour, so I dropped off at my in-laws to get in some TV time.

I know, I know- a day full of wonderful things then I trash it. But, really- it was a food show, no trash- I swear. Well, there were only a few more episodes in the series and it was expiring from Hulu Plus in two days! What's a girl to do?! Well, skip the meeting- email in my part and sit my rump on the couch for s couple of hours, of course. I finished out the season and just loved it.

When I hopped in the car at 11:38pm, it was only then that I realized- I.forgot.to.take.the.luggage. !!!!! I FORGOT TO TAKE THE LUGGAGE!!! What was my whole purpose today?! What was it?!?!?! To bring the luggage!!!!! I had a freak out moment and drove like the dickens. In my mad rush, a panicked telephone call was made to Jimmy. Unfortunately, he did not answer. But fortunately, he still has a message saved on his phone where his wife sounds like a complete maniac....
Anyway, when I arrived at the home of the luggage owners, I was almost relieved to find that their car was not there. When I say almost it is because every terrible scenario entered my mind at this moment: "What if they drove back to the airport looking for me?!" or "What if they are driving up to my house right now to get the suitcases?!" or "What if they've moved because they were so appalled by my actions?!?!" Yes. I admit it. My mind went to even more dangerous places than these, folks.

Upon unlocking the front door and depositing the luggage, I realized that no one had been home yet. I let out a sigh and thought, "just as long as you get to work before the boss..." am I right?

Temple with Kate

Kate and I drove down to the Oakland airport for some friends  and stopped off for a nice lunch on the Oakland Temple grounds. The temple is closed for cleaning until the end of the month, so we had the whole grounds to ourselves! We also stopped by the visitors' center to watch videos and such. It was a great time. I really enjoyed that midweek recharge.

Mmmm... Chocolate

In this cycle of the weight loss program I am doing, there is a revamped food list. Included on this food list are: positive foods, negative foods and neutral foods. The ‘neutral’ list is a new concept this time around. On this list is exactly what it sounds- foods that are neither good nor bad in the grand scheme of what should be counted in a day’s nutrition. Well, folks- I have some fabulous news. Dark chocolate is one on the neutral list! I think it might be time for a jig. The requirement is that the chocolate must be 70% or higher in cocoa content. I went out to my local neighborhood Trader Joe’s and grabbed a few bars to see what would be my neutral of choice. And it’s here that I have chosen to share my findings!

Here’s the lineup:

Organic 73% cacao super dark

This chocolate had a slightly bitter taste- but in a pleasant way. The taste is so strong that I feel the recommended serving size is too much. Just one square made me completely satisfied. I really enjoyed the almost tangy aftertaste. I highly recommend letting the piece melt in your mouth- it’s quite a treat!

AWARDED: Best Bar for the Purist

 

Organic 73% cacao super dark chocolate with almonds

I love the almonds in this bar. Like it’s nut-free counterpart, the chocolate taste is slightly bitter in a pleasant way. I do like how the sharpness of the chocolate is cut with the crunchy almonds. If I were to choose with or without nuts, I would definitely choose the former.

AWARDED: Best Bar for the Candy Bar Lover

 

Organic stone ground 70% cacao extra dark chocolate

This chocolate was actually my favorite. I think that others probably do not agree with me. I’ve always been a fan of the off kilter foods. Lavender ice cream is my favorite- not everyone’s cup of tea. This bar is stone milled and has cocoa nibs in it, making the texture grainy. I love that aspect. To me it’s almost like and aero bar or crunch bar. I liked the texture. Also, this bar is a Mexican style chocolate, so there’s a cinnamon undertone. The cocoa nibs have the richness of almost a coffee flavor. I really enjoyed this bar.

AWARDED: Best Bar for the Epicurean

 

Swiss 72% cacao dark chocolate

Yum! Definitely the most smooth out of the bunch. The flavor was almost buttery. I liked the way this bar really melted in my mouth. Out of all the bars, this Swiss version was the most sweet. The chocolate flavor was great, but left my mouth and throat a tad bit dry.

AWARDED: Best Bar for the Milk Chocolate Lover

 

Be Patient

Through all of the months when decisions regarding the adoption process were required, I kept getting confused about what Heavenly Father wanted of us. I did not want to make a huge decision without a solid confirmation. When we accepted the foster placement of the boys, I knew it was the right thing. Even through the difficult times, I did not once regret the decision we made because the answer in the affirmative was so clear. I just wanted the same for the adoption decision. I wanted a clear answer to look back on that would be a rock for the times I might waver. That clear answer took months and months of prayer, fasting and priesthood blessings. In every single blessing, there was a reminder to be patient. Be patient and the answer will come. I wanted to shout, “I can be patient! But the county of Napa needs to know NOW!” Haahaa… what good that did. Let me remind you, when you want to be the boss, Heavenly Father is really good at letting you know who’s boss.

 There is a talk that has really helped me through what has been going on regarding our adoption process. Because this talk was first presented in the Priesthood session of general conference, it took me some time to stumble upon it. The talk to which I am referring is, “Continue in Patience” by Dieter F. Uchtdorf from the April, 2010 conference.

 My favorite part is, “The work of patience boils down to this: keep the commandments; trust in God, our Heavenly Father; serve Him with meekness and Christlike love; exercise faith and hope in the Savior; and never give up. The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives and heighten our happiness. They will help us to become worthy and faithful disciples of our Master, Jesus Christ."

 

Also a little snippet from the same talk that really helped, "I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain."

 What a wonderful reminder to me on the virtue of patience. I am glad I was (mostly) patient in this trial of my faith. But I really hope I remember this talk the next I am chided to be patient…

Life cannot be planned

We spent the day with Little Miss. She is a tenacious and adorable little girl that we have had our eyes on for a while. The time for Little Miss’ adoption has come to pass and we have been preparing for months to welcome this sweet girl into our forever family.

It was a good day filled with fun and laughter and art and hugs and kisses. I spent the time dreaming of how I would decorate her room and do her hair. Because folks, her hair is just fabulous. Just as wild as she is.

 After a full day, Jimmy and I gave Little Miss a bath and I got the wonderful privilege of rocking that sweet girl wrapped up in a towel. It was truly just so peaceful and special. Then, in the middle of singing a primary song to Little Miss, I got a very firm “No.” in my ear. So firm, in fact, that I was scared to disobey. As I got this shocking answer to a question that I had petitioned the Lord with for several months, I was filled with incredible sorrow. But that sorrow was quickly accompanied by peace. Even though my heart hurts that this is not what Heavenly Father wants for our family right now, I feel comfort in His plan for me. I don’t know what that plan is, but I am okay with that. With such a strong answer to a prayer I know who is in charge. What is difficult in this whole situation is what He wants for her is unknown right now. Unknown to us anyway.

 

It is difficult to explain this journey we have taken in these past few years. Let me try. I’ll give you a quick rundown starting with the beginning:

- Jimmy and I find out that having more children is a very slim chance

- We cry and get through it

- As a family, we try to decide what’s best for us since we have always wanted lots of kids

- I get an answer in the temple to become foster parents

- We drag our feet for a year

- Start foster care classes and become licensed

- Accept a short term placement and love the very hard work that it is, decide this is for us

- Accept a different set of 4 siblings

- Make it through 4 months of toil

- Decide that maybe a big family is not for us

- Pare down our adoptive goal from 3 to 1

- Happy with the decision to have a little one join us soon

- Get the answer to not take the one

 

-Cry and pray. A lot.

- Look back and realize the blessings. Look forward to the future.

- Hope for the best

My Favorites

So rather than a 'what happened today' kind of post, I have decided to write a list of my favorites. Why not? This blog is written for me by me- I am sure I will look back on this post and:
a) have fun reading what I used to love or still do
b) be appalled at my previous statement "this blog is written for me by me"

Stephanie's Favorites as of July 5, 2013
steak
purple
The Beatles- always The Beatles
sunlight
nectarines
swimming
Jimmy
Safeway chocolate covered raspberry ice cream bars
church- all forms
cut up veggies
the beach (shocker- used to be the mountains)
writing
Downton Abbey
navy blue and white anything
Imagine Dragons
Bouchon Bakery
cantaloupe
hiking
my blue velvet couch
peanut butter and apples
coral nail polish
smoked sweet paprika
clean sheets
grilled artichokes
chicken and waffles
red lipstick
roller coasters
driving
running
primping
drinking water
instagram
Larry's

hahaa! Do you love that half of the list is food? Niiice...

Independence Day sponsored by the Graham Family

The fourth of July is our holiday. All the Grahams make a mass exodus to the beach house in La Selva for some serious partying. I will let you judge for yourself:

 Those are the 'just getting started' snacks. We had a full on meal afterwards... Kate and I have been cooking for days. Unfortunately, I was in the kitchen during dinner- I couldn't take a picture of that!

 Kate ready for the parade.

 I love red lipstick. So very much.

 My nephews are adorable!! One ended up falling asleep half way through the parade.

 Grandma and Grandpa- the two love birds.

 This parade is serious. If you look closely, you will see Kate's custom candy catcher attached to the handle bar of her scooter. She's got priorities, folks...

No parade is complete without ponies in butt ornaments.

 The girls won ribbons for their mermaid sand castle!

 Most of the kids... we tried.

Our third place sand castle!!! We won a trophy!

Cupcake flavors: lemon curd filling with blueberries, mango curd filling with coconut, chocolate ganache filling with strawberries. Thank you Pinterest.

 

 

Overall, the day was fantastic- as always. We just loved it. And I am exhausted!

My girl

Miss Kate has helped me non stop with all the cooking in preparation for tomorrow. I am excited about the fourth of July. We do it big- and it's the absolute best. I LOVE all the work it takes to get ready. I plan the menu all year. Or rather, think of it all year. Kate has worked so diligently with me this year. And she has actually helped. Poor thing grated almost five pounds of block cheese. The best part was the dusting of shredded cheese surround that girl when she stood up from the table. It was like a car that leaves a dry mark in the parking lot when it's been raining and the driver moves their car.
We have been working tirelessly as a well oiled machine. We baked 6 dozen cupcakes, made three fillings, frosting, dips, crudité, shredded chicken, taco meat, beans, rice... well, you get the picture. What I can say is this: I learned from my mom and she's learning from me. I hope someday Kate will teach her daughter.

Roller Coaster junkies

Kate and I have season passes to the Boardwalk- yippee! And so, when we finished our catering work for the day, we hopped on over to the Boardwalk and went on our favorites. Kate and I also found a new one that was surprisingly fun- the Crazy Surf.

Crazy does what?

Yeah, that's me.

Crazy lady.

I spent all day shopping in the heat. Then I went swimming with the family. Then I went to a family dinner. Then I drove straight home. Then I packed all the food for Fourth of July. Then I brought the bags and clothes I never unpacked from the beach house. Then I left for the beach house AGAIN after being home for two days... at 11:00 pm. Yes, friends. Yes, I did. I drove with a car packed FULL of stuff and headed down with my poor nine year old in tow in the middle of the night. I ended up getting to the house at 1:00 am. Causing the necessity to unpack the whole car in the middle of the night. Because I am crazy. And afraid of the heat. You see, I was supposed to leave Tuesday morning, but I didn't want to brave 107 degree heat or cook anything at home. So, that is the story of your crazy friend. I give you permission to share this story with anyone and everyone to prove that you are not the craziest person on earth. You're welcome.