Monthly Archives: July 2009

Camp Rodeo

I have a gazillion vacation photos to sift through and write about.  In the meantime, the kids are settling into a summer routine.  On the menu this week is Camp Rodeo, a  neighborhood day camp organized by our church, Harbor Church, and World Impact.  Megan and Paul’s smiling red faces at the end of each day (yes, even with careful application of sunscreen) say it all.  Camp Rodeo is awesome.

One reason for the awesomeness are the high school summer interns, also from the neighborhood, who are serving as camp counselors.  I asked Paul what he thought of his counselor and he had this to say, “He didn’t yell at us.”  (Hmm, I hope that isn’t saying anything about mom…)  Seriously though, his counselor exhibits great character considering his six hour day with a rowdy bunch of six year old boys.  Thank you Camp Rodeo!

San Francisco

Before the clock strikes midnight I figure I owe you (okay, mostly my mom) an update from my San Francisco trip. Is it really almost July and was that trip really over a month ago? Hard to believe!

To refresh your memory (and mine) Adam and I whisked away to San Francisco in late May thanks to a too-good-to-pass-up fare sale with Southwest Airlines. While we left on a Friday morning and returned Saturday evening, it was a highly anticipated and equally rewarding time away as a couple. It also was our first time away without the kids since moving to California. Adam’s co-worker kindly agreed to watch the kids. Megan and Paul were not happy about the arrangement but quickly got over their disappointment of being left behind by getting to visit the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Adam and I happily boarded a plane to San Francisco for some much need R&R. To add a fun dimension to the trip, we booked a room at the Hotel Kabuki in Japantown. The green tea mints at the reception desk were delightful as were the Japanese style screens and private sauna in our suite.

Adam and I had been to San Francisco once before, approximately ten years ago. We weren’t interested in repeating the expensive touristy traps but that didn’t mean that we did not put on our tourist hats. The most fun we had was riding the famous San Francisco cable cars. Our only agenda was to explore. The other thing we did the most of was walking. Phew, we tired ourselves out – especially with all the hills!

Here is what our weekend looked like: fly to San Francisco (fog delay), take train to hotel, walk/late lunch, walk/dinner, walk/breakfast with friends, hitch ride on cable car, walk/Lombard Street, ride trolley, lunch, take train to airport (flight delayed again), home again.

It’s been go, go, go since we returned, making me all the more grateful for our short time away.