June, Part 2

The week after our trip to New York was just your average week: laundry, work, etc.

June 19th was my birthday and we celebrated the day

at Disneyland,

along with 1,000's of others who happen to share my birthday!!! I've never seen so many people with the same birthday (but everyday must be like that now that the Disney company has the Free Admission Day on Your Birthday--just sign up on their website)! They gave me a "Happy Birthday Button" with my name on it so many a stranger would call out "Happy Birthday, Karen" as they walked by! It seemed as though 1 in 4 people had those Birthday Buttons on! I was sung Happy Birthday while standing in the line for the Pirates of the Carribean ride and on the Jungle Cruise boat.
We met up with Alex and Angelina, her parents, Peggy and Rene, and her sister and family (Celeste, Daniel, Maliah (5), Sophia (1) and cousin, Trinity (8)). As it happens I share my birthday with Angelina's dad, Rene, and her niece, Sophia!!

We hadn't been to Disneyland in 7 years! While most of the park has remained the same over the years, with minor adjustments or changes, and the addition of new rides, the same can't be said for parking.We parked in their new HUGE parking structure which is away from the entrance. We were amazed that it took us an hour to get from our car, via a Disney tram, to the lines to get the tickets and then finally enter Disneyland!!

Despite the crowds, the lines weren't that long for most rides and we had an exhausting, fun filled day at the "Happiest Place on Earth!" We rode all the best rides: Space Mountain, Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear, Thunder Mountain, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, and of course, the Matterhorn--in fact we closed the park down, leaving Disneyland just after midnight!

The next morning, June 20th, we went to the San Diego County Fair (known to San Diegans as the Del Mar Fair)! This year the Annual Burn Run was also held at the fairgrounds, rather than Qualcomm Stadium on this day.

Nick and I with Mike Shore (Capt-RSFFD)

Each fire department within SD county drives an engine to the designated location picking up other department's engine along the way. It is a big event to raise money for the San Diego Burn Institute. Nick went in uniform and met up with many of the other fire chiefs from around the county in support of the event. Nick's department then did a demonstration of putting out a car fire which was quite interesting to watch.

RSFFPD engine arrives at the burning car!

Checking to make sure the fire is out.

We walked around the fair after the Burn Run activities were over surveying all the vendors and their products! Of course, we didn't leave the fair empty handed. We always find some great deals!!

We were exhausted by Sunday, Father's Day, so we just hung out at home. Nicole made a delicious Father's Day feast for us to enjoy; Alex and Ang came down for dinner and the yummy "Red Velvet Cake" Nicole made me for my birthday. (Thanks, Nicole!) Another great weekend.

To see more pictures go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/72308330@N00/sets/72157620728350342/

As the end of June nears, I couldn't end this blog without wishing

Nicole and David a very Happy 6th Anniversary!! (June 28)
We love you !!

Summer Travels: June, Part 1

To say June has been busy for us would be an understatement!

June 4-8 we flew to San Francisco and spent a nice, long, relaxing, fun weekend with our good friends Nancee and Marc Revere in Novato, California.

Grape vines at the Gloria Ferrar Winery in Sonoma, California

Talk about spoiling!! The Reveres are quite the hosts!! Their house is stunning with a large patio area in the front, completely fenced for privacy. The accommodations and hospitality were fabulous; food was quite yummy and gourmet, both at their house and out; wine was flowing, as we went wine tasting in Sonoma and Napa; sightseeing was awesome as they picked us up from SFO, drove us down Lombard Street, then to Fisherman's Wharf in SF, all around Novato, Sonoma, Napa and from Napa over to River's End where the Russian River flows into the Pacific, along the Coast, and then back to the Reveres.
The highlight for us was sailing all around San Francisco Bay in their 42' Hunter Passage Sailboat on a beautiful clear day!! If they owned a "Bed and Breakfast" theirs would definitely be FIVE STARS in every category!

Thanks Nancee and Marc for a truly superb weekend!

To see our pictures go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/72308330@N00/sets/72157619798417520/

Home for a day and then we were off again!

June 10-14 we flew to New York City where we had a whirlwind, fun weekend!! It was Nick's first visit to the Big Apple (I visited NYC for a weekend with my friend, Jeanette back in the 90's). We took a bus to Grand Central Station and then took the Metro Train North to Poughkeepsie (pronounced PU-KIP-SIE)New York to surprise our niece,

Breanna, at her college graduation from

the Culinary Institute of America,

where she earned her Bachelor's Degree!
(Congratulations Breanna-we are all so proud of you!!!)

We met her parents there, Nick's younger brother Joe and his wife Laurel, their other daughter, Marissa, Laurel's sister, Barbara, and Nicole, David and Gigi for a great luncheon following the graduation and dinner later that night.

On Friday morning we took the train back to New York City and spent the rest of our time taking in the sights: the Empire State Building, Times Square, Battery Park,

the Statue of Liberty, of course,

Ellis Island, Central Park, the MET, Ground Zero, and

the Subway, which was fun and at times challenging!! Each one of the letters and colors represent a different route on the Subway-navigating wasn't the easiest thing to do at times, but Nick did a great job reading the maps and figuring which line we needed to take to get around Manhattan.

Nicole, Gigi and I enjoying riding the subway !!

We saw a great musical "On Broadway" called "In the Heights" about the Latino community in Manhattan Heights, and had a late night dinner at the famous "Junior's Delicatessan." Of course, we couldn't leave New York before taking a ride in a "Yellow Cab," which truly was an experience--if we'd had more time we might have tried taking the train and then subway to JFK instead!

That's just half the month of June. More to follow soon!!