July 24, 2008 by samantha.

On Sunday, my family (grandmother, uncle, crazy aunt, my parents, and I) got together for dinner. It was not something I was looking forward too, but it was fun. My uncle was anxious to show off the plane he had built by hand and painted.

I was so impressed. I have never done anything that spectacular! It took him about four years to complete and it is gorgeous. I did help with the riveting of one of the wings. My grandmother, the daredevil of the family, went up for a test flight. My uncle was so proud to show off his accomplishment and we were all impressed. But it left me wondering what have I accomplished that is nearly as impressive? I took a shower today. I have never broken a bone. I am pretty good at Scattergories. Never of those are as impressive. I have some work to do!

Posted in Family | 1 Comment »

July 18, 2008 by samantha.

Today, my mom and I ventured to Santa Ana to see the Terra Cotta Chinese Statues. It was an awesome exhibit. The tour was self-guided and over flowing with information. The statues had amazing detail. Each statue is unique and life-sized. I would love to go to China to see the actual burial ground.

While we were in Santa Ana, I bought my mom her Mother’s Day present.

It is a purse made from seat belts. The purse is really cute. I bought a Seatbelt bag a few months ago and I love it.

Also, my mom has discovered Nintendo Wii. Tonight we played Golf. I can say that neither of us will be turning pro anytime soon. Maybe, we have a chance to become Pro Bowlers.

I had to share my mom’s Wii Bowling outfit. Snazzy, ain’t it?!?!?

And before I forget, we saw Journey to the Center of the Earth yesterday. It was great and it was in 3D. I throughly enjoyed the movie and I highly recommend it.

Posted in Holidays, California, Family | 2 Comments »

July 16, 2008 by samantha.

I am a list maker. I always have been. Since I moved to California, I started a list of all the places that I wanted to visit. Well, I can happily say that my list is now a little shorter.

On Saturday, we visited the California Wolf Center in Julian. It was fantastic. The Wolf Center is a breeding site for two different types of wolves and hopefully the wolves can be released back into the wild. The center educates the public on wolves and allows you to see them up close. I had never seen a wolf so close. They are amazing animals and absolutely gorgeous. After the wolf encounters, we stopped by Mom’s for some of Julian’s famous Apple pie.
Tuesday, we went to the Arboretum in LA County. It is a 127-acre garden and beautiful.

You can see plants from around the world. The property is home to a wide range of birds. We even saw peacock chicks.

On the property is Queen Anne’s Cottage, which was seen in the opening credits of Fantasy Island.

I think we would have enjoyed the Arboretum more if it had not been so hot. We did not stay long, but we enjoyed the time that we were there.

Back at home we have been playing many games on the Wii. The Wii has been a lot of fun. I think our favorite games are Kabookii and Wii Bowling. Of course, the beautiful new ceiling fan has helped to keep us cool!!

Yesterday, we went to see Wall-E. It was cute. I loved the message that it sent and the music was worth downloading! And who knew that a cockroach could make such a cute pet?

Posted in House, California, Travels, Movies | 4 Comments »

July 11, 2008 by samantha.

Yesterday, we took the train from Solana Beach into downtown San Diego. It was a lot of fun. I had never rode the train to San Diego and the scenery was beautiful. The ride was relaxing and it was cheap for a round trip!

We ate lunch at Anthony’s and walked around the pier. We did not have much time to bum around downtown since we needed to catch the train to Old Town. Old Town is a lot of fun. They have tried to recreate what San Diego looked like when it was first settled. It is a bit hokey, but still enjoyable. Again, we boarded the train and head back to Solana Beach.

After the train ride, we needed to stretch our legs, so we walked down the stairs to the beach.

It was easy going down, but going up was work! I definitely felt the burn.

The beach was gorgeous. I am absolutely fascinated by waves and the ocean. Ironically, I am not a fan of the beach. I never understood the point of laying out in the sun. Then again, I love cold weather so that may explain some things.

Today, we hit the stores and did some shopping. I am sure that this will come as no surprise, but I spent too much money at the bookstore. But I had too! I just finished New Moon by Stephanie Meyers.

It is from the teeny bopper series “Twlight” and I am hooked. I read the first book, Twlight, in June and I am anxiously to read the next two. New Moon was not as good as Twlight, but what can be expected?

Posted in House, California, Travels, Family, Books | 1 Comment »

July 7, 2008 by samantha.

The parental units are here. So far, your prayers have helped. They have not been too much trouble. On Sunday, my mom and I headed off to Santa Monica. We wandered down the aisles of the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market. The fruits and veggies were beautiful. Everything is organically grown and I bet it is delicious. Afterwards, we headed to the Santa Monica Pier and had lunch. It was fun to people watch and walk along the pier. Our favorite part was watching the kids on the bumper cars. The little kids had their own cars and place to drive. When they bumped each other, it was really more of a tap. They were hilarious to watch. Most the kids had no idea how to drive, so they just went in circles.

Today, I had the beginnings of a ceiling fan installed. I am so excited. I have wanted a ceiling fan in my living room since I moved in. It has been well worth the wait. We are having a few other improvements done to the house. As much as they are needed, they pale in comparison to my ceiling fan.

This evening I left the parents at home and went to the movies with a girlfriend. We saw Wanted. It was extremely violent, but I enjoyed it. The story was completely unrealistic. We had pre-movie sushi at Ooka. It was divine. After the movie we went to a local Italian restaurant and split a pizza. Yummy!

For those of you who are concerned, my parents did not burn down the house. As a matter of fact, I left them the car so they could bum around town. I do not think that they missed me.

Posted in House, California, Family | 1 Comment »

July 4, 2008 by samantha.

How ironic that on the fourth of July, known around the world as America’s Independence Day, I lose my freedom. My parents arrive this evening. They will be here for a month. Please start praying for me now.

Posted in Holidays, Family | No Comments »

July 3, 2008 by samantha.

Yesterday, I trekked over to Los Angeles to do some exploring. It was a lot of fun. We started the day with a trip to the California Science Center. It was the chance for my nerdy side to come out. I enjoy going to the Science Center and I wish it were closer.

Or course, our trip was all about one thing- visiting Olvera Street.

I had never been and I was very anxious to get there. When we finally made it, we were
famished. We had freshly made taquitos and they hit the spot.

We walked down Olvera Street and went into a couple of stores. I felt like I was in Tijuana, excepted it was cleaner and smelled a whole lot better!

Union Station was right across the street and we could not pass up the chance to walk through it.

It really did feel like an old-fashioned train station. I felt like I was in a movie. It was gorgeous and I cannot wait to ride the train!

As we walked back to the car, we passed Fire House Number One. It is no longer a working firehouse and now is a museum.

I have always wanted to see the Disney Concert Hall and yesterday was my chance. We were unable to go in, but I was able to hop out of the car to take some pictures.

Our trip ended with a drive through Chinatown, the Fashion District, and by City Hall. We did a lot in one day and had a fantastic time. We are planning our next trip into LA and I cannot wait!

Posted in Friends, California, Travels | No Comments »