Since it's mostly just my mom, Bear, and Randi all the time now, things back home have sort of change a little bit. The three of them have developed cute little traditions/hobbies that they do together. My mom and Randi, being attached at the hip, have far too many quirky little things to mention. Bear and Randi, on the other hand, have a couple brand new ones that we got to join in on this holiday vacation.
The two of them, sometimes Tyler, go out to the shooting range near Lake Hemet to target practice quite often. It was pretty obvious that they are frequent visitors because Randi sort of showed us all up. I've never really been much into guns, so this was my first time shooting. I’m not very good, to say the least. Plus, I’m a huge baby. The shotgun about knocked me over, and the handgun just hurts my whole hand. Nonetheless, it was really fun to try, and I love that Randi and Bear have something fun to do together.
Tyler had a little BB gun that he loves to shoot zombies with. He would stand close enough for the nose of the gun to touch the paper, pull the trigger, and then freak out with excitement because he hit the target (or even if he didn't hit it). It was pretty entertaining.
Embarrassing....
Not really my thing....
Gettin' our Model shots on...
Shootin' Zombies!
Model shots of Derek.... He's so tough with that bebe gun :)
While we were in California for Christmas, we went on a really adventurous hike with the family in Idyllwild. Randi knows Idyllwild pretty well, since she spends so much time walking around with friends. She brought us to this awesome little trail called the Grotto. Basically, it is a creek surrounded by large rocks that create really cool walls and ravines. Since it was winter, the creek was much more full than usual and all of the rocks were covered in a thin layer of ice. It was a little dangerous, but made for a great adventure. Especially since we brought Tyler and Tundra with us.
We had so much fun scouting ahead, trying to find the best route for everyone. Exploring hidden caverns, and standing on tall rocks. I felt like a kid again. Where every hike you took was a miniature adventure/survival victory.
When the kids were tuckered out, we found a big tall rock platform where we all sat in the sun wishing we had brought a picnic. Luckily my dad had a small bag of cashews in his backpack. So we all rationed our nuts and rested in warmth before we headed back to reality.
Funny thing. We actually learned a lot about Tundra on this hike. We had heard that Samoyeds are considered to be herders. They like to keep others in the correct path and herd them in a certain direction. Well, this was the first time we noticed. He was totally herding all of us on the hike.
Anytime someone would fall behind, he would go all the way back and encourage them to keep moving. Then he would head back to the front. If I started going a different route he would come over and start yelling (barking) at me. It was so funny.
Plus he was slipping all over on the ice. That was hilarious too.
Ha ha. My dads glove. Kind of makes it cool though.
Mom slipped. You can't tell becasue of the sun, but it is super icy everywhere.
It was actually more scary than it looks walking on that log. Except the consequence is most likely not death, just a really long shower.
I have always thought of my dad as this young, hip, cool dude. In my head, he was never going to get old. He would always be, the dad that all my friends thought was cute (eeh). The dad that kicks my trash in all sports of any kind (annoying). The dad that loves all the same music and movies as I do. The dad that dresses cooler than my friends/boyfriends. The dad that eats every fattening thing in sight and never gains a pound. The dad that will only drive/ride something that should have been in "Fast and the Furious". And so on, and so on...
Well the fact of the matter is.... He has turned 50. He is over the hill. He has hit that mark where people start referring to you as "old" behind your back. You know it's true.
And as scary as that may be.... the funny truth of it all is that absolutely nothing has changed at all. Everything I listed before is still true. The man doesn't look a day over 35! And he still acts like he's 25! ;)
I think the lesson learned here is, don't let a stupid number, or the fear of getting older drag you down. Be the age you want to be. Keep a young mind, and the rest should follow. (Should we see how many more cheesy quotes I can bust out... let’s not)
One of the biggest goals in my life is to stay as youthful as my dad, no matter what happens, or where I go.
Derek and I always take my dad out on a surprise birthday trip when we come out for the holidays. This time we went to the brand new Old Spaghetti Factory in Palm Springs. It was a first for all of us. The Old Spaghetti Factory is a tradition of mine and my dad’s. So we were thrilled to here there was a new one super close to our house.
After dinner we took him ice skating. He hadn't been in a lot of years. But, of course, he picked it right back up. With a little bit of my help... wink wink.
Yea, I dance while I skate.... no big deal.
The next day, we decided to celebrate again with the family. So, my mom, my sisters, and I did a bit of shopping and put together a really fun pasta bar. Italian food is my dad’s favorite, obviously.
We all had dinner together, and ate cake and ice cream. It was a really fun, mellow night, considering the fact that we literally got snowed in.
The truth is, that I had originally planned a surprise party for him, and invited quite a bit of people. Didn't work out, since no one could drive up the hill to my mom's house. We made the best of it though.
We made two cakes, and did 25 on each. That was the best way we could think of to get 50 candles. I dont like to chat with candles ;) He blew them all out too! So proud!
I made him a "50 Years" album too. It has a page for every year of his life. I tried really hard to fill every page, but there are a few teen years that I to leave blank. I am hoping someday I will be able to scroung up some more old photos and finish it. I found this vintage album at a thrift store! My dad's favorite color is orange. I was so excited!! I love thrift stores!!
My favorite artist all through high school, and one of my dad's favorite songs... Don't make fun, I have grown a lot in the world of music, but I still stand by my Johnny boy ;)
