"Little" Sumthin for Raider Fans...

I've gotten a kick out of seeing the Raider billboards plastered all over the east bay...here's a little pre-season smack down for all you Raiderettes.

Kids Over Pictures is a Reminder to Start Up Date Night Again!!

Here are some pictures of the kids when they were over the house for date night. We had fun; we got to throw rocks in the lake, watch Auntie Mia run home to fetch us bread to we can feed the geese, do art projects, and support the National Diabetes Foundation by serving Ice Cream.


#1 Raider fan under 5 years of age... Nico

Southport Chiropractic's New Look

A practice member has a husband who does graphic arts, so I asked her if he would be willing to put together a new logo for the practice. These are my two favorites. Coming to a T-Shirt near you!

Why do vacations have to end?

Hola! The Lenas family vacation was to Cabo San Lucas this year. We all had a great, lazy time there - it was very relaxing. We stayed at Dreams, an all-inclusive resort. Unfortunately, the "eat to your heart's desire" part of the all-inclusive deal includes an "Oh yeah, gain a few pounds in the meantime" clause... :) Oh well, what's a vacation without a little indulgence?

We spent most of our time in the pool. The weather was pretty hot and humid, so the pool was the most comfortable place to be. Of course the kids didn't mind one bit! Our last full day there we were at the pool for about six hours; but sure enough, when we got up and started packing the next morning they both begged to go swimming one last time!

Vince and I celebrated our 13th anniversary while we were there. Janice was pretty adorable on our anniversary. As soon as she woke up she gave us our card (which she carefully hid from us until that morning). That night when we were walking after dinner she didn't let Nico hold either of our hands and walk with us. She pulled him back to walk with her and "shoo-ed" us along and told us to walk ahead of them...our romantic anniversary stroll under the stars I guess. Age 8 and already a hopeless romantic?

We met a few young honeymooners who, through no fault of their own, managed to make us feel really old! :) We also met a very sweet couple celebrating their 40th anniversary, sent on their trip as a gift from their children. The wife said Jan and Nico reminded her of her grandchildren.

All in all, it was a great trip!

Mud Run Anyone???

Saturday, September 27th is the Mather Mud Run at Hagan Community Park here in Sacramento. It's an obstacle course/boot camp challenge, with a choice of a 2-mile or 5-mile course. You can check out the details (and a photo gallery of past mud runs) on the website (http://www.dropandgiveme20.com/). I have already recruited Jake and Ry to do it with me, we'll do the 2-mile course. This will be my first time running it, but I've heard from others who have done it that it's a lot of fun. Anyone else interested? It sounds like a blast...wear your grungy clothes and be prepared to get really dirty!

No pressure Mando, but since this coincidentally falls on your birthday, wouldn't this be a great way to ring in 35??? Ha ha!

Avery's First Day of Kindergarten

Wow!! Seems like yesterday when I drove home at 20 miles per hour with my little nugget snug in her infant car seat. It seems like yesterday when Mia and I were up late at night rocking Avery to sleep wondering if we would ever get any rest. Or when we would following around when she was learning to walk, so she wouldn't hit any sharp corners.

Today was Avery's first day of kindergarten at Our Lady of Grace here in West Sacramento. By all accounts, everything went well. A little tears on Avery's part (she pulled herself together quickly) and surprisingly dry eyes on Mia's part. I, of course, was cool, calm, and collective...until I got to my office that is.

When I picked her up, she was happy to be there. She couldn't wait to show me her skills on the monkey bars. While she was swinging, she let me know what she learned today. As time goes on, I will keep you updated on the progress of her first real year of school.

Mommy and Avery pose for a picture before leaving for school.

The awesome "horse shirt" from Omi that she just had to wear on her first day of school.

Here is Maya and Avery. She is a granddaughter of Omi Roni's friend from her community. She and Avery would play over the past couple of years together when the grandmothers would get together. I guess when they were potty training Maya, she would just go wherever..whenever. So one day Avery came home and said, "You know Maya, she pee peed on the sidewalk." She repeated that for a good week. That was pretty funny.

Here is Olivia and Ruby. You can say Olivia is Avery's oldest friend. She is the daughter of Jeff and Dina Keon, who were our neighbors at the old house. I spoke with Jeff when we picked up the girls and we both were in disbelief that the girls were here today.

Practicing Karate and Comedic Timing

Avery began her Karate training last month at Western Martial Arts Academy. The instructor is Sifu Oscar Gonzalez, is a practice member of mine. I was all for Avery starting his course, because he spoke about how his class will focus on discipline, respect, and safety. Mia and I are extremely happy with the progress so far. It is also a plus that Sifu Oscar practices a variety of Filipino martial arts; Eskrima and Arnis.

Here is a video of Avery and I working on how to get away from a stranger. She turned the practice time to a way to make us laugh. Oh.. she is good for that.