The Farmer Files

Sea World San Diego

2009-07-01T19:00:00.001-10:00

On the Harveys last full day in San Diego, we visited Sea World San Diego, sprawled along Mission Bay. There are three other Sea Worlds in the country, but Sea World San Diego is where it all began, by four graduates of my college alma mater. The first place I ever collected a real paycheck was at Sea World. I was a restaurant cashier. Growing up, my parents brought us on several Sundays. Things have sure changed! Now, season pass holders are finger printed and use machines for admittance. I am holding my finger to a machine just like the one to the right of me.
Our first stop was the dolphin show. Supposedly, a family from Las Vegas was picked to participate in the show from the audience. Unexpectedly, the mother fell into the huge 26 foot deep pool. We all gasped, and all fell for their trick. The mother is a new dolphin trainer at the park and continued the show. That was a bit of a let down. In my heart I wanted her to swim to the edge and for us all to clap because she bravely survived the trip and fall.

We saw Shamu's Believe, which is a choreographed and musically synchronized show with the orcas, or killer whales. "Shamu" is the stage name for the orcas, but Sea World San Diego actually has several orcas that perform under the stage name Shamu.
At Shark Encounter we walked through a 57 foot acrylic marine tube. Four types of lively sharks swam overhead. The kids loved it! Son2 sat on Hubby's shoulders and was awed by a close up view of the sharks. And it was so cool, both of the two year olds knew exactly what those things swimming with rows and rows of teeth were called, and that they could be dangerous. People often ask me if I think kids are too young to visit different attractions. My general answer is no!

The kids kept asking for the Sesame Street Bay of Play. We passed it on the way into the park, so we made our way back to the two acre play area.
The first ride the kids boarded was Oscar's Rocking Eel. I tried to board the ride until a ride attendant asked if I was pregnant. In my sweatshirt I suppose I could have passed for just FAT. But I lifted up my sweatshirt and showed off my bump to her and all of the other riders. Don't ask what got into me. But she apologized and told me I could not ride. I was actually shocked. The kids and the dads got a kick out of being whirled around back and forth, faster and faster.Next we rode Elmo's Flying Fish. And by "we" I do mean me, too. That is me making my shame, shame, shame sign. Now in a little defense of myself, the attendant did not say I could not ride. And the other way I weighed my decision was that at Legoland I am allowed to ride the helicopters and two airplane rides. And technically I am allowed to fly in a real airplane until I am 36 weeks. But obviously I know I am breaking the Sea World rules.I also jumped on Abby's Sea Star Spin in a teacup. Hubs gave it one whirl and I just did not think I could take any more spinning of the wheel since the teacups swirled on their own already. We took Son2 with us, since he does not mind spinning. Son1 hung out in a teacup with the Harveys who promised not to whirl and twirl their teacups.
About this time the Harveys wanted to see more of Sea World, and my boys wanted to see more of the Bay of Play. They headed for the polar bears, beluga whales, and penguins....

...while our kids explored more of the Bay of Play.
We met up again to see the manatees. I was so excited for Son1 who had learned so much about manatees last year. I promised him a trip to Florida one day to see the manatees, but I completely forgot that Sea World San Diego hosts rescued and rehabilitated manatees from Florida! The kids loved to see the manatees swim, and this is another animal the two year olds were familiar with before ever visiting. That was so sweet to see them recognize these graceful mammals!
We wandered to other outdoor exhibits, but one that we had pretty much to ourselves was the California Tide Pool. The kids touched sea stars and sea urchins in a shallow, yet extensive tide pool.But the most memorable exhibit was Forbidden Reef where we leaned deep into the exhibit to pet California bat rays and stare at moray eels. The men bought fish for the women and children. I love this picture of Son2 and me. You can't see our faces, but it makes me remember and feel his little body against mine, trusting that I would keep him dry and safe from the bat rays. Well, I did keep him safe, but I could not keep him dry!!!Those bat rays completely soaked us with their wide body spans. I changed both of my kids because they were soaked from head to toe. They really wanted our fish!!!

Lucky for us, there were nice hand washing stations at Forbidden Reef. But as I was propping Son2 up to wash his hands, two different dads came and ran their hands under the sink I was holding for my own child before I could even get his little hands under the water. Now they both said excuse me when they ran their hands under the water....but mama bear came out in me!! Not that I could not extend them some grace, BUT I finally told one father, "I am sorry but you are the third father that has pushed past me, and I have a two year old that needs his hands washed AND I am pregnant, SO I am sorry but you are just going to have to wait!!" That poor man. He was a little taken aback. But I wondered how chivalry works in their homes. Blah!

The day was SO FULL! Hubs and I loved the day at Sea World with the Harveys! Our last full day was bittersweet. And for the third time ever, Son1 cried the next day when company left. And the other two times that he cried happened to be for the very same guests. Sigh...until next year, Harveys. You were wonderful guests, as always.

San Diego Wild Animal Park

2009-06-07T08:02:00.000-10:00

We visited the San Diego Wild Animal Park with the Harveys. It is double the size of the San Diego Zoo. They had been to the zoo, so we opted to visit the Wild Animal Park. Both the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park are owned and operated by the San Diego Zoo. The Park is located north of metro city of San Diego, but is still in the county of San Diego. It is a loooooong 46 mile drive from my house. The whole way there Son1 kept asking if we were still in San Diego, OVER and OVER. He was so sincere. The Harveys and I cracked up each time. The park is also a ways off the freeway, around and around through some desert areas of Escondido. Finally, we arrived, piled out of the car, and were through the entrance. Many of these pictures are courtesy of the Harveys. We were blessed the weather was in the 60s. Escondido can be one of the hottest spots in the whole county during the warmer months, into the triple digits. See all of the gorgeous landscaping at the park? You literally feel like you are walking through the jungle.
Many people come to the Wild Animal Park just to enjoy the beauty of the different gardens. The Wild Animal Park displays plants used with special permits from all over the world, including endangered plant species. Both the SD Zoo and the SD Wild Animal Park are also rescue centers for endangered plants. There are different elevations all around the park, so the plants are varied and truly their own eye candy. San Diego keeps a mild Mediterranean climate, so that is why almost anything grows here! The SD Zoo and SD Wild Animal Park have expert horticulturists. The healthy plants and gardens are vital to keeping the animals healthy. J and K kept commenting on the different plants and species all around the park. I told them that there are plenty of people that hold season passes to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park (like my parents) that come and enjoy the landscaping as much as they enjoy the animals. The plant collection at the Wild Animal Park cannot be replicated hardly anywhere in one spot in the world.

One of my favorite spots in the Park was Lorikeet Landing. Lorikeets are colorful little parrots from rainforests in Australia and New Guinea. We walked into this spacious aviary, where over 80 birds live. The birds were super friendly. They landed right on different people's shoulders. My kids were somewhat timid, but little A was not. The birds sensed this and came right up to her. The birds were loud and chattery, and quite friendly. The excitement of the other guests caught on to my children soon enough. The bird noises were beautiful, their colors were vibrant, and their friendliness was mesmerizing. The Wild Animal Park is unique because the animals are kept in free range exhibits. In other words, the animals have free roam within large open spaces, but they are still somewhat confined. See this pelican?J and A watched the pelican from this extensive pathway that encircled the lengthy pond, that was bordered on one end by a large waterfall. We also watched the pelican take off and soar high above the pond. We felt like we watched the pelican in a natural habitat. That is what makes the Wild Animal Park special!We walked a two mile trail that wound us through distinct habitats. We spiraled through the rain forest, open savananna, and along shaded trails. The cool thing about the Wild Animal Park is that you can choose different ways to see the animals. At one point in our journey, we came to the viewing deck at The Great Rift Lift, and we had an inspiring view high in the air. The deck wraps around for many, many feet.
We rode the elevators down to the bottom, and boarded the open sided African Express cars at Simba Station. Our guide took us on another 2 mile excursion through the African desert, where we saw the animals up close, roaming in mass open spaces. The cheetahs were lazing in the sun, the giraffes were grazing on leaves, and the rhinos were enjoying family time.

We departed Journey into Africa and wandered up to Lion Camp. The big cats were asleep, but the kids loved watching them. See those rocks? They are heated in the winter for the lions.
At Lion Camp (and most exhibits throughout the park) the information surrounding the lions is available at different reading levels. It is a noticeable difference from exhibits at other zoos. The SD Zoo is uniquely committed to both conservation and education. Around the corner are more lengthy information boards mounted higher for adults. For children, there are interactive learning aids with shorter questions and answers about the lions.The Harveys generously treated our family to a ride on the Conservation Carousel. The animals on the carousel are purchased in memory of loved ones or as donations to conservation efforts by the Wild Animal Park. Many animals on the carousel are endangered animals. Son1 and A loved their animals, unlike Son2. He is usually my fearless super action kid, but he was too afraid he was going to fall from the carousel.
Instead Son2 and I chose a bird's nest that spun like a tea cup. Apparently speed doesn't frighten him, just heights!
The Harveys shopped a bit while we entertained ourselves like frogs at the entrance to Nairobi Village. The waterfall behind us was designed after the ceremonial chamber of a Ugandan king.
We packed a lot into four hours at the Wild Animal Park. We mounted a replica of a bronzed life sized white rhino for one last goodbye.

We finally got back to my house....and have I mentioned how great the Harveys are every time they come? After a long day at the Wild Animal Park they made our family dinner! They pulled spices from their suitcases, shopped for food, and made dinner! Hooray!

In the Same Boat: San Diego Maritime Museum

2009-06-01T07:47:00.001-10:00

We met the Harveys nine years ago on the East Coast, when J started her law degree. The last time we saw the Harveys we lived in Hawaii, and our house was for sale. We were clueless about our timeline for a San Diego move. But one thing J promised me before they left was that they were going to visit us in San Diego in 2009. And they did!They graciously visited during an unpredictable week at our house. They are fabulous and considerate house guests every time they come.

The kids were thrilled to see this arrive at 6:30am after the first night the Harveys arrived.

Yes, I did say 6:30am. They were not at all phased. Aren't they great friends? The cement truck pump arrived and our concrete was poured that morning. The crane dipped into our yard, not pictured.

The next day, we visited the San Diego Maritime Museum. It is in an outdoor museum, on the east side of the San Diego Bay, at the Embarcadero. We boarded the Star Of India first. It is the oldest regularly sailing ship, and the oldest iron hulled merchant ship.

The Harvey Four! J is expecting a little boy.
The Farmer Five

I was surprised how much the kids loved all of the ships, and how much they touched and interacted! They rang the bells, ran up and down the decks, and checked out the wooden paneled captain quarters and dining areas. Below they investigated the cargo hold and passenger areas. Small model ships were displayed below and Son1 loved the teeny model life boats that hung from the decks of the ships. Quickly, Son1 picked up on so much nautical vocabulary.

In one of the cargo areas a small scale ship allowed more climbing, more ringing, and some washing of the deck.

Next we boarded the H.M.S. Surprise. "H.M.S." refers to "Her Majesty's Ship." This was built as a replica ship, once called the H.M.S. Rose. In 2001 it was sold to make the movie Master and Commander, and called the Surprise. It is now registered as H.M.S. Surprise in honor of the movie. This is a view of the stern.

While on the ship, I grabbed a big, fat, plastic rat from an exhibit and jiggled it in Son1's face and said, "WOOOOO!!!!" This passerby looked at me in shock and awe and belted out a loud laugh. I assured her it was fine; Son1 laughed gleefully. After all, I am a mom of boys. But then I had a girly moment with J when we took our picture with Russel Crowe.
We boarded the former B-39 Soviet Navy attack submarine. It was designed to kill American and NATO Navy ships and submarines. It is over 300 feet long, making it one of the longest submarines, but it sure felt small to me! We climbed through many low small openings, and checked out the control room, torpedo room, and all of the quarters in between.

And Son2 checked out the USS Midway from the periscope.Our last stop was The Berkeley. It is steam ferryboat that is over 100 years old, and operated on San Fransisco Bay for over 60 years. By this time, the Farmer family was near expiration, so I have no pictures to show you. But you can check out The Berkeley here. We told the Harveys we would meet them at home, after they dined at the Embarcadero.

The First Stake Out Births the Marshmallow Roast Ten Years Later

2009-05-25T06:39:00.001-10:00

Ten and a half years ago, we were very newlyweds. I was the first of my friends to marry and then I moved an hour and a half away to a quiet suburb in the next county. Our new town was small and a family oriented community, different than when we lived on the west side of Los Angeles, in YUPpyville (young, urban, professionals). In our new town, Hubs and I wanted married friends, but it didn't happen. He was traveling over 50% of the year, and it was hard to make couple friends as half a couple. One Sunday we visited a church, and right in the bulletin there was an announcement for a marriage study that Wednesday night.

We pulled in front of the house, just a few minutes late, and noticed three cars parked in front. All three were minivans. Uh oh. At this point in life, Hubs and I both drove sports cars. Two doors, that was our limit. I will cut the story short and tell you how it was a very painful evening for us. The three couples were old enough to be our parents. One couple had grown children our age, and let us know that. But at prayer time, they were so thankful that God finally brought another couple to their study. Their exuberance and thankfulness was enough to make us squirm. Maybe we were just unthankful. Still resolved to make married friends, the next week we attempted the study again. Well, not really. We parked on the cross street, and waited and watched for 15 minutes past the start time. The same three minivans were parked in front of the house. Yep, we drove away. Newly married, we did not want to hang out with people old enough to be our folks. We have often laughed about that night, and dubbed it "The Stake Out."

Two years later, Hubs landed a job inside the D.C. Beltway. I had never lived anywhere except three cities in Southern California. This was no small move for me. This was a coast to coast move for a California girl. And I did not want my life to change. I was used to Hubby traveling 50% of the year. I still wished for married friends, though I had none. I was used to life. I loved my workplace. I loved our rental house a few blocks from the beach. On the weekends we drove to see family in San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and San Luis Obispo areas. I traveled every now and then on business trips with Hubby. I had no desire for change. None. But it was inevitable. When the final news came that our move was definite, we had four months to prepare for our move. At night for nearly four months we prayed for our new life. And one consistent prayer request was to make married couple friends in our new place to call home, Northern Virginia.

Well, the story is a long one. I shared some of the story before. But the short story is that we found ourselves at a church with a class called Teammates, and first were greeted by LL and her husband. Yes, we knew them B.K., before kids. However, the majority of the class was moving out of the transient Northern Virginia area. New couples were moving in. The people that attended this class were other DINKs (double income, no kids) like ourselves. And these people were active! In February 2001, Hubs dreamed up the idea of a Hearts Tournament. We sponsored an event for the Teammates class, without really knowing anyone, except our friends, J and K. I was SO NERVOUS no one would show up. Ha ha, an answer to our four months of praying, our house was full of card players! We made so many great married couple friends from Teammates that continue to be our friends, no matter that almost none of us live in the Northern Virginia area anymore.

An hour before the tournament, Rebekah called for directions. We had never met. I told her there was no way I could give directions to our house "because I am from San Diego," which became my excuse for everything unfamiliar in Virginia. We lived not too far from the "Mixing Bowl" where the highways split into seven directions. Some go clockwise, and some go counter clockwise, and some are inner loops and outer loops. This was totally different than San Diego, where signs north point toward Los Angeles, south point toward Mexico, east point toward the mountains and dessert, and west point toward the ocean. Freeways did not make loops or circles, they were straight shots. She laughed. I couldn't tell if she was laughing at me or if she was laughing with me. Later I learned she too grew up in San Diego! So that was the start of the friendship between the Eekhoffs and the Farmers. A desire in our hearts from nearly eleven years ago to make married peers, that ended in "The Stake Out," remained with us two years later, when we moved. When we met the Eekhoffs back in 2001 we never dreamt we would live in San Diego in 2009, and our eldest children, just seven days apart, would pretend to roast marshmallows in our pool room. And if you know our mutual friend, Michelle, then you know that those marshmallow skewers are actually bamboo sticks she once gave me. And those marshmallows are actually cotton balls.

The Eekhoffs stopped by for just a few hours while in town. We had not seen them since they visited us in Hawaii a few years ago. But this time, they pulled up in a minivan alongside ours. Gone are the days of sports cars, and full are our days of loud little voices and unfinished adult sentences.

Coronado Bridge Race

2009-05-21T12:44:00.000-10:00

This weekend our family walked the Navy's 23rd San Diego Bay Bridge Run/Walk over the Coronado Bay Bridge with eight thousand other people. The sold out event benefited the Navy's Qualify of Life programs for service members and their families. Hubs and I have run in races, but never with our children. Son1 was so thrilled to wear an event bib. He talked about the race for a couple of weeks before the event, but we had not really practiced long walks. The kids and I practiced two longer walks the week of the race, but that was the extent of Son1's "training."

The four mile course began in San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter. This is a historic Victorian neighborhood in the heart of downtown San Diego lined with gaslamps.

We walked a few blocks to the start line, at the edge of the Gaslamp Quarter, to the convention center, right on San Diego Bay. We were grouped with the walkers and strollers. It was a new experience for us, walking in an event with wall to wall people. Most people brought cameras. The people that stopped on the course did so long enough to take pictures. The Coronado Bridge does not have a pedestrian walkway, so this is the only day of the year when people can run, walk, and take pictures on the bridge.

Just after the first mile, we left San Diego's waterfront, and wound our way to Chicano Park. The park is located in central San Diego, in the Mexican immigrant community of Logan Heights, just under the Coronado Bridge. There are nearly 70 murals under the bridge expressing many cultural and political views, making it the largest collection of outdoor murals in the world.

About this time Hubs needed to "use the facilities." Oh boy. The pack was moving right along. He promised he would catch up with us on the bridge. I was really nervous, since I did not have my cell phone with me, and the crowd was thick. How was he going to find us? I seized any opportunity to slow down with the kids, hoping to stall for time. Just before the entrance to the bridge (a traffic off ramp in the opposite direction) was a water station. Just above the kids you can see the folks above us, already on the bridge.

The three of us ascended the bridge with the pack, camera around my wrist, pushing the stroller with one hand, and snatching Son1 from his constant desire to peer over the bridge with my other hand.

One one side of the bridge we saw many San Diego trolley cars sitting quietly on the tracks, alongside some tank cars. My kids are dying to ride the trolley. It runs on a light rail system in the metro San Diego area. It is the real deal. Black and white striped railroad gates drop, with red flashing lights, and railroad horns blow. The trolley often crosses through major intersections all over metro San Diego, and along the freeways, and is cheap entertainment from our car windows. So the sight of these multiple trolleys from the bridge was eye candy for Son1.We continued to climb the bridge, and soon the naval ships came into view. This was enough to tantalize Son1 and nearly give me heart failure as he pointed to the airstrip on a ship below. We were standing right at the bridge barrier. I am afraid of heights but he clearly is not. He was just doing what most everyone else around us was doing, gaping at the views below, from the edge of the bridge.
Many people commented on my pregnancy as we walked. They probably secretly thought I was crazy to keep grabbing my 4 year old from peering over the bridge, and pushing my two year old in the stroller, with a popping belly, by myself. But while pregnancy is a miracle in a multitude of ways, my own pregnancies do not make me a hero. The most inspiring person that day was this marine, walking with his friend and his wife. I watched them closely, as I walked behind, quietly smiling at the way she gently touched him as they climbed the bridge. They were deep in conversation, laughing and joking. I wanted to thank him for his service to our country, but I did not get the chance. So, thank you, sir, for serving our country. His shirt read, "The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible." -Aruthur C. ClarkeA girl ahead of us stood a few feet from her family so she could take their picture on the bridge. I stopped and offered to take their family picture, and then asked her to take ours. Just as I posed the kids, guess who jumped right in the photo? Hubs was back!

We climbed the bridge until we were over 200 feet in the air. Since the bridge is so high naval ships can pass under the bridge. It is also the third highest suicide bridge in the United States. These signs line the bridge:Many people thought it was funny to take their picture under these signs, but I settled for a picture minus my family members.

Looking across the bay, there is a nice view of the San Diego skyline. This is also a great picture of the morning marine layer that hangs over the city this time of year. It is called "May Gray and June Gloom" by locals. A thick cloud cover keeps the coast damp and cold, but about 5 miles inland it is totally sunny. Just about here we could see the finish line at Tidelands Park in Coronado. We could also see the sailboats in the harbor.
We began our descent and I noticed a man on the ground. Soon after he got up I took the same shot on the ground.The Coronado Bridge is a prestressed steel bridge. There are grates in the middle of the bridge. Through the grates, you can see the water in the harbor.
Finally, we reached the city of Coronado while still on the bridge. The bridge connects the San Diego metro area to the peninsula of Coronado. The word Coronado means "the crowned one" in Spanish, and that is why Coronado's nickname is "the crowned city." It is one of the most affluent cities in San Diego, and even California.

We came off the bridge for the last mile of the race course. We passed around the old toll booths. The Coronado Bridge stopped collecting a toll in 2002. We came through the finish line, and rounded the sponsor booths. Son1 walked the entire way!!! We were so proud our four year old walked all four miles!

Soon, the emcee announced different prizes. Son1 was one of three children that won a Sea World prize pack for youngest entrant. The other two children were five years old. He was such a ham on the microphone that the emcee asked for his microphone back or he was going to be out of a job.

I won my own little prize pack to the Wild Animal Park for my pregnant participation.
The event was over, and it was time to get back to metro San Diego. Hubs and I decided the free bus shuttles were not the way to go. With our race bibs we could take the Coronado Ferry across the harbor for free. We walked from Tidelands Park to the ferry landing. The line must have been over 400 people. It wound around and around the ferry landing, and we were at the end of the line. We all needed "to go" and the lines for the restrooms were horrendous. Then we spotted this little boat sitting in the harbor. Hubs whipped out his cell phone, and I asked the guy on the other end for rates. It was $7 for each adult and the kids were free. The fare was music to our ears. I told him we would be right down. The line was still growing behind us, and a lady I passed asked me the price. I leaned over, informed her, and started running. Then our whole family was running. No more answers for anyone!! I asked Hubs for his cell phone again. I called the water taxi man again, as I noticed other people were running out of line behind us. "Hi, I just called. I am pregnant, and I have a FULL BLADDER." Please DO NOT give away our spots on your boat!!!" He offered for me to take the next boat, and I said NO NO NO. I told him to HOLD THAT BOAT. We were on our way down the ramp.We jumped on the boat. I settled onto the cushion, and the man in this picture asked me if I was the pregnant lady with the full bladder. Everyone on the boat heard I was coming! Goodbye Coronado, goodbye bridge!Soon enough the engines started up, and the skyline ahead of us was beautiful. The marine layer was lifting.
We docked, found clean facilities, and grabbed our car from the parking valet. It was time for lunch. We were all starved. With our bib numbers, we ate lunch free at Chipotle. They were amongst the race sponsors. Enjoy our "before" sad little hungry faces....
...and this "happy I finally have food" shot!

Casa Farmer

2009-05-18T10:28:00.000-10:00

Okay! So here are the pictures that so many have asked about. Keep in mind our home was a bank owned foreclosure. No landscaping was completed by the previous owners. We are still minus most of the plants, but we hope to change that in the next few weeks. We planted more palms and other fruit trees than I am posting, but here is just a glimpse.A man in a nearby suburb grows banana plants all over his property. We loved our banana plants in Hawaii, and wanted them in California. However, these are peach banana plants rather than apple bananas. We bought four plants. We thought we had killed two, but they now have green shoots. Notice I said banana plant and not banana tree. They are plants, not trees!I forgot the big deal about locally grown foods in California. Even Costco carries locally raised fruit trees. We purchased many varieties of dwarf trees that include a plum tree, Asian pears (cross between an apple and a pear), a Fuji apple tree, and a peach tree. I also found a blueberry tree (I may get a few more) from Home Depot, and a dwarf lemon tree. Dwarf trees don't mean they produce smaller or less fruit, just that the tree itself is smaller. The hooks on the left side are for pool towels.
Our property was open on either side of our home to the street, with a big cement hole dug in back for a pool. It was cemented, not plastered, so it was that grey crumbly stuff. By building code, the pool could not be finished until our house was gated and pool alarms were installed. Our walls and gates in Virginia, Hawaii, and California have varied by region. In California wrought iron gates are quite desirable. They are hand crafted and welded. These are the gates we had fabricated on either side of our home.

Our grey crumbly cement hole, filled with nasty water run off from the hillside now looks like this:The spa and pool are directly behind our house. We built an extra deck above the pool, and it accommodates our patio furniture.

The kids and I love to check out our remote control for the pool and solar power many times throughout the day. As long as it is sunny, our solar gets pretty close to 90 degrees in the pool every day. If you look really closely it says that the pool is 89 degrees, and the solar water is a warm 95 degrees. The air temperature is 84 degrees at 5 in the afternoon. But in Southern California it does not resemble the mugginess or humidity of 84 degrees like when we lived in Virginia.
If we keep pushing buttons we can make the pool do this:
Our larger yard is our side yard. Until recently it looked like this:See where the rectangular hole is at the bottom of the picture? It was a footing for this:
This is our barbecue gazebo. The wooden framing holds the counter top. And just to the left of the gazebo is this:

Our fire ring with built in seating. And finally, finally, the concrete was poured and my kids can run outside! The side yard is complete, and we will plant grass in the back space.

And somehow...I was talked into this, with the "romantic" sentiment that the flags were bought with our Fourth of July anniversary in mind.Life has been busy at home. The kids and I have cabin fever and are finally ready to get out about this summer. But after all of this work, we might just settle for a lot of back yard time.

Family Dayz

2009-05-13T22:24:00.003-10:00

Hubs is one lucky man. See the view from the front door of his office building? Every morning he gets to hear, see, and smell God's creation. For Cinco de Mayo we were invited to a family event on his front lawn. Our family was joined by Hubby's mom and grandma.
Cinco de Mayo is often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day. Wrong! It is not even a national holiday in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the underdog Mexican Army at the battle of Puebla when they defeated the French Army that had not been defeated in 50 years. In the United States we adopt this holiday across cultures like Oktoberfest, Chinese New Year, and St. Patrick's Day. Since San Diego borders Mexico, Cinco de Mayo celebrations are all over town. Hubby's workplace went all out with some seriously delicious and catered carne asada and pollo asado. I am so sorry, no food pictures, due to my inhaling way too much meat, beans, and rice. Carne asada is a northern Mexican food. Mexican food is just as different from North to South as food in this country. Oh, and there was a mariachi band that I didn't photograph. They played while my hands were clutching some crazy good Mexican food. I was deprived of good Mexican food on the East Coast and in Hawaii. I am really sorry I have no mariachi pictures, because mariachi bands only occasionally include harps, and Son1 LOVED this mariachi harpist. Mexican food to the tune of Cielito Lindo at the beach?!? Can you see why I did not pick up my camera?A few days later we celebrated Hubby's birthday. He was out the door at 630am that Saturday, preparing for the ongoing construction work at our house. But before he left, he requested a crab omelet. Way to spring something new on me, completely off my radar, only for him to tell me later that...well you are just going to have to wait to hear that part. I already had in my head raspberry white chocolate muffins, amongst other things. Now these muffins are to die for, and Hubby's absolute favorite muffins ever. Our sweet friend, Rachel, made them we lived in Virginia for Hubs. So, get it, I never needed to attempt them because we had Rachel. SO.... amongst the distraction of instantaneously finding the most fabulous crab omelet recipe to go with the fabulous muffins, and creating them at the same time....I realized that with 15 minutes left in the oven, I accidentally forgot the baking powder in the muffins. Do you know what that meant?!? They had a minimal chance of turning out.

SO.

I threw open the oven door, figuring I could sprinkle them individually, and mix the BP in each muffin. Too late! The muffins already had set up. So I poked a ton of holes in them, and decided to will those little white speckles into those muffins by dragging a pastry brush back and forth over the muffin tops. I tried my best, and shoved them back in the oven. MEANWHILE...when I flipped my omelets a little too feverishly, the egg part went flying and crusting over the stove and counters. By then the muffin timer was screaming at me. Aye yay yay. I grabbed that pastry brush and dusted that stubborn baking powder from the tops of the muffins. And I never cleaned the stove or counter tops because the phone rang. It was my sister, from 2500 miles away...the one whose new job is making it impossible to reach her, so I had to talk to her a little bit. Besides, she was calling for her favorite BIL's birthday. Anyway....about this time Hubs walks in and asks if I am ready for Legoland, and if the kids are ready. He looks at a disheveled me, and tells me he was just kidding about the crab omelet, but I am not laughing. He asks me what happened to the stove and somehow I was at a loss for words. We sat down for breakfast, and he tells me how wonderful the muffins tasted. OF COURSE they did, because they require a butter and sugar topping, which miraculously covered my BP mistake. Then he slowly and cautiously asked me how in the world Rachel used to get hers so big and fluffy. I promised him an explanation later because I still had no words for him. My body was still in a bit of kitchen shock. But the omelets?!?? They turned out deliciously! We quickly opened gifts, and grabbed the kids and the gear for a day at Legoland.

I loved my husband to pieces before we ever had children. We were married for six years, and together for a total of eight years before our babies ever came along. But now? Partnering in parenting with him makes my heart skip a beat. I asked him how he wanted to celebrate his birthday, and he said he wanted to spend the day at Legoland as his birthday present to the kids. Oh...and he wanted me to dress them alike. Is that not precious of him?
Legoland California is located at the northern most end of the county of San Diego, in Carlsbad. It is the ONLY Legoland in North America, and it is geared to children ages two to twelve. There is a ton of stuff for kids to do if they are over 34 inches. And since Son1 is over 42 inches there is even MORE for him. Another reason I particularly love Legoland is that pregnant mothers can ride many rides, too. I passed on the airplanes this time. They made me really sick my first trimester. Hubs rode with the two boys, but Son2 is hidden deep in that seat next to his daddy.Son1 and Hubs rode the roller coasters and this big shot thing. Hubs had lots of fun screaming like the panicked folks strapped near him. But he wasn't panicked!Hubs and I most enjoyed chasing our two year old around The Hideaways. We had never seen him scamper so quickly or laugh so maniacally! The giant multi tiered wooden play structure with rope climbs, catwalks, and slides is a little boy's dream. The slide at the highest point of the structure is the best way for big people to get down without getting stuck in the ropes. The twenty foot drop is ridiculously steep. Well, Son2 climbed his way to the top of the structure twice. Hubs and I each had the opportunity to follow him through the slide tube. Can you see the look in my eyes of recovery?
The evening ended with delicious In N Out. Birthday or not, Hubs and I passed on shakes, even though the kids indulged. At 680 calories those ice cream shakes are too rich for our blood!

The next morning was Mother's Day! Hubs not only cleaned my mess from the day before, but he also whipped up my favorite, strawberry stuffed french toast, a cheese omelet, and a silver can. Yes, I realize I am pregnant thankyouverymuch! And like a true princess, I had seconds and never felt a bit of guilt! There is nothing like eating while pregnant! Do you love how he notched out a heart on my french toast?
We hurried off to church, but we skipped the airbrushed Mother's Day tattoos in the courtyard. Note to my friends that live anywhere but Cali: This is your opportunity to skip your "left coast" and "land of fruits and nuts" jokes. I have no idea what you are talking about.

ANYWAY.

We headed over to a family gathering later in the afternoon. May 10 is always Mexican Mother's Day. My mom's family generally celebrates two Mother's Days, but this year American and Mexican Mother's Day fell on the same date. Now Hubs and I kind of "go together," if you know what I mean. We are both brown looking. We did pass for a "local family" in Hawaii. In some ways, our personalities are becoming more similar. But moving back to California for the first time in nine years points to the obvious need for Hubs to acculturate to my Mexican family. Since everyone has started families of their own, or moved, my mom and her sisters continue to say we are a "small family" now. Uh hem. We had 25 people at this shin dig. But we are just a "small family." You know what we had for our lunch? Carne asada!!! Now, it is not just the name of a Mexican food, as much as it is synonymous with a "social barbecue." But I don't really have a literal translation for it. I guess the closest would be the same thing as a Hawaiian luau at someone's house. Sooo my aunt made some homemade guacamole, grilled corn, carne asada, beans, homemade salsa, and her Knock You Flat On Your Face-To Die For strawberry cake. Now this cake is up there with Rachel's muffins for Hubs. So when the family realized the day before had been Hubby's birthday, they dug out some candles, that spelled Happy Birthday. My aunt covered the words on the cake with a paper towel, so we could sing to Hubs. You can see he was thrilled with the attention from my "small family."
Next we took a picture of the mothers that were present. From L-R, that's me, my mom, and my grandmother, cousins, and two of my mother's sisters. So you see, even in a Mexican family there is diversity in the way we look.

Well we plumb stuffed ourselves with the cake, all of us. You can see my children were far more interested in the cake than in the camera.
So far May had been filled with a bit of family time for the Farmers. How about you?

Unpacking is Like Pushing a Rope

2009-04-30T05:04:00.000-10:00

One step forward...a hundred steps back. I keep trying to make progress but somehow I have two little "un"helpers. They amaze me how they entertain themselves.

Turning Two

2009-04-20T16:30:00.000-10:00

Just over two years ago, Son2 joined our family in Honolulu, Hawaii. When I was pregnant I tried to wrap my mind around a new child with a new personality. There is no way I could have predicted this little guy.

He LOVES his big brother. He wakes up asking for him and loves to be his shadow. He is not really one to be in the shadow, though. Nope. He is our ham. He loves to play tricks on all of us. He hides, plays keep away, and imitates us. His favorite is his dog imitation. We tried to teach him to roll over, but we just aren't there yet. For now, we think this is all cute. When he is awake he is animated and energetic. But when it is bedtime, he falls dead asleep as early as 6pm and wakes up almost near 7. And yes, he takes a nap midday, too. But trust me, by nap time, he is already exhausted by all his activity. It is no wonder he has a voracious appetite. He packs away the food, and shocks us when he eats like a big person.

My mom had a little early birthday celebration for Son2 so that his cousin could be present. And yes, it was held in the land of whimsy and fairytales, in my parents' tropical and themed garden. And Son2 chose to celebrate the way he does at every meal, by fending for himself, and forsaking all others.
On his actual birthday the Farmer Fam celebrated at Legoland, at the northern end of San Diego. Our first stop was the "Foo Foo." The boys were excited to snag the engine seat.This day we picked all of the rides he was tall enough to ride. It is so hard to fathom that TWO years have flown by.Toward the end of the day he ran for a Lego station and relished in Legos all to himself.We spent the last hour of the day at Sea Life Aquarium. It is contained within Legoland, however, it is a separate park. Sea Life is geared toward children ages two to twelve. It is completely interactive and completely worth it. Unlike other aquariums that tend to be dark, cramped and hard to get to a viewing window, Sea Life Aquarium caters to children. Son2 actually climbed inside of this aquarium display to get an up close look at sea creatures.The viewing areas are gargantuan. Some are overhead, and many are floor to ceiling enclosures.We knew from when Son2 was just several months old that he was particularly drawn to animals. Sea Life Aquarium was the best ending to a big TWO birthday for our little guy.

Welcome to TWO, little guy. We love you beyond measure! Life with you is a blessing!

No Longer "A Place to Call Home"

2009-04-04T18:14:00.006-10:00

Our house in Virginia is no longer "ours!" Last week, the sale was final. This is such a humongous praise and quite a heavy burden lifted! We kept the escrow quiet because we wanted to make sure the deal was done. Several contracts came through in the seven months the house was on the market, but none led to a final sale. And in the last month or two no contracts came through at all. We had to sell the house by a certain date, and God came through just before with a full asking price offer! To Him be the glory!

Hubs made some last repairs in November. He called me in Hawaii and I asked a huge favor. Now before I even tell, I am warning you it may seem silly. But it shouldn't sound too silly if you remember the goodbye to my Hawaii house.

I asked him in a cracking voice to stand specifically in Son1's room and say goodbye for me. For emphasis, I told him to say it out loud. NO cheating and thinking a goodbye in his head. Oh that man! He loves me. He performed twice for me. Right after we hung up, he said goodbye to Son1's room, and then once again before he left the house for the very last time.

I am sentimental. I am a sap, and overly sensitive. We had a lot of special memories in that house. But what meant the very, very most to me was that room where my first born child slept. It wasn't so much that it was his room. No. It was in that place that I felt so very much, feelings I never ever felt until 2004. Watching my newborn sleep, watching his chest rise and fall, wondering whom he would become, and praying for his future all happened there. It was in that room that I cried tears of frustration, of exhaustion, and of immense love. That room was where I started to get my bearings as a mother, a new and permanent phase in my life.

I am honestly glad the house is sold. No matter where we live, those memories no longer live in that room. They live in my heart.

The Farmer Files: Spying on San Diego

2009-04-02T22:03:00.002-10:00

Welcome back to The Farmer Files! Do you love the new look?!?! I LOVE it! Tell me you love it, too!!! I still need to tweak the side bars a bit over the weekend, so extend some blog grace, people! In the meantime, grab my badge, right over there----> on the side bar, and post it on your blog!

A while back, I was surfing blogs, and I found Lindsey down in Panama. She had posted honeymoon picture from Kauai, and wrote how she missed Hawaii. I poked around more, and found out she is from California, just north of San Diego. Like me, she had once upon a time been a teacher, and now is a stay at home mom. I invited her to visit my blog any time she was missing Hawaii. After our move, a redesign was inevitable. I could no longer be LOST on Oahu now that I was found in San Diego. HA! I asked Lindsey to redesign my blog. She and her husband are missionaries in Panama so she blog designs part time. Woo wee did she have patience with me! But Lindsey was flexible and captured The Farmer Files better than I imagined it could look! Thank you!

In the meantime, I searched deep into my blogging soul about what I wanted this blog to be about. I had so much fun sharing Hawaii with you, and (I think) so many of you loved coming along on our family adventures. (Which believe me, people, I WILL take a week some time and tell you the last of our adventures!!)

Truly, I want to do the same again in San Diego. This is my hometown, my old stomping grounds. I love it here. (Now I do love it differently than Hawaii, but I do love it here.) There is so much I want to share with you. San Diego is California's second largest city, with over 70 miles of beaches. There are so many world known family attractions here. We border Mexico, and since my heritage is Mexican, I will even share how that colors what I see in San Diego! And since tourism is one of the largest boosters to San Diego's economy, I promise to take you to some really beautiful places!

But before then, I have to tell you, I will be back here blogging for those of you that have been reading for awhile. And that means that I will share with you much of what is going on right here at Casa Farmer. It means that I may not get to "Spying on San Diego" immediately. Expect to hear more about the usual shenanigans that befall the Farmer family! We have a lot of construction around our house, and most of you know we have a baby on the way. And I am kind of under the gun because I have visitors coming in THREE weeks. Actually there are visitors coming April, May, and June! Yikes!

So until then, you are invited to hang out here at my house. I will even share some pictures. Notice I said "some." Ha ha! And I will be visiting your places soon.

(((HUGS))) to you all! Don't forget to grab the button on your way out!

Ultrasound Update

2009-04-02T21:26:00.003-10:00

I thought today would never come. This is my third ultrasound in my 18 weeks of pregnancy. And I was most anxious for this ultrasound.

Two weeks after I missed my period, we saw a baby bean with a heart beat in Hawaii, just a few centimeters long. Still, I did not feel pregnant. With Son1 I was fighting to stay awake at work at this same point. With Son2 I was hugging the commode around the clock. The ObGyn assured me the heart was beating, even though I did not have pregnancy symptoms.

At 13.5 weeks pregnant, nearly starting my second trimester, my new practice wanted to peek at the baby. I felt no pregnancy symptoms, and was really worried. I had not gained any weight. The nurse practitioner spent a lot of time peeking, and assured me once again all was fine. She showed me my super active baby. I had not gained any weight to this point.

At 17.5 weeks I expressed my concerns to my ObGyn. Both of my boys were really active at this point already. She suggested maybe I was so stretched down there that I could not feel anything. I had no linea negra for the first time, and still no pregnancy symptoms, except for dry heaving over a dirty diaper. We listened with the doppler and she found kicks far before she found a heart beat. She heard movement all over my uterus. People were shocked when I said I was pregnant. If you saw me either of the last two times you would understand their shock. Before I always stuck out as soon as I took the pregnancy test.

This week was my high level ultrasound. The technician took 60 pictures for the radiologist before she let me see anything. I expressed again that I was so concerned that I wasn't feeling the baby. I had not gained much weight almost half way through my pregnancy. I had not even regained weight to my prepregnancy weight with either boy. I wore my own clothes to the ultrasound, not maternity clothes. She listened without saying much. She left to start paperwork and I sat alone with Hubs and Son1. I asked Hubs if he really thought everything was ok.

She returned and showed us around my uterus. Baby #3 would not lay still! Baby sucked the thumb, somersaulted, and definitely was active! I felt none of this! She kept pointing to body parts, and I kept expecting her to tell us something was very wrong. But finally, she asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby.

I knew that this is traditionally the last question asked in an Ob ultrasound. We all said YES! And the most relieving words to hear were, "It's a boy!!" I knew our ultrasound had come to an end. I knew that the last thing the technician said was "Congratulations!" And it finally sunk in! A healthy baby boy is joining the Farmer family!

Proof It Happened In Hawaii

2009-03-16T06:38:00.002-10:00

We have known since December. We have held out a long time to tell. Estimated due date is August 29. I took the test and this picture on the Big Island just ten days after moving out of our house.

What I Could Not See Then

2009-03-13T04:55:00.003-10:00

Hotel life was really uncomfortable. And I use "uncomfortable"quite loosely because we did not exactly stay in the smallest or shabbiest of places. Still, the kids were out of a routine, out of their own beds, and eating out all of the time. We had to make the most out of that per diem, you know. Everything was a game, including calling the concierge every few minutes. I finally started unplugging telephones in all but the master bedroom of the eight places we stayed. Quite simply, they were bored. And they were going to make sure I understood that. I doubted I would ever see the end of hotel life. But something very special was happening right before my eyes and I could not even see it. I was probably blinded by the devious giggles and overtired whining.It is only something that is beyond obvious now.. In our months of transition, through the poking at one another, and cavorting that drove me absolutely crazy, my kids grew super close. We had a whole lot of togetherness. There were days we thought it was too much togetherness, and I could not wait to move into our spacious home so the kids would not be in each other's faces.

But now, the boys insist on being together. They miss one another when they are apart. They constantly think of the other. Son1 grabs snacks for himself and his brother. He begs me not to put his brother to sleep so they can play. Son2 asks incessantly for his brother while he is at preschool. He calls out for Son1 whenever he wakes in his crib. Now it isn't dreamland. They still have their sibling rivalry. But their closeness tickles my heart.

I love my two boys. I am so glad they have each other. Together they are more than for what I could have ever wished.

Kindergarten Kamp-out

2009-03-05T22:35:00.001-10:00

I teetered and I tottered over Son1's Kindergarten placement. Our local elementary school has an amazing Dual Language Immersion program. Son1 is motivated to speak Spanish, particularly since he hears me speak it often. I don't think he ever believed Hubs that Mommy speaks Spanish like the Dora and Diego characters. And now that he hears me speak Spanish in California, Son1 is a wee bit envious.

The number one reason I was hesitant to place him in the program was the fear of teaching my own child English language arts. Which is actually ridiculous. And then my friend Katy commented on my last post. Katy, whom I haven't seen since I moved from Virginia. Katy, who is a non-native Spanish speaker and holds a Spanish degree and is a freak about correct English grammar. Katy, whom I taught with in Fairfax County Public Schools...yes, that school district. Katy, who reminded me that back in the day people actually thought I was a good teacher. Katy, who next to never comments on my posts. But I am really glad you did, Katy. I was down to the wire on time. You tipped the scales on my thoughts, and launched me into really thinking about bilingual education and not my fears about teaching English. Hubs and I had prayed for a few nights that we would have clarity on Kindergarten placement. Suddenly, I felt I was getting there.

So Hubs and I agreed that the Dual Language Immersion program was the right choice for our family, and for Son1's Kindergarten placement. But our choice meant one thing: a Kindergarten Kamp-out. (Yes, I know that is spelled wrong, I was the sixth grade spelling champ you know, but I was trying some alliteration.)

Registration started at 8am, but I arrived at the school at 4:30am, hoping for one of 40 Dual Language Immersion Kindergarten slots. I packed a bag of snacks, my camping chair, a blanket, and my registration packet. And when I arrived, I was number 30 in line. Number one arrived the night before at 8pm, and spent the night on the sidewalk. It was freezing, and the auditorium was not opened until 7am. And when I say freezing, it is all relative. But hello, I just moved from Hawaii. And high 40s and low 50s felt arctic. We looked like a freak show on the sidewalk. The local news channel even sent a camera crew for a story to prove it. But here is my own proof.
So Kindergarten, here we come!

Questions Answered, Question Unanswered

2009-03-02T19:31:00.002-10:00

So I am finally getting around to answering those questions you asked about the house. I disappeared, I know. Trust me, the drama here has been THICK. But hopefully it is thinning out.
I am not going to lie. Life in ~~Kansas~~ Hawaii was much simpler. We were settled in a routine. And as free spirited and less than organized as I am, I mask my schedule driven self quite well. I HEART schedules and structure, which includes time for blogging. I miss blogging. So I am going to pull myself out of the well where I have wallowed, and write. ~~For you.~~ For me.

Ok, confessional over! I am answering the questions and then I am going to share my own unanswered question.

Did we buy a home where we pay Mella Roos?
Yes. Most areas in CA that are newer require an extra Mella Roos tax in addition to property tax to create infrastructure for parks, schools, and additional building. If a newer home does not have Mella Roos usually the builder already raised the purchase price to include it. My parents live in 20 year old home, and still pay Mella Roos. Depending on when you buy your home, Mella Roos tax is required for 20 to 30 years.

What was the first project we tackled?
We paid a locksmith to re-key all of our doors. We found out just how mad the previous owners were about losing their home. They took off all of the locks/handles to the five or so exterior doors, and then busted the inside mechanism of the locks, and replaced them on the doors. What that meant was that while the handles looked fine, the doors could only be locked from the outside and not the inside. So the door fixtures actually had to be replaced so we could lock the doors from the inside.

Have we finished the pool? Is that why I blogged about stone workers awhile back? The pool is not finished yet. But it will be one of the first projects finished. Aside from the obvious danger to my children, it must be finished because the gas lines for the pool had to be run underground before the concrete could be poured in the back yard. The stone work is aside from pool work. The previous owners did not finish the stone work laid in the driveway they started. They left crates and crates of stone in the back yard. Strange, I know. They left mucho bucks worth of stone in the backyard but took our toilet seats, shower heads, and busted the locks. Oh...and put teeny tiny metal shavings in our garbage disposal, just to name a few things. Besides the driveway, the stone workers also completed the columns and wall.

Can folks come and visit?
Yes! We averaged guests 1/3 of the year in Hawaii! This home is much larger and we have plenty of space, so see you soon!

When will we see inside pictures?
Let's just say we were not completely unpacked on Friday, when five thousand pounds of storage items were delivered from storage in Virginia. Pictures won't be any time soon. Ask me in April.

Now for the unanswered question......

I am swinging back and forth on what type of Kindergarten I should enroll Son1. There is a highly coveted Dual Language Immersion program, where 90% of the day is taught in Spanish, and the other 10% is English. The program is designed for non-native Spanish speakers. First grade is 80% Spanish and 20% English, and eventually the kids get to 50% Spanish and 50% English. The program has met with great success, and the kids really grasp the language. I can't seem to decide if I want to enroll Son1 in this program. I don't want him to kill me later for making the wrong decision. Hubs is all for it. Kindergarten enrollment is Wednesday, so Hubs and I need to decide something PRONTO! Parents who have their children enrolled in the Dual Language program largely teach their children all of the English language curriculum at home. So I would commit to teaching English language arts at home for the years he is in this program. Ugh...so I will let you know what I decide on Wednesday.

The Big Reveal

2009-02-19T18:34:00.003-10:00

I loved your comments! They were more fun than the post!

So many of you loved House #3, and so did we. We loved it even more when the price was dropped 25% from the original asking price! We thought for sure God was hooking us up with this house. But it was not to be. After some detective work on the part of our realtor, we found out why we never heard back on our offer. Someone definitely got hooked up, and it was definitely not us. The price was definitely dropped for a specific client. How could the house be placed on the market by the bank, without a lock box, and three days later have an accepted offer, when no one had seen the house? I am going to be nice and not answer the question directly. But Hubs and I agreed that if this was not the house for us, God must have something else for us. I really did not like the proximity to the stop sign, even if Hubs did like those trikes in the neighbor's yard.

House #2 seemed like a good fit for our family, but we just couldn't buy at the top of our price range in this economy.

Just when less houses were left on the market, and it seemed there was no house for the Farmers, House #1 hit the market. We were so sure it was the home for us. Sight unseen by either of us, we asked our realtors to draw up a contract for this bank owned home. But even before our offer was written, the house was suddenly in escrow. On a hope and a prayer that the house just might fall out of escrow, we pursued this house. Our realtors thought we were a bit nutty. We bugged our realtors like crazy, and like cray, they bugged the bank. And you know what? The other couple with the contract made the bank a wee bit mad. That was all we needed. The bank knew we wanted this home enough not to fuss. But the bank chose not to relist the home after the previous offer fell through, and dealt directly with us. We have had many people drive by, knock on our door, and peek in our windows. Had this house sold? After all, it was never relisted. Nope. It's ours.

Now, you can ask me any questions you want, and I will answer. No price questions, though. Our parents don't even ask questions like that!

House Hunters

2009-02-16T09:24:00.000-10:00

I am just starting to get it. You miss me. You wonder what has happened to us. You don't care whether I finish blogging about Hawaii. Well I am gonna do it. You just wait and see. You are going to read the last of our adventures. HOWEVER, since you continue to be so good to me, I am going to interrupt the Farmers Say Aloha to Hawaii story and entertain you with some "House Hunters." The number one request these days is for pictures of our new home. Well, I am not gonna give them up until we play a little HGTV game.

You have seen the show, haven't you? Here are the top three homes that we considered, and we DID buy one. I am sitting inside one of these very homes right now. Now, if you are family or know which house I bought (which I don't think anyone besides family knows, but my memory may be clouded by moving boxes right now), DO NOT SQUASH THE FUN AND TELL PEOPLE WHICH HOME WE BOUGHT. Didn't I tell you I have a competitive spirit when it comes to fun and games? Now I am not going to add any doorbell sounds to this post and I am going to skip the whole Susan Whang hostess deal, because really people, I have boxes calling me before the kids wake up.

You must know that I never went inside any of these actual homes before we wrote a purchase contract. We had seen many similar to these when we were in California in June and July. We were not ready to buy until late in 2008, after we sold our home in Hawaii. Hubs made a few trips to California without me, and took a gazillion photos of each home, and emailed them to me. My mom said I was brave to have him buy a home without me standing in it. She was in Hawaii with me when Hubs was in California. My dad went with Hubs to look at some of these. My mom cracked me up because she said she could not let my dad choose a house without her. But this is not the first time Hubs and I have bought a home where he wrote a contract without me. I had faith he could do it again!

All three of these homes were bank owned foreclosures. All needed minor work.

Home #1

This home is located in a culdesac. It has only one neighbor to the right, and a very large lot size. A pool was started in the back yard. It has a tandem three car garage, and two full bathrooms and bedrooms downstairs. The previous owners did not finish the work to the home, and a lot of stone is stacked in crates in the back yard. The floor plan is very open, with many windows. This home was already in escrow when we looked at it. Many, many people wanted this house because it was priced really well for the lot size and number of square feet.

Home #2

This home has a very open and beautifully flowing floor plan. The back yard is large, and perfectly flat, and perfectly ready for a pool. My favorite feature of this home is a side courtyard from the interior of the home. One thing I told Hubs was that if we were moving to California I wanted a home with a courtyard. The home is well priced, but it is at the very top of our price range.

Home #3

This home is priced the best value for the dollar, square feet, and lot size. It has tropical landscaping, and views to the mountains. It sits on a wide and quiet street. It is upgraded throughout, and located in an area with no Mella Roos, unlike the other homes. Mella roos is a special tax in California. It is paid above and beyond property tax, and assessed for 20 years on new homes to build community parks, schools, and infrastructures. This is a very big deal in California! It is the second house from a stop sign, which could mean through traffic. A gorgeous stone wall surrounds the home on all sides, with custom lighting on the perimeter. There are trikes at the house next door. Maybe nice children live next door.

So you choose! Which house do you think the Farmers purchased?

Lost and Found

2009-02-06T06:24:00.004-10:00

I found an old SD card to my camera. This was just before we left VA for HI. Do you know the girl in the glasses?

I am Not Clicking My Ruby Red Slippers

2009-01-29T03:58:00.004-10:00

My car is fine. The transmission slipping was a fluke. The service representative never charged me, either. I am counting all of this a blessing.

I really started a Hawaii post. You do believe me, don't you?

I hemmed and hawed on my In N Out order at the drive through. The teenager taking my order (yes a person stands at the drive through) was overly helpful with changing my mind. I was not as hungry as I wanted to be. Finally, out of the corner of my eye the lady in the Lexus behind me grew impatient.

I pulled forward to pay. "I am SO sorry. I am going to be THAT customer in the drive through that does not have her wallet. I grabbed my diaper back pack and tossed out diapers, a banana, and some markers. No wallet. "It is probably in the back. The lady behind me HATES me already. I took forever to order." I threw my car in park, jumped out, and opened the back van door. I jumped in and tossed a few toys. No wallet. Stink eye from the Lexus behind.

I jumped back in and told the cashier to hold my order. The food window waved me on, and I pulled into a parking spot. "But I want my chocolate shake. You said I could have a chocolate shake. Mommy, are you going to get my chocolate shake?!?!?"

And I will not confess how many drive through meals we have had in the last 6 weeks. But just know my 22 month old was crowing, "Shake? Shake!!?!?" too. Wherever did he learn that?

No wallet. No shakes. Whiny children. This now qualifies as an emergency and a crisis. Must call Hubs, who has not had lunch. It is well after 4pm. He assures me it must be at my parents' house or in my car. I high tail it back to their house, all 8 minutes of a drive. I call twice. No wallet. I pull up anyway, and ransack their house. No wallet. Still in crisis. Must call Hubs again. "Why don't you come over to the (new) house and I will help you look for it. It has to be in your car." Still trying to quiet the cries for shakes all the way to our house. I pull up and Hubs, my Superhero, is waiting outside for me when I drive up.

He methodically and cautiously inspects my now harried van. No wallet. He meticulously plucks apart my diaper back pack. No wallet. He is still optimisitc. That is his job, his answer to my dramatic tendencies. He hands me $100 and tells me to go buy the shakes. But my gut aches. "Can you please call American Express and see what the last charge was to my card?" Calmly he dials. His eyes pop wide. "N0rdstrom online?!? We need all of these cards canceled immediately!" He hangs up, and assures me he will take care of this mess. And then he plucks the $100 from my hand, and hands me a $20 bill. I am not offended.

I drive off to In N Out, considering the contents of my wallet. The credit cards Hubs would handle. What else of value was in there? MY LEGOLAND PASSES. Argggh. Dial mom. Tell her to look up the number for Legoland. Light bulb clicks. "FORGET IT MOM! I am going to get you a shake. Stop whining! GET ME THE NUMBER TO N0RDSTROM."

"You are not using your very nice manners," says a very hurt, very sincere, teeny tiny voice. I feel awful. He means it. And he is very right.

Call Nordstrom. They are very helpful. I say choice words...not foul language. I contain myself to....choice words. I tell the woman she is my best friend. This will get resolved. I feel relieved.

Arrive at In N Out. Teenagers can be very sympathetic at the drive through and at the cashier. I want nice teenagers like them. I deliver In N Out to Hubs. Two thousand dollars we will not be responsible for, charged at TM0bile, Veriz0n, Sears, Home Dep0t,Neiman Marcus, and N0rdstrom. Ouch. I feel so guilty because now my husband is dragged into this mess. And he is solving this for me with all of the credit cards.

He concludes I should head back to the hotel with the children. Driving back, I have a thought. Maybe life would be easier if we stayed in Hawaii. But I am not Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. I will not click my ruby red slippers and call Hawaii "home" anymore. I remember the Israelites that complained and wished they were back in Egypt, and they wandered the desert for 40 years. I don't want to wander until I am in my 70s, figuratively speaking. I shake off the thought. Hawaii is not home right now.

And the little voice apologizes for wanting a shake. And I feel like a monster. Later in the hotel, I spend LOTS and LOTS of time with him. Little brother is asleep. We talk about the bad choice this person made. I apologize for my behavior, and for becoming so upset. He forgives me too instantly. There is a lesson there. I still feel badly. I question the depths of this move for a four year old. First car trouble, then wallet trouble. So much for providing security for him. But every day is a new day and today I will try harder.

Hubs and I have a late night talk. He is the best. He tells me I need to be more careful, and this was just an accident. He forgives me too instantly. I am sure there is a lesson there. ;)

This Ain't Narnia

2009-01-27T08:00:00.004-10:00

Kindness. Mahalo for your emails and comments, wondering where I have been. I have not left Bloggyland. NO. But I do feel that I have slipped through the wardrobe, just like the children in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, ever so quickly. I landed in a place I find oddly familiar, quite beautiful, and still so different from what I know as "home." Hubs is adjusting to a new job, and working on getting our house ready from the time he leaves work until the day is over. Still many, many responsibilities fall to me, and I am dragging two small children along on this adventure. Except this adventure is tiresome and leaves little time for me to sit down and share it with you.

Last night the kids and I drove back to the hotel in my car. The car arrived from Hawaii, and yesterday was the first day I had it to myself. We drove down Hawthorne Street in San Diego. For those of you unfamiliar, the street is a straight decent and ends at the harbor, at North Harbor Drive. I sat at a red light on Hawthorne, crafting a plan for unloading the kids, hauling our clean laundry, and grabbing dinner for the family. The light flashed green. My foot pressed on the gas but I went nowhere. The engine did not rev. The needle on the odometer sat at 0 mph, completely unaware I was pressing the gas pedal.

I am not sure what happened, or how the car started to roll. But I kept staring in disbelief at the green "D." My car was in drive. I was not in neutral. I braced myself as we careened down the hill. I called out to Son1. I instructed him to pray that mommy could stop the car. He asked God to bless the food to our bodies. Good enough. I am sure God understood his prayer. Cars were parked all the way down Hawthorne. There was no place to pull over. At the very last light before the harbor, I saw an opening where I could hit a soft curb and pull my emergency brake. I should have known. No parked cars at a driveway opening to a restaurant. Yes, I blocked the driveway.

I dialed Hubs. I begged him to rescue me. He was still at our new house, supervising stone workers. I was hysterical. Not crying, but hysterical. Put the car in D2 or D3 he said. NO NO NO. I reminded him I was one light from the water. NO. I would have no way to stop. And North Harbor is a major road that leads to the airport along the harbor. NO. I had two small children in the car. I told him to RESCUE ME RIGHT NOW.

Now, let me tell you about Hubs. He is the complete antithesis of me. He is as calm as still waters. Nothing moves that man. "First of all, put your car in Park." Very steadily he told me to turn off my car. Ok, I could handle that. He directed me to turn the car on. Next, reverse into the restaurant parking lot. YIPPEEE!!! My car accelerated! Then, he calmly led me to put my car in drive. WOOOO HOOO! My car was moving again! I headed to the hotel, praying at every red light my car would not stall.

I eventually arrived at the hotel, only to find I lost my room key, after dragging a gargantuan bag of clean laundry, my kids, and all of our necessities with us to the room. I will skip the craziness of juggling all of the above, and dinner for Hubs with a new room key, back to the hotel room, nearly an hour and a half later. This ain't Narnia. It is a completely different kind of "adventure." But I keep telling Son1 this is an adventure. Because we have had crazy days like this all too frequently.

We are running to our next adventure this morning: driving my car with 55,000 miles to the dealership. Craziness, I know. A transmission should not give out yet, especially on a Honda. But I will be back, with more stories, just so you don't get worried I didn't make it to the dealership. Deal?

And NO I am not done blogging Hawaii. So thefarmerfiles will be Lost on Oahu for awhile. Don't you want to know how the Survivors of the Farmerfiles made it off the island??? You have to be a LOST fan to get that one. ;)

Aloha Friday #10

2009-01-16T02:07:00.003-10:00

Fridays are the days we take it easy in Hawaii. We call it Aloha Friday, much like what folks on the mainland call TGIF. I post a question, and you comment. That's it, unless you want to ask your own question at An Island Life. My question is:

What would be the one thing you would do this weekend if you were moving out of state?

After nearly four glorious years in Hawaii my husband and I have chosen to make a very difficult move from Hawaii back to California. We have loved Hawaii and consider it home more than anywhere else. We have not lived in CA for nearly nine years. This is our very last weekend in Hawaii. However, I have such a back log of posts I will be posting about Hawaii a bit longer. With the tropical storm brewing, and the threat of an island wide power outage, I am not sure exactly how we will spend the weekend. But I know we will spend it together.

If These Walls Could Talk

2009-01-15T16:52:00.001-10:00

Moving was quite a process. Our pack out from Hawaii was much different than our pack out from Virginia. We were assigned two movers that wrapped our furniture, packed our boxes, and loaded our crates. These two wonder workers did it all. In Virginia we had a crew of people for each step: an entire crew wrapped larger furniture, an entire crew packed our household goods, and an entire crew loaded all of our crates. It took three full days and fifteen people to move all of our things. Not in Hawaii. Our two movers finished our entire pack out in two days.
We loaded eighteen wooden crates full of furniture and boxes. Each crate averaged about 900 pounds. The wooden crates were metal sealed and tagged with a number. Hubby's name was scrawled on the exterior of each crate, along with a number. Those of us that move like this, with particularly large shipments, know the unspoken "rules." If you want your stuff taken care of, you buy your movers whatever they want for lunch when they pack you up, and when they unload you at your destination. This time was easy; the larger guy shocked us with a salad order both days, and the smaller guy wanted plate lunch.

We were left with an empty house, just a shell of the memories that once held our home. I sat quietly, (very unlike me) reflecting on our time in Hawaii. In a few more days our keys would belong to someone else. It was their turn to call our house their home. I was not heartbroken. We bought this house knowing it would "work." We knew from the beginning that our time in Hawaii was ticking, and we could not stay forever. But I sat there, trying to memorize all that our house had meant, in all the ways it had become our home, in all of the ways we were able to share it with others. I will share them with you. They are not the most significant memories,nor the most private, nor the most public. They are simply memories that came to mind.

We had bought the Sanford and Son house on the block. It was so bad that the neighbors thanked us for buying it. A family with ten children and two rabbits had lived here before us. The then three year old home looked much older. So we fixed up the home, inside and out.

If the exterior walls could talk they would tell tales of two little boys that sat on that step and waited for their daddy to come home. On hot afternoons we hunted lizards and dragonflies. We took Son2's birth announcement photo on the front lawn, along with Mother's Day and birthday pictures. It was on the lanai that I found sweet packages sent from the mainland that at times brought me to tears. And this lawn is where giant poisonous toads would taunt me during rainy season nights. It was also on the front lanai where I learned to love people from the door to door religions and not just shut the door on them.
In the living room (not pictured) there was the time our 20 foot ceilings looked like they had been graffitied. Hubs used a paint sprayer and it got stuck. It was in this living room that I taught Son1 how to greet guests and then walk them to the door at the end of the night. This was the room where we first replaced the flooring, and Hubs and I had quite a time! Well, honestly I was terrible help to him. We said goodbye to our pool table in this room, and led our couples Bible study in this room.
These kitchen walls could tell you how my children loved to hide in cupboards, how we learned to cook new local food, and how the best of our guests helped us with meals. We spent so much time around that center island, eating as a family, preparing meals, spreading out maps of the island, and helping guests plan their itineraries.
Both of my children learned to walk in this family room, the room where Son2 once rocked peacefully in a swing. In this room Hubby replayed my LOST debut in super slow motion several times just so I could revel in myself.
If these outside walls could talk they would whisper the sounds of the melodic wind chimes we bought in Hawaii in 1999, long before we lived here. This is where I said goodbye to my dog of 6 1/2 years, where both of our children screamed delightfully as their daddy pushed them on the swing after work.Ahh how I wish this wall would let me forget the trip to the emergency room, but I will not forget the apple banana and papaya trees.If the dining area could talk it would tell you of the late night hours Hubby spent at the laptop, after work, after family time, after dinner, and after wife time. They would tell you about a man who puts his family first. Ahhh and you would know about the little boy who threw food from his high chair to his trusty dog, just to watch his mama flip, and then giggle, giggle, giggle. OVER AND OVER.
Goodbye bathroom walls, where I tossed my pregnant cookies during that big earthquake in 2006! This is where I started potty training, where I sang songs, read books, and made happy faces out of lotion to keep a child on the potty. Ahhh and where our guests worried the neighbors could see them while taking a shower. Hee hee. (We did put a curtain up!)

The walls of the guest room (not pictured) greeted so many visitors! How the walls may have giggled at overpacked and overweight suitcases, and even more as they watched many guests repack!The laundry room knew the joy of preschool art hung from each wall.
The hallway heard the cheers from wheelbarrow races with daddy after dinner, and games of Ready! Set! Go! races.Aahh and the walls would tell you how I relinquished our hall storage closet to an entire toy closet.
How we would tiptoe quietly in just the right places on these steps! And when we hit the wrong boards the kids surely woke up. In this little office I posted so much on this blog about our life in Hawaii.And some days I watched mountain sunsets and arching rainbows from the windows.And how those walls could tell you how frustrated I was when a child locked me in his room when he was 2 years old, and how I have retold that story, laughing with tears in my eyes so many times. They could tell you how Hubby and I have the sweetest memories of listening to our child pray at night, playing bedtime games with him, and his pretending to "clean" his room (shoving anything not nailed down into the closet).
And I know those walls laughed when I broke the toilet seat. But they knew the joy of watching two little boys share a tubby.

Our master bedroom (not pictured) WELL I AM GLAD THOSE WALLS DON'T TALK.Aahh the walls of the master bathroom could tell you stories of hair cuts for two little squirmy boys, and how one flushed a deodorant stick down the toilet, and we had to call a plumber. And of a mommy that relished in long, hot hot hot showers after a day at the beach.

And if these walls could talk, they would tell you how I told the new owner I could not turn over the house to him until my baby woke up from his very last nap in the very first bedroom I called "his."

test

2009-01-13T17:00:00.001-10:00

So this is my test post to see WHO DISABLED MY COMMENTS ON MY LAST POST when I am the only blog administrator!!!

Misery Loves Company

2009-01-13T15:48:00.001-10:00

Have you ever moved homes or moved jobs, and just when you are feeling sad about it, it just isn't so sad when you find out your friends are moving, too? I know! It's a warm fuzzy feeling, sharing the same "in between places" kind of space, and you are feeling just as icky about this whole move thing as me!

Hubs and I started leading the young married group at our church in 2005. Sarah and Kevin were the only couple that started the group and ended the group with us, and lots of folks came later and moved in between. Sarah and I grew to be good friends, and we love so much of the same about Hawaii. They are from the Baltimore area, about an hour from the northern VA area, where we moved from. And let's just say the shadow of the nation's capitol is a whole different culture from Hawaii. So we both had some adjusting to do. But like me, she fell in love with Hawaiian culture, and hoped time would slow down before we made the jump across the Big Pond back to the Big Rock.

Oh, and the other thing I love about Sarah? She HEARTS Christmas and HEARTS tea time. (And she hearts Jesus and my kids, what's not to love?) So when her husband was deployed, guess who helped me decorate my Christmas tree when I was pregnant in 2006?

Absolutely one thing Sarah and I wanted to see before we left was the Honolulu City Lights parade and the lighting of the Christmas tree at City Hall. I took a lot of not so great pictures. But I will remember how warm it was that night (see how much smarter Sarah was than me in her clothing choice) the excitement I son felt to watch the parade and spend time with Mr. Kevin, and all of the parade elements you only see in Hawaii. The Geico gecko (we have geckos everywhere in Hawaii) showered the crowd with green mardi gras beads, fire dancers twirled fire, and danced, and many floats played music on ukuleles.

This is the Honolulu Police Department float, and a few officers played and sung with their ukuleles and piped the music through their amp system.

This was by far our favorite float...the meter maid. The meter maid was souped up like a reindeer, pulling a sleigh on hydraulics.

It was sweet for our family to share the night with Sarah and Kevin, knowing we would all say aloha soon.

How about you? Have you ever shared a moment of lasts with friends?