Angie and Bunny

Tonight Black Spiderman made a reappearance, so I took him Trick-or-Treating. He bumped into a neighborhood kid who asked him who he was. Kyle told him that he was "Black Spiderman, of course".

I guess the little boy wanted to know which kid Kyle was as he couldn't tell because of Kyle's mask, so he asked again, "no, who are you? What's your name?"

Kyle looked at him a little confused at first and then with no uncertainty said, "Peter Parker".

I found this picture from Jenna's wedding and just had to post it. Although it was so, so cold, it all looks so pretty and I love the moment Jenna and I are having. Thanks Ambie for capturing it.

The Santa Ana winds really whipped up the wildfires this year and at the moment there are about a dozen wildfires burning uncontrolled in Southern California. About 600 square miles have been scorched, 1800 homes destroyed and almost a million people evacuated from their homes.

We saw the smoke begin rolling into Poway Sunday afternoon while laying out by the pool and by the evening we were all breathing in ash. We were woken up early Monday morning with our cell phones and house phone ringing off the hook because the news reported the Witch Fire had burned into Poway and everyone was calling to see if we were alright and to offer us their homes to evacuate to. We felt very loved.

A few sections of Poway have been evacuated, and some very close to us, but thankfully we haven't gotten the call yet as apparently the area we live in is very defensible. We watched homes go up in flames last night on a hill in the distance and heard that those homes had just been rebuilt from the fires that destroyed them in 2003.

Poway looks very bleak as the air is full of ash so it gives everything this colorless, white look. Add to that the desertion of the streets and the closure of most of the businesses in town and it feels like a post war zone. Very eerie. Most people are staying indoors as the air quality is so bad.

The Boys and Girls Club and the Community Center are serving as makeshift shelters here in Poway. Maria, Trevor and I went down there today to entertain the kids with animal balloons and to get out Activated Mags and kid's tracts. The kids were thrilled and we had a great time bringing some fun to people who have been displaced since Sunday and who have no idea if their homes are even standing.

San Diegans have really pulled together and the outpouring of donations and volunteers has been amazing. The shelters are very organized and set up and there's actually been a surplus of everything with donations pouring in all over the place. Qualcomm Stadium which has been housing over 12,000 people, has actually asked people to stop sending food, they can't handle it all. It was nice having something a little unique to offer with the balloons and we had great fun helping out.

I can't imagine what it must be like to have your home burn to the ground, but please pray for these people and that they'll turn to the Lord for His comfort and hope.

My sister Jenna and her husband tried for a baby during their honeymoon in Maui and got it. Jenna's pregnant! Anyone who's seen Ashley knows that they make beautiful babies and I can't wait till June. Thanks Jenna for making me an auntie to another little person. I love you!

Having babies seems to happen in 3's around here. Any bets on who's next?

I love this girl. She's open, caring, frank, funny, brutally honest and one of my best friends. I love listening to her put on her Thai accent and eating her amazing Thai cooking. I love how she gets all animated when she tells a story and how I can just watch her talk and be entertained for hours.

I also love how well she listens and how her advice is almost always spot on. She has this uncanny knack of looking inside people and figuring them out almost too easily. She's an amazing mother and I love how she interacts with children, like they're all her own.

Maria, I'm so glad I have you in my life. Happy Birthday and may this next year be peaceful. You know what I mean. ;)

I know this is old, old news, but I had such a great day on my 30th, I had to post about it and I finally got a chance to today. The day was perfect from start to finish.

My neighbor brought me flowers. Thanks Patrick!


A very muscled, super-fierce, albeit top heavy and skinny bottomed black Spiderman paid me a visit.


Rode the carousel at Balboa Park.


I can't get enough of this little guy. Don't you just want to pinch those apple cheeks?


And a kiddy train, ....fun! We even went through a scary, dark tunnel.


We visited the Spanish Art Village at Balboa Park and they were having a glass art sale in the courtyard. I saw pieces of art that actually brought tears to my eyes, ...beautiful, beautiful work. I should have taken pictures.

Then Jer took me out to dinner to Mimmo's in little Italy and it was the perfect ending to the perfect day. Jer had made a reservation and they gave us their private wine room for the occasion. We had bruchetta for our appetizer, veal cannelloni and cheese tortellini with grilled shrimp for dinner and then creme brulee for dessert with plenty of wine throughout. Satisfying indeed. Thanks baby.


All that to say, ringing in three decades wasn't half as bad as I've been imagining and anticipating it to be for the last 5 years. For some reason I thought I'd be depressed, but it was great and I'd recommend it to anyone. So to all those behind me, you can breathe easy and look forward to your 30th birthday. It's the new 25! ;)

It was a long time in coming, but I finally made it. I'm 30! Yipee!

Now let the good times roll. And those over 30, please tell me the good times do roll.