Disneyland for Cassi's Birthday

I take Cassi to Disneyland around her birthday every year. It has become a tradition for us. Disneyland decorates the entire place for Halloween and it gets us in the mood for fall! I took my Canon point and shoot and these are some of the pictures from the day. We had an amazingly beautiful fall day at Disneyland. There weren't many crowds and we were in great company with Cassi's friend Ashleigh and MacKenzie, Diane and Brendon along for the day.
Mickey's ears are actually a lot of mini pumpkins stacked together. I love that every time we come to Disneyland all of the landscaping is different. The colors and details are always great.

This is Cassi, Ashleigh and MacKenzie in front of the castle. I love the clouds in the sky!



If you look close...Mickey Mouse is leading the band coming out of the castle. This was Ashleigh's first time at Disneyland and it was neat for her to start the day seeing Mickey and all his friends entertaining in front of the castle.

Front gate of Disneyland.
The Pirates ride is always a must stop and I can really remember being scared on this ride as a kid growing up.
I had to share this picture that I took of the tv screen of us riding Space Mountain. This is the picture they take while you are on the ride and they try to sell it to you for lots of money. I am sure taking a picture of this is probably not the right thing to do but Ashleigh's expression was priceless. What I love about this picture is that she has never ridden the ride and had no clue what part of the ride this was taken. This was her true expression!!!

After a few rides at Disneyland, we went over to California Adventure for a few hours. The sky in the pic below is actually a facade but the actual sky looked a lot like this one!

I took the picture below because the Disney Cast member told me this attraction (seeing all of the princesses at one place for pictures and autographs.) was being closed down and renovated. There are so many areas of the Disneyland resort that get changed and closed that these posters become memorabilia.

Above the Hollywood sign is the real sky and below it is the fake facade.
California Adventure is actually decorated with a "Candy Corn Acres" theme. And as always tastefully decorated and colorful.

Another set of signs that are covering an area of the park being revamped.

My sister and the kids went on the Monsters Inc. ride and I was going to go to the bathroom and wait. Imagine my surprise when Harrison Ford (the real Indiana Jones) and Calista Flockheart (Ally McBeal fame) walked off the ride right where I was standing. I could never ever be a paparazzi because I felt guilty even taking this one picture of them!!!! It does look like one of those People magazine shots though!!!
How beautiful is this entrance to the Monster's Inc ride???? I love how colorful it is!!!

While we were still at CA adventure we came across Cruella De Ville. In all the years of going to Disneyland I have never seen a character who was so animated, funny, hysterical and entertaining. I could have watched her all day long! Ashleigh has very limited knowledge of Disneyland and innocently she asked....Who are you? And Cruella immediately replied...well Cinderella my dear and if you find my slipper...BRING IT TO ME!!! we spent about fifteen minutes enjoying her!

I have pictures of me and my sisters right here in front of the park and this spot has become absolute tradition for us!

Here is one of the amazing murals at CA adventure. If you look close you can see all kinds of objects. (Look for a spoon!!!)
Are these bats cool? They are in front of The Tower of Terror and I love how this turned out.
I had to share this one because I love how the lighting turned out on this shot. The girls went on the ride and Diane, Brendon and I watched all of the people getting soaked at this part of the ride.

We had an absolutely memorable time for Cassi's ninth birthday and I already cannot wait to go again! We ate our way through the park and came home (as always!) exhausted but with more memories of the Happiest Place on Earth.

On another subject...Darrin won his game last week and I will post more pictures after tomorrow nights game against Madison. I am also photographing a wedding at the Temecula Creek Inn with Christi and the setting is a 120 year old stone house that used to be used as a safe house for masons back in the day. I haven't met the bride and groom but can not wait to meet them and share in their special day! I will share those sometime next week!!!

Enjoy!!!

More images from Sunday

I wanted to add these to yesterday's post but only got a chance to edit them tonight. Here's some more from my shoot with Cassi at the park.

Enjoy!

Cassi is turning 9!

I truly do not know where the time flies and I know it's very cliche but it seems like yesterday she was in diapers! I took Cassi to Old Poway Park in Poway to take her nine year pictures early this year because last year I got into October and her birthday passed with no pictures.

We went to Poway Park with Lori Bevan so she could photograph her daughters also. Cassi has been friends with her daughter Lexi since birth so we were able to capture a couple of pictures of the two of them all dolled up together!

October is a super crazy month for me professionally and I fit in a trip to Disneyland and a birthday party for family each year for Cassi.

So here is my beautiful daughter growing up way too fast and lookin gorgeous doing so!

Enjoy!

Darrin's (and the rest of the PH Patriots) highlights

Here's the highlights from Darrin's game-The very first play is Darrin. If you have never checked out the Prep Pigskin Report-It's a great way to see all the San Diego High school sports highlights every week. I am not sure how this works so if you need to...chose 8/31/07 PAtrick Henry V Santana Sultans.

I promise to figure this out by next week!!!

Enjoy!!!

KUSI - News, Weather and Sports - San Diego, CA Highlight Zone

Patrick Henry 32-Santana 27

I wanted to share this pic from my nephews awesome home opener on Friday...He was amazing! The Santana Sultans scored a touchdown with less than a minute in the game (55 seconds to be exact!) to go ahead and Darrin was able to accomplish a drive all the way down field in 49 seconds and the Patriots scored a game winning touchdown with only 6.4 seconds to go on the clock!

He had 59 yards rushing, 187 yards passing as quarterback and 7 Tackles on defense as safety.

I think I got those stats correct...I am sure I will be corrected if I didn't but if you want to see highlights (he's number 32)...check out the above post for highlights!!!!

Cassi started school this week, I helped Geri shoot a wedding on Saturday and I spent a wonderful Saturday afternoon with my Mom and sisters (Diane and Debbie). We went to one of the local casinos and had a blast! (We all won which helps!!!!)

I have more images to show but they'll have to wait til next post!!!!

Enjoy!!!

Missing my baby...

I know this sounds crazy but I can not sleep because Cassi is not in the house tonight. She spent the night at a friend's house and you would think I would be elated but NOOOO...

It's almost 1:00am and I am missing her!

She is growing up to be such a little lady and although she can be a beast at times...mostly she's a beauty!

I took these pics of her last week.

Enjoy!

Are you ready for some football???

Here's Cassi sporting her LT jersey while supporting her cousin Darrin. I love this picture as the team comes on the field for the first time this season. Their team name is the Patriots and I like how this Patriot seems to be watching over them as they come down the hill.

I didn't realize I captured this image until I was editing these but from all of the news reports...Number 28 Dillon Baxter for the Mission Bay Buccaneers is supposed to be some kind of phenomenon. He scored millions of touchdowns as a freshman for their Varsity last year and was named second team All CIF last year...as a freshman. There was a news article about him on Thursday calling him "the Next Reggie Bush" so I figure I'll hang onto this image and maybe someday it'll be worth something. And..of course I thought it was a really cool shot!
I love this image of my nephew Darrin carrying the ball. I take pictures at his games and it gives him a chance to see the game and see parts of the game he didn't get a chance to see.

I am so excited for football season to start!! There are so many names and teams I will be watching this year and it'll be fun to see how they all do!

Of course we love our San Diego Chargers and after the crushing loss that ended last season I think all of San Diego can not wait for this season to get under way!

My favorite team to watch is my nephew Darrin and his high school team. Darrin has played organized football since he was 5. When my sister chose his name I recall her saying to me, "Don't you think his name is a good name for a football player?" Little did I know how prophetic those words would be.

Darrin has already been on a football team (American Youth Football) that won the National Championship in Florida (as their quarterback), has been named to the 2004 American Youth All-American Football team, was MVP offensive and overall for his freshman high school team, and is on his second year Varsity (as a junior) playing both offense and defense.

The last two years Darrin has been a running back but the team needed his expertise and leadership at quarterback so he is filling that need on the team this year.

Last night was their first scrimmage and I have to say they looked petty good. They were playing Mission Bay High School which is a really good team and I think they held their own. The score doesn't tell you much because they played 1st, 2nd and third string so everyone could get some time on the field.

I will be keeping you up to date on his team and their progress this year so I will apologize in advance for my ramblings.

Enjoy!!!

My excuses why...

Where the turf meets the surf....

We spent an amazing day at the Del Mar Racetrack where my sister and her husband have season box seats that are amazing. My brother in laws best friend is a very successful horse trainer here in California and he had two horses running last Sunday including a stakes race so we got to be a part of a very special day.

We could not have asked for a more beautiful, more eventful... fun day than we had.

These are taken down in the paddock. Because Eric had two horses that ran (AND WON!!!) this day we were able to go down to the paddock in the owners area while the horses were prepared for their races. We even got to be in the winner's circle and picture after the horses won. The first horse...Scat Thief was a long shot that came in and paid pretty well and the second horse Salute the Sarge was the favorite in the stakes race and won it. This horse is unbeaten in three races and they have huge plans for it.

Cassia and Mackenzie got tattooed (okay...their faces painted!) while in the infield of the racetrack where they have family entertainment.
Cassi throwing the peace sign...
My gorgeous nephew Brendon!
MacKenzie, Cassi and Steven in their season box at Del Mar.

Michael Baze is the jockey who rode both horses and is having a phenomenal run here at Del Mar.
Mac posing in the paddock!
Steven, My Mom, Brendon, Cassi, Diane, Mac, Kathy and I down in the paddock before Scat Thief ran.

This is Eric Guillot (My brother in law Brian's friend) being interviewed after the stakes race. He is a big deal now in the horse racing business. My sister tells all kinds of stories from when he was just starting out years ago and I have to say this man is hysterical!!!!

(By the way...all of the above images are taken with my Casio Point and shoot!)

I feel like all I do is make excuses why I don't post more often on this blog and then I realize that although my life moves at 100 miles an hour I wouldn't change it for the world...so you are getting a random post of everything I have been up to since last post...along with some pics to prove it.

My wonderful Aunt Kathy was out from Ohio and when she is in town we just have a blast!

A simple rundown of our week:
Harrah's
Del Mar Race Track
Anthony's on the Harbor (seafood)
Wind and Sea Beach
Viejas
Coronado Ferry across the bay
Barbeque at my Mom's
and that isn't all the wonderful meals we had...and the great conversations on my Mom's backyard patio...

My aunt is a joy to be around and we just have loads of fun when she comes to town! In between all of the entertainment...I worked and had a staff fiesta to go to so I have had very little time for anything else...(evidenced by the loads of laundry waiting to be done!!!!)

Enjoy!!!