Broke

So, I think my camera is broken.  It wont turn on, and I did drop it the last time I was uploading pictures.  Now it has a crack on the back screen, but it was supposed to be "Eva-proof"!  Erik got it for me last Christmas because it's waterproof and shockproof.  It's supposed to be able to be dropped from 6 feet onto concrete and be fine, but it looks as if a fall of 18 inches or so onto a chair was too much for it.  I bet I can get a new one under warranty.  Until then, maybe you will be blessed with some deep thoughts... we'll see.

As for life, it's going well.  It's been super hot, and Elliot has been in one of his test-the-boundaries phases, and we both have colds, so that's an adventure in itself.  Other than that, it's been a lovely time of hanging around the house, gardening, and trips to the beach.  We went to Pismo today, and it was super fun watching Elliot run around and play in the little waves.  There were a lot of people there, escaping the heat.  There were also tons of ladybugs there.  Flying, crawling, dead on the ground.  It was kind of freaky.  After playing in the sand for a while, we walked out on the pier, and ended up seeing a bunch of dolphins swimming by.  They were so close to the end of the pier, we could totally see their faces!  And, they had a little white baby dolphin with them.  So special!  Then we turned around and saw a huge brown pelican right in front of us, hanging out with a bunch of fishermen on the pier!  I tried to get Elliot to stand by him so I could take a picture, but he was too scared.  Probably wise of him.  The fishermen said he hung out there all the time, and they even had a name for him, and knew how to get him to do "tricks".  Pretty cool day!  Hopefully there will be many more like it this summer.  I bought myself a backpack chair in anticipation of making it a beach-filled summer.  And I know Erik wants to surf a ton on his new board, so hopefully we will get to go together several times a week.  I love the beach.  It's such a peaceful place, no matter what you do there.  Whether you walk, splash, or even just sit in the car and watch the waves, there's nothing like it.  And every time I go, I ask myself, "Why don't I do this like, every day?"  Obviously I can't go every day, but I'm gonna go more.  That's a promise!  Anybody want to come along?

Just to Summarize....

So, here's a little blog to catch you up on all our recent activity.  I think I am ready to start blogging.  I'm just waiting for some deep thoughts to come my way.  Who knows how long that could take, so I better just dive in.  
Here's Elliot at his first day of soccer.  He loves it once he gets playing, but he tends to space out and end up running around by himself in little circles out in the field.  It's pretty entertaining, though.
Yes, the ducks are laying up a storm!  The eggs are wonderful, and this is the first of many quiches made with them.  I ended up bringing it to Ann's house and getting everyone to love it before they knew it was duck eggs!  ;)
I thought this picture was too sweet to leave out.  It's Elliot "ferlaxing" in Grampa Timo's hammock.
Here's Erin relaxing with Roscoe the snuggle dog on one of his last days with us.  It was harder than I thought to leave him.  I guess I was a little more attached than I realized, what with having him since he was so little.  But our house is a much more peaceful place now, and I think he is probably having a wonderful life with three wild little boys.
I tagged along with Erin and Mike and went to see Bonnie "Prince" Billy in Los Osos one night.  It was a great show, and really fun to be in "the scene" for the first time in a long time.  I felt really old compared to everyone else there, but it was a wonderful night, and music was super cool.
Here's some duck eggs.  They are not dyed, these are the colors they are naturally.  Off white, light green, and occasionally brown.  Aren't they pretty?
I decided to include a duck picture for easter.  Here they are poking around a big pile of sage trimmings.  They are always so curious!  I think the sage made them a little wild because after this, Miss Bennet (the fawn and white one here) kept trying to jump up on  my lap!
Easter!  Elliot was delighted with what the bunny brought.
The bunny came to grandma and grandpa's house, too!  There were eggs everywhere hidden and filled by cousin Grace, who played with Elliot all day long!  It was so fun to watch them together!  We also got to see Erik's Aunt Arteenia, and cousins Leanne and Debbie for the first time since Elliot was born.  It was great to visit, and Elliot was showered with attention and love all day long.
And, birthday!  The very next day was Elliot's 4th, and we had all our family, plus the Moores (they're pretty much family) over to celebrate.  It was a great, and wild time.  In this picture Elliot's biting the alligator daddy sent him in the mail from Hawaii, where he has his days off from the ship.
Here's the birthday boy at the end of the night.  He was pretty darned tired.  There was one point while opening gifts that he pretty much started zoning out and doing a blank stare, and not responding when anyone talked to him.  I think all the candy and excitement took it's toll, and today he's feeling sick.  But what a happy happy birthday!