First Day: Take 2

Ethan started his freshman year today.....wowza.   He has a great semester planned with the core subjects coupled with Game Design and Guitar.  He has friends in almost every class so he left this morning with an excited outlook.  He also got a new look (new haircut)!  So excited for him!

Ethan 9th grade

Mommy-stalking photo

New haircut - he looks awesome!

First Day: Take 1

Cameron and Ashton started school today!  Watch out Santa Clarita Elementary, the Hubbard boys are back!

Cameron 6th grade

Ashton 3rd grade

Taking his bike - he has volunteered to come early and
set up the playground for the kindergarten students

So happy to be in 3rd grade!

One more quick photo for Mom!  :)

Kansas images

Most of my KS photos were motion shots but I just love the landscape!

Wamego visit

We drove by our old house in Wamego and then stopped by the park I used to take Ethan and Cameron to when they were small.

Parakeet x 2

So, the first thing we did the morning we got back to CA was get Cameron the birds he was wanting.  The two females are good company for each other and so far have been adjusting well to our noisy household.  They are great alarm clocks and have made me feel like I'm waking up outside!  They are fun to watch and Cameron is a good little caregiver.  :)

Cuddles on the left and Peaches on the right

Trip Home

We had a great (and thankfully quick) trip back and everyone had such a great time!

Window seats are the best!

Proposal Spot

We took the boys back to the spot Derrik proposed to me 17 years ago: a golf course in Olathe with a pretty lake.  It was fun to see it all again since the last time I was there I remember being so surprised and excited!

Mall Night

We hit the mall in Manhattan on Monday night and had a yummy dinner at Carlos O'Kelleys!

Lake Days

We had several lazy days on the lake with fishing, kayaking and lounging in the water.  We've made some great memories there!

Friends

We connected with a few more families this year than in summers past and found it to be well worth it!

 

Brent and Katherine Stirtz (Topeka), Laura (Taussig) Pierce (Olathe),
Chris and Amy Vandorn (Manhattan) and Ron and Kim Lackey (Overland Park)

Royals Game

 Took in a Royals game while we were in KC and made such a memory!  It rained lightly for the first hour or so and then stopped.  And the Royals won!  Ashton and Derrik went to check on the kids area and he got hit the ball and run the bases on the smaller diamond and even rode a carousel!  So fun!

Family time

We have safely returned to CA and are enjoying some much needed down time after our trip to KS.  We had such an amazing time!  I put together a few collages of some photos but wanted today just to be about family.....

Got another one taller than Grandma Bonnie!

Mwah!

Universal Studios Day

We went as a family to Universal Studios last week!  Ashton and I had never been.  The highlight of the day was the studio tour where they drive you on to back lots where tv shows are made and movie scenes are built.  Very fun day!

On the studio tour tram

Had to get this done....now we have the whole family!

  Does it look like me?

A city street used for filming

Ash and Cam in front of a New York City backdrop

Galaxy Fourth

Nothing like ringing in the fourth with the Galaxy!  We had such a great time watching the guys play soccer and we really enjoyed the fireworks afterwards.  We were given Omar Gonzales and Robbie Keane masks as we entered and had a lot of fun taking pictures with them!

Ashton with Robbie

Robbie (Ethan) and Omar (Cameron)

Cameron made a sign to cheer on the Galaxy!

Ashton enjoyed the game more with headphones!

Grammy Museum

I took Ethan and Cameron down to L.A. to visit the Grammy Museum!  Lots of beautiful costumes, photos and other memorabilia from Grammy winners.  Ethan found a mixing table where he got to mix the instruments on a song, and both he and Cameron got to play digital drum sets!  I can see that on one of their Christmas lists soon......The highlight was the Ringo exhibit with all of his old Beatles keepsakes.