Ups and Downs...

This week has had its ups and downs...

Let's start with the ups...

Wednesday night I had Ashley, Katie, and Julia over and we started out by playing at the pool where Riley was fearless again in the big pool even going all the way to the deep end!

After the pool we headed back to our house because I had some cooking to do! I am in love with my Pioneer Woman cookbook and made her Penne Pasta with Shrimp recipe and it was delish!

After I put Riley to bed us "big" girls headed outside to eat dinner on the patio and chat the night away over wine...it was great!

With all the boys gone we schemed up plans for Thursday night as well...dinner at Cheesecake Factory!

So Thursday we headed to Walnut Creek and started off with an early dinner outside!

Ashley, Katie, Julie, Riley, and Me

Riley enjoyed sporting Julia's sunglasses!

Ashley and Katie

Julia, Riley, and Me

Riley ate really well and I did too so we shared some Snickers cheesecake...yum!

After dinner we did some shopping...it was so funny because we stopped in at PB and we met a little girl named Riley who was exactly one month younger than my Riley and she had red hair! The two of them put on a great show for all the shoppers complete with song and dance...I love how social Riley is! She had a hard time saying goodbye to her new friend with the same name!

We headed to H&M and then off to the semi-annual sale at VS...look who found something just her size and for a great deal!

Eventually the sugar low mixed with exhaustion hit Riley and she was melting down...I had finished up all my shopping so I took her outside for a change of scenery while everyone else finished up...she turned that frown upside down and went back to her silly crazy self!

She wore Ashley's scarf over her head the entire walk back!

We had a fun night but unfortunately Riley's tummy got turned upside down for some reason and when I went to wake her up Friday morning I found her sleeping soundly in her own puke...poor girl!

Since she hasn't thrown up since she was 5 months old I didn't quite know what to think but I decided to keep her home in case she had some kind of bug. She was a little lethargic that morning and laid on her pillow to watch a movie while I got some work done!

It didn't take but an hour or so and her energy level was right back to normal and she had eaten her breakfast with no issues. I had quite a crazy morning juggling work and her...she chimed in on one of my conference calls exclaiming that she had to poop...luckily I was in good company and they all understood and chuckled! She did take a 4 hour nap so I was able to regain my sanity, however!

Due to the craziness of Friday it was 4 before I got out of my pj's...gasp!

So we laid low and just stayed around the house that evening!

Saturday morning we went to the Vacaville Farmer's Market and got some fresh fruit and veggies...and then we came home and had a picnic in the front yard...grilled cheese and fruit!

Riley ate really well and loved our picnic!

After our picnic she rode her bike!

She then ventured into a world only Riley knows and found her best bud Max (from Where The Wild Things Are) and she held his hand and dragged him all around the sidewalk!

"Come on Max"

She is such entertainment for me these days!

After our picnic she headed to take a nap and this is what I found when she woke up...not one but two binkies...how I dream of the day there are ZERO binkies in this house!

So we try and stay busy and have as much fun while Jason is gone but I have to say that there are days that just drag and are just plain hard...those are the down days of life. Yesterday was one of those days...we are so close to Jason coming home but yet it is the hardest part of deployments because I'm just done...ready for him to be home NOW! I know Father's Day being this weekend played a part in all of this and it didn't help that they played this video at church Saturday night...

I have seen this video before and it is very moving, but when I saw it start at church I have to say my thought was "Oh no...don't play this"...it was rough.

Today, however, has been much better...we started off our morning skyping with Jason and that always makes things better. Riley was so cute and was so sweet wishing him a Happy Father's Day!

We also got out of the house all day and went to Lake Berryessa again!

Me and my fearless water baby!

Ashley, Jill, and Katie

We started out docked off at a beach where we lounged and ate all of our goodies but then we got back in the boat and played the rest of the day!

Jill got up and skied!

Then I got up and skied...after a few unsuccessful attempts and a last minute change in my footing I was able to get up and had a lot of fun skiing! I am already sore! Riley was cheering me on in the boat the whole time!

When I was done, she wanted to jump in and swim with me!

California law states that when you have a person in the water while boating you have to wave this flag...look who made sure we were all safe today!

After our skiing, it was time to break out the Ski Bob!

First up, Jill and Katie!

Jill...gotta love a fellow Texas girl who rode this thing like a bull!

Next up it was Riley's turn to tube for the first time!

Our first attempt Ashley pulled the slack on the rope and Riley was all done!

But as soon as she pulled us in and Riley got in the boat, she was ready to try again so off we went!

This time we stayed out for a while and I think we were pretty much in neutral the whole time but she had a blast!

And here's the proof that Riley was one tired little lake girl!

Jill was riding the Ski Bob on our way back to the marina and Riley completely sacked out...bumpy ride and all!

So that's the ups and downs of life here...on Jason's side of the planet our countdown is 23 days until he heads home!