What they mean by lazy Sunday afternoons.

Don't worry Mom, it was just MORP

...and the theme was 80's rock.

While we were gone...

While we were away, the cutest newlywed couple ever,Stewart and his wife Melissa, came and hung out with our boys. The boys (and their friends) think Melissa is a hotty and they love Stewart. Meaning, they love giving Stewart a hard time. Meaning they couldn't help but introduce him to our family friend, Manny. I blogged about him here and here.

This is what happened when Gabe had the genius idea to attach the Go-Pro (video camera) to the mannequin's head and then call unsuspecting Stewart downstairs to play video games. Gabe yells, "Okay, are you ready to get beaten?!" Sheesh.

Thankfully, they knew to draw the line with Melissa (or maybe she threatened them with their lives).

I just have to add right here how thankful I am for them both and hope that one day they can find it in their hearts to forgive us or at least give us a chance to let them retaliate.

The perfect ending

Our final stop was Balboa Island. A stop that made it difficult to want to leave. Since Rebecca, Alyse and Jana know this island backward and forward, we turned our daily agenda over to them and they created days filled with morning walks...

..weaved in and around the homes facing the waterfront. Homes decked out for Halloween.

And decks decked out for Halloween.

A trip to Balboa is never complete for Rebecca without a stop for a "balboa bar." A chocolate dipped frozen banana rolled in the toppings of your choice. I think I remember Rebecca saying that she even had a Balboa Bar Birthday bash when she was about 12?

Shopping. Of course, shopping. Or at least Kelly shopped and we all helped carry her bags.

Just kidding. This is the photo we took of Kelly with all our purchases that we sent to her husband, Mark. I texted, "Holy crap! Your wife likes to shop." Mark quickly replied, "Holy crap is not the words I just said! We are not going to dinner with everyone tonight. We are sharing a footlong at Subway." Haha!

Pedicures. Sadly, so we can go home and hide them in our boots.

Hair help for Lori. Thank you, Jana!

Several stops at Pinkberry for coconut frozen yogurt.

And Zachary's Garden Center. A highlight every time.

Noteworthy but not photodocumented:

*Seeing 2 dissapointing movies: The Big Year (actually only 1/2 of the movie), Footloose 2

*Dinner @ Gulfstream

*Morning bike ride along the ocean

*Rolling into a gutter and falling off my bike-after which Kelly suddenly felt an urgent need for all of us to wear bike helmets

*Shutting my hand in the van door

*Juxtaposition

*Trader Joe's

*Breakfast burritos on the patio

*Trying to fit 4 of us in Mark's 2 seater car

*Getting stuck in Mark's car

*Cupcakes

*Eating, talking, laughing, recharging, reconnecting and

*Planning next year's road trip

First the beginning and then the end...

I just got a CD of all of Rebecca's photos. Since the trip was conceived and born at her home, she had pictures I didn't. But now that I have them, I can't not share them. They tell part of the story. The very beginning. So let's begin.

Once upon a time...

...there were 6 boys/men with very stressful careers, loads of children and blessed wives. They loved toys. As the boys grew, the price tag on their toys grew too. One day they decided to take their favorite toys on the road. After all, they still love "show and tell."

They took the wannabe killer sports car and loaded it with all of their gear. (More toys)
The next morning they gathered bright and early, admired each other's shiny cars (toys), handed each a walkie talkie (toys), and prepared to hit the road.

Vern's youngest twin son was born with a triple dose of his dad's car fasination gene. He knows cars like Jimmer Fredette knows basketball. He is a walking version of Car and Driver. I think his first word was, Porsche.
The pit crew. Definitly chooses favorites.
And so they were off. Like giddy schoolboys on a fieldtrip. (Driving shoes optional) L to R: Sean, Kyle, Jord, Vern, Mark, Will, Chuck and Henry.
Nothing but taillights on the horizon.

JLO photo

Fried twinkies on the waterfront

And just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we made a pit stop in Morro Bay...

One lucky seal.

We ate at this joint...

..where there was apparently no holding back. Kyle and Vern even "treated" us all to fried oreos and twinkies.

Vern had to actually demonstate how to eat a fried twinkie because most of us were having a hard time with the concept. I don't think Tiffanie is washing her's down with a diet coke. She has a lot of self-restraint. And intelligence. After all, we had a long drive ahead of us.

above 3 photos by RBC

Kyle and his cute wife...

Just throwing this one in here. Not so you can join the girls in laughing at my double chins, but to reiterate that having great friends is source of deep, deep happiness.

RBC photo

Driving through Paradise

I have a confession: I don't really "get" the car thing. Growing up, a car was intended solely as a means to an end. A necessary evil, if you will. A way to get you from point A to point B. We never discussed brands or performance or handling, or turning radius or how fast you could go 0-60 mph in 60 seconds. And then there's my husband. He doesn't "get" how I don't "get" the car thing. He loves cars. He wants to talk about them, look at them, test drive them and buy them. Sadly, his enthusiasm has fallen on my deaf ears. So, you can imagine his excitement when he found a group of guys that not only loved these fabulous cars, but owned them. And then to invite him on a car trip and let him drive their cars?! Heaven, I tell ya. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

I did start to notice a trend with the guys: there was a lot of smiling going on as they were driving. (Jana caught this one of her hubby..)

I cannot tell you how beautiful this portion of the drive was... but I can tell you that Kelly got might annoying with that video camera.

As beautiful as the scenery was, the cars still seemed to be the main attraction.


Just so you know, you can't really read or talk while driving in these cars on these roads. Hence, your iphone and camera become a main source of entertainment.
Hearst Castle: Kelly and Alyse beside the hydrangeas on steriods.
He had a theater-no lazyboy chairs here, however.

Tiffanie just chillin' by William Randolf Hearst's pool

Love these photos of Sean and Jana...



The indoor pool..
Out front of our amazing hotel in Santa Barbara...

J.L.O. photo

Question: How many doctors does it take to remove the T-top from the Carrera GT?

Beautiful Santa Barbara, California...