Just posting a video i finally got around to finishing. Nothing really special, just some video from around my home and of the kids playing. There is a new library being built a little ways away and Alex and his cousin come out and flew their RC planes.
This was also my first video using Adobe Rush. In the past I had been using Davinci Resolve, which is great, but does not run that well on my Surface. I wanted something more portable for our trip to Kauai later this summer. Adobe Rush is very simple and I like that a lot, but it does not give you as many options as Resolve. The fact that I can edit on my Surface though makes a big difference.
I finally got around to editing my drone footage from our weekend in Big Bear in January. I actually have a few more videos that I need to start but, there had been a lot going on so I just have not had time to do the editing.
We spent a very nice weekend at a cabin that backed up to a large wooden area and near the ski slopes of Bear Mountain Resort. There wasn’t as much snow as we were hoping for but they was plenty for sledding and playing around in.
Yesterday Jenn and I went to the Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival for the 2nd year. We mainly go to see the bands playing on Saturday. This year we saw Hoobastank, Fuel, Lifehouse and , The Wallflowers, althought we did not really stay for The Wallflowers. I am sure it was a good show, but we wanted to see the glowing balloons and beat the crowd.
Last week we took a spring break vacation to Monterey CA. This was not the first time we have been up there but it was the first time we were all together as a family. We rented a really cool house for the week that was a little cozy but everyone fit just fine. The weather was not the best, but it was not that bad either. We were expecting it to rain really hard but, luckily it did not. Unfortunately with it being so overcast it was not great for photography.
Still got some really great shots
Half Moon Bay – Cambria CA 2018
We started out going to the beach in Spanish Bay and walking along the beach. We saw a jelly fish on the shore and part of the 17 mile drive. We then headed over to Denis the Menace park for some lunch and then to Fisherman’s Warf.
The next day was at Point Lobos State Park which had some awesome views and some great hiking. We spent the morning walking along the cliffs and tide pooling. Saw some whale, but unfortunately did not get any photos.
Spent a day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is incredible (packed with people but still great).
Finally we took the 17 mile drive and headed down the 1 for lunch on our last day. From there we headed to Half Moon Bay and surprisingly met up with the other half of the family who had headed out earlier. Jenn and her sister have similar thought processes.
We spent the last day of our vacation meandering down the California coast from Cambria to Temecula hitting Solvang and Santa Ynez in the process.
Today we discovered The Temecula Olive Oil Company farm in Aguanga and it was really cool. It was a beautiful day and I got some really great photos. The staff were awesome and very helpful and knowledgeable and made the tasting a great experience.
This year was certainly exciting and had several ups and downs, but was still a great year. Jenn and I are both working close to home finally which has been a great change and has really freed up our time to spend more with the kids and less driving. Alex is getting to be so much more mature, he starts high school next year which I can hardly believe. Julianne continues to be an amazing artist, it really blows me away how natural she is at drawing. Bri is working hard and doing well. She is growing into a leader and decision maker which we are very proud of.
Overall this year has been great. We had many adventures together. We went to the Flower Fields in Carlsbad, A Father/Daughter Dance at school, Big Bear in the Spring, Maui over the summer, Comic Con in July, a Solar Eclipse and many pool days.
To celebrate I decided to post a couple videos from the past year and our Christmas together.
We just got home from our big summer trip to Maui and it was, obviously fantastic. We were there from July 3rd until July 11th, we got to see the fireworks on the beach in Lahaina, visited the largest tree in the United States at Banyan Park, ventured all the way to the Seven Sacred Pools at Ohe’o. The whole trip was amazing.
We started in Lahaina which was where we stayed for most of the trip. All of us were there including Brianne which was an awesome surprise. She met us a few days later when we stayed at the Grand Wailea for a night. The first couple days we spent snorkeling at the resort and at Napili Bay which was close by.
The Grand Wailea is a special place for Jenn and I since we were married there in 2009. We wanted to take the kids and visit again. We got super lucky and was able to get a room on the top floor overlooking the ocean to the West, which meant a spectacular sunset. We all had a great time playing in the pools which are amazing and Scott, my cousin, was able to come visit us for a couple hours.
Later that night we had one of the most fabulous dinners at the restaurant he works in called The Mill house. It was honestly one of the best meals I have ever had and the service and location is awesome.
We then took the mandatory trip to Hana and the Seven Sacred Pools in Ohe’o. The drive is long but well worth it. That side of the island is very wet and even though this is the dry season we saw lots of incredible waterfalls.
I got some amazing photos
Check out the photo album here and a little video I made below.
Well, actually it has been a big summer for our home. We have had several projects that we have wanted to get done, but have been putting off. This summer seemed like a good time to get them all done. We started by adding wood floors up stairs and on the stairs, new carpet is going in on Tuesday, we have painting to get done, and we just purchased a solar system.
Both a little excited and nervous about that one. In the long run it is going to save us a ton of money but in the short term it will cost us a ton lol.
In the mean time Julianne started 1st grade and Alex started 7th. He got a class with his best friend Ash which is great and Julianne is adjusting to all day school.
Another blast of a year at the San Diego Comic Con. This year Alex and I brought Ash one of his friends for his first visit. It was great bringing someone new for their first time and we had an absolute blast.
Saturday the crowd was great. It was not nearly as packed on the show floor as I thought it would be. The cast of Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy both made appearances at the Marvel and DC booths. And of course as always we saw some amazing art.
Sunday, Bri and Julianne joined us. Bri dressed up as Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones and Julianne was her little dragon. Even though the floor was much more crowed on Sunday we still managed to have some fun. Julianne got to draw a picture in the Hasbro booth and then watched as Paul Tobin an artist for Weta Workshop who worked on The Hobbit signed and drew in a book of his art. We also got some great art signed by Michael Golden.
We had a great family vacation this year. The past few years we have made the log trip back to Michigan and spent time with my family, which is always are great time. This year however we decided to do something a little different and stay a little closer to home.
It has been years since we traveled up the coast, and let me tell you it is an amazing coast. One of the most beautiful places in the world. It is a little rugged and it was not with out its bumps. The week started off rocky since my Mother-In-Law ended up in the hospital and Jenn was still recovering from surgery, but we left to enjoy each others company anyway.
We stayed at the Big Sur River Inn which is right on a river that was great to play in and just soak your feet. It is a little hard to get around since it is all right on highway 1 and there is not very many choices for food or places to go. The first day we went to the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. It was beautiful, the shoreline and the waterfall flowing right onto the beach was awesome. We then headed north up to Carmel to spend the afternoon at the tide pools. The kids had a blast trying to kill themselves but we had a great time.
After a little running around we finally found a place for dinner. Our first couple of choices did not work out so well, but we ended up at a really great place called Nepenthe and it was great. The view was awesome and it was very family friendly.
The next day we went to Monterrey and went to the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and had a great time. This was of course after Julianne had made friends with another little girl down by the river. She is very good at making friends.
We ended the trip down in San Simeon and with a visit to the Hearst Castle which is a really incredible place once you get over the amazing narcissism of it.
