Busy, Fun Spring with the Doxeys

Ok, this post will explain a bit more from the past post, plus other "goings on" around with your own Bay Area Doxey's ...

The 100th Anniversary of Scouting Jamboree at Alameda County Fair Grounds was just a few miles from our house. Let's just say over 20,000 scouts plus all of their leaders. 1,000s of tents set up. Need we say more? Crazy day it was. But, so fun that Nathan and John could both go with Dad and enjoy a day together. (Dan actually camped out with his 11-year old scouts for a night and the boys met them the next day).

Of course, in the hustle and bustle after work, everyone arrived late and starving. Fortunately there was a Jack in the Box and gas station right next to the fairgrounds which the boys frequented late at night. Having all that right next to a Scout campout definitely brought a totally new dynamic to the normal chaos associated with getting a bunch of excited boys to calm down and go to bed. Nothing like a big troop of Scouts loaded up on Mountain Dew, Sugar, Mentos and Krispy Kremes for the night. They were actually really good Scouts.

When we woke up, we were all (about 25 all together) starving. The sugar rush from the night before had all worn off. Prospects for breakfast were good--all the "big gun" food prep gear was there--pots, pans, and my whole camp kitchen just in case. I was remember thinking, "We totally have a 'boy run' troop ... I haven't had to do anything. This is awesome." We all gathered at the stove/kitchen area of camp anticipating a killer warm breakfast to douse our hunger (we were going to be Jamboreeing until late that night, so everyone needed a good filling, healthy breakfast)and the boys were heating up FREAKING POP TARTS!!I guess it beats vienna sausages and Kool-Aid, but we were all hungry and with 20,000 scouts, meal amenities were sparse.

Definitely a boy planned meal, fortunately in a forgiving locale...again, thank goodness we were close to Jack in the Box across the street.


Solvang, CA. Fun little Danish town we stopped at on the way home from Santa Barbara. The kids especially loved the toy stores. Cheapest trip to the Denmark you'll ever take. Highly recommended. There is even an ostrich ranch right outside town in Buellton. Ostriches just roaming the countryside like cattle--all of the sudden you just see this long neck and head moving through the bushes. Very funny.

Santa Barbara with the Bogles. We still can't believe that our good (actually stellar, awesome, out of this world friends), the Bogles, drove to Santa Barbara from Phoenix, AZ with their five kids to hang out with us (of all people) for Spring Break. We had a blast!

There was a phenomenal park overlooking SB and the ocean. We went there twice--it was that good.

The skate park, the beach, Easter Mass at the Santa Barbara Mission, General Conference was faintly playing the hotel room (9 kids + 4 adults btwn two rooms, we REALLY mean faintly), tacos at the "castle park", flower gardens, koi ponds with about 30 little turtles cruising all over. Exotic flowers. All the good stuff. Seriously like a real live dream.

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Nate & John in Flag Football. The boys are in flag football now, and they LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. John is on the Giants, Nate is on the Colts.

John normally plays noseguard, and is, I must say an intimidating presence in the middle stuffing the run. When he is up next to these wisps of boys, the contrast is quite stunning.

He also had a really nice, powerful Alstot-esqe run. Again, when the bull is running, the feather weight kids just seem to panic. He has to "get going" though for that to happen.

Nate is a crafty receiver and tenacious defender. Just like in soccer, he just loves to ruin a kid's day. Maybe this comes from being John's brother and always having someone to pick on.

Here is a great shot of him scoring, and another ripping the ball away from a kid.

San Ramon Aqua Bears Swim Team. Nate, John and Liza are all on the San Ramon Aqua Bears Swim Team from now through this summer. This means we will be spending a lot of time at the pool. More later on this. Nate and John had their first practice.

Doxeys Get Ink, Online. Of course, we were at the $.31/scoop night at Baskin-Robbins recently. 'Twas a San Ramon Fire Department fundraiser and promo for Baskin-Robbins. In the process, a reporter stopped us for a photo opp and commentary. We're now famous...especially since I'm "off sugar."

alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466795578830259826" />Stake Conference. Our stake conferences are at the Interstake Center in Oakland.

We snapped a few just to document the growing fam (and rich heritage of playing in the fountain), and finally get our picture together for the ward photo directory.

Temple Hill is beautiful now, and always.