2016

     WOW! Has it really been almost three years since we last posted? Ahem, well, why, yes it has been! We won't bother explaining why we dropped off the face of cyberspace, other than life was happening and we just didn't pause to document its happenings! Thank goodness for new beginnings. 
   And this is what we hope this will be for the Aranas Clan. This time around there will be more contributors -- more members of the family will be learning how to maneuver around this bit of technology while practicing their prose. We can't guarantee lots of literary flair, but they say pictures are worth a thousand words, right? 
   So, here we are again - the Aranas Clan at the start of Summer 2016.

Edna (21), Angel (12), Meemz (18), Twitter (14), Little Man (10), Coco (8), and Big Bro (23)
The camel isn't part of the clan; he was on loan from the San Diego Zoo which we visited in May (one more item scratched off Mom's bucket list!). 
With the older kids newly arrived from college and their summer jobs soon to start, we threw together some clothes and our cell phones and headed south for a week before obligations took us our separate ways. More on the trip later, as well as some other events as the children see fit to post. Knowing that this blog can be a way to look back on our lives, they thought it would be good to go back and post some of the highlights that previously were unrecorded, so some things may be old for us, but new for you. 
   That's it for now. Re-entry accomplished ... pretty smooth!

 

More Summer Fun ... 

More photos from our trip to Tahoe.  It's always great to get away and spend some time in a different environment. There are more greens, blues, browns here ... more texture .. it prompts reflection as well as good times.  Deo Gratias!

Fishing at Lake Baron

We discovered a new fishing hole not far from G'ma's house.  You can walk along the lake, go fishing, picnicking.  There's even a playground with an old fashioned merry go round and a swimming hole!

Twitter got a kick out of his new (thrift-store new!) pocket fishing pole.  It actually worked!  Well, worked in the sense that he was able to cast and cast and cast and cast ... but he didn't catch anything this day.

Neither did Little Man ...

Nor Angel ...

Coco wasn't interested in fishing .. just playing in the dirt.

Angora Lakes ... 

 

... is our favorite getaway.  

A short but strenuous hike into the hills and we're surrounded by noise absorbing trees...

... cliffs daring enough and sometimes too dangerous to dive from .. 

 

 ...a slim strip of sand perfect for digging in toes ...

... and digging out holes... 

 

..rocks, just the right size to stretch out and sun...

 

...and a lake, of course...

 ... for boating...

...and for catching YOUR FIRST FISH!

One more item for Twitter to strike from his bucket list!

We always end the day posing at the "picture perfect" spot:

SUMMER FUN -- and we've only just begun!

Summer Kick Off

This past month has been a particularly busy one for us. It started off with Edna's graduation. 

Mom was one of the coordinators and the house was hectic with preparations for the big event 

the entire week leading up to it. 

 It was a fun day despite both record breaking heat (108 degrees!) and broken air conditioners. 

We celebrated a Mass of the Holy Spirit, including a wonderful sermon from Fr M. 

The graduates were blessed to have Mrs. Laura Berquist as their commencement speaker. 

Her speech was excellent, congratulating students and parents alike and giving the grads the inspiration 

and encouragement they needed -- "be heroic Catholics!"

Edna with Mrs. Berquist

The Class of 2013

 The after party was a blast thanks to many helping hands. 

The food - a mix of Asian and Mexican - was de.li.cious. 

Lechon. Filipino pork courtesy of Grandma

 The week after graduation the family took a much needed vacation and spent time relaxing at Lake Tahoe. Big Brother wasn't able to come since he had work, but he did make it up for one day with his girlfriend.

Boating on Angora Lake.

  The water was chilly, the wind even more so, but it didn't stop our fun.

Twitter even managed to catch a fish with his handy-dandy pocket fishing pole!

On another day, Dad took the kids biking and we rode along the lake to Baldwin Beach.

A little sand mummy.

 Following are out-takes from our family photo. We were a little antsy waiting while Dad got the perfect position, lighting, lens setting and other photographer-y details.

 

The final result!