Christmas 2009

In SEARCH of a home...

After 6 months of fighting buyers for a home in the prized Stevenson Ranch area of LA...we FINALLY were not outbid and got a home. We bid on 6 other homes in the area and were outbid every time due to great deals and severely limited supply of homes on the market. The 7th house (above) we got because the rental tenants occupying it refused to show it to anyone. Therefore, knowing the area and the houses in the neighborhood, we placed a bid, sight unseen. Much to our surprise, the seller accepted our offer, really because it was her only offer. We waited for 4 months (while still making offers) and finally the bank approved the short sale with escrow closing in 20 days. We really scrambled to close in the 20 days, as we would have been fined $100 a day past the 20th day. Needless to say, we are very happy with our purchase and are currently remodeling the insides, as there was mold and damage throughout. Backyard will remain undeveloped until we catch up financially. Megan started Kindergarten this year in a renowned elementary school here. Emma starts preschool 2 days a week in September. Chad gave himself Carpal Tunnel in his hands from painting the house to save a buck. However, he is really enjoying his job building satellites for outer space. Brandy is building a larger than expect practice in Bakersfield where she works 3 - 4 days a month. She is also going to be a professor at Cal State Bakersfield in the fall teaching Domestic Violence in Psychology. She also juggles Room Mom duties and a secretarial board position for the MOMS Club of Stevenson Ranch. We do miss our friends and home in San Diego, but we have great tenants that are taking good care of our house there.

The before...

The BIG TWO!!! April 2009

Emma is mostly a quiet thoughtful girl. When she is not quiet she is screaming at the top of her lungs such things as, "Come HERE Megan!" or "Stop it Meg!" or "Get in CAR!" or "Daddy book!" or "ICE CREAM!" When asked what she would like for breakfast, waffles or eggs...she will always say, "ice cream." She has taken to dollies lately and loves to change their diapers, even if they dont have a diaper. She is interested in friends, but only to scream, "FRIEND!" in their faces and then play by herself. She tends to be orderly and is constanly cleaning and wiping things down. She loves numbers and counting as well as Swiper the Fox from Dora. Overall, Emma is low maintenace, except for a few minor things like throwing guinea pigs and falling off of things she climbs. She loves her grandparents and wants to go to school with Megan already. Happy Birthday my little "Mini-Chad!"

Our Girls...

Emma Parties at 2 years!!!

Best Friend in SD...Annalise!

Spring Break in Morro Bay...

Diclaimer: It is an illusion that there are birds on OUR car...ummm, we must have rented that car...it just looks similar in the light...I would never allow BIRDS on a car that Chad owns...all thoses scratches and poop!

Megan LOST her first tooth!!!

With a little help from Papa! His grandad was a dentist you know.

Prince Phillip (from Sleeping Beauty)

Observations from Megan…

"The guinea pigs make a beautiful purring sound…
they hide in their little green home.
LOOK! There is a pigeon coming to see my guinea pigs.
Winnie is the dad and Prince Phillip is the kid.
If we get a HUGE girl guinea pig, she can be “Aurora the Mom!”
I love Prince Phillip!!! He is the littlest. Winnie is the cutest.
My guinea pigs are all babies.
Be soft Emma…no, no…be soft…
“MOM! Emma is sitting on Winnie!!!”
- By Megan 3/30/09

Our New Home...

Our beautiful neighborhood views in Stevenson Ranch, CA

with freshly snow-capped mountains...


We finally made our move and we are getting adjusted to the new area. We do miss our friends dearly, but are enjoying the absolutely stunning nature & mountains in this area. Apparently we luckily moved into a very nice area of Valencia called Stevenson Ranch. It is quite nice and we feel we have stepped right into Pleasantville, CA. Everyone is overly friendly, and they actually start conversations with us every time we go out. Everyone is always dressed nicely and properly groomed at all times (we might not fit in here...) The people here are actually laid back and relaxed...we sense a strongly bonded community here with lots of neighborhood interaction.

This is ideal for our kids, who have made some neighborhood friends already. The girls were sad and still miss you all, but are excited with having so many kids right out our door.

We went to Golden Spoon one night and Megan said, "Mom, they actually speak the same language as us here." She must have thought we were moving to a different country. Right now I am home schooling Megan part-time to continue the curriculum we left. However, the schools here are top notch & multi award winning, and very different. I have toured the Kindergarten options for the fall, and the parent involvement is unprecedented (lots of stay at home moms with lots of pull) and the technologically advanced facilities were quite impressive. Every house sold in Stevenson Ranch has a mandatory "school HOA fee" that goes directly to the schools, above and beyond the property taxes. There are many huge mansions here in the hills, so I can see where the school revenue is coming from. We are looking for a home in this area to buy within 6 months, so that has already been a bit stressful, and we are hoping the market comes down a tiny bit more, before we buy. Our renters have successfully moved into our San Diego home and they are happy there and wanting to upgrade some stuff for us already, which would be nice. Chad just got a season pass to Magic Mountain for his birthday and needs some friends to go with... Come visit us anytime! Hope you all are well and will stay connected to us!
- Brandy & Family

Valentines Sweethearts!!!

We enjoyed a Valentine Latte at Starbucks in Sunny Valencia...

Pooped Valentine!

New member to our family...

Winnie the Guinea Pig!!!!

We had to have our family dog Hershey, temporarily move in with Snickers and Peanut M&M (his wife and son, Grandma Joan and papa's dog's.) So Megan received a lovely house warming present from my parents... I happened to have raised a herd of guinea pigs as a child (as well as rabbits, goats, birds, and a monkey), so we were happy to welcome Winnie the Guinea to our home.

Megan puts Winnie in her doll stroller and pushes him around the house, as well as puts him in her large Barbie castle to be the Prince Charming. She says he LOVES it. Emma screams "Winnie" in his ear and scares the crap out of him and them throws a carrot at his head and yells, "Eat cawwrret." He is starting to get used to the mauling and excessive handling that is going on. Today, I put him in the sun for a short while with some broccoli, when the kids were gone and he thought he was in heaven, purring and squealing so happily. We will be getting him a girlfriend soon and start to breed them. if you are interested in having a well handled, mauled, loving critter for your kids, let me know. They are $30 - $40 in the store, but you can have one for free when we get babies.

VALENCIA, CA ... JANUARY 30TH!!!

Valencia surrounded by mountains...

Greenbelt throughout city...Spectacular nature...


Magic Mountain...

The city of Valencia, California is located in the Santa Clarita Valley, approximately 30 miles north of the heart of Los Angeles. The valley is about 200 square miles and surrounded by three different beautiful mountain ranges. Valencia is a relatively new town, having developed over the past 36 years. Valencia currently has a population of 240,000, but is experiencing a tremendous growth spurt.This is a city with a plan. In fact, its master plan has been highly acclaimed. It is home to Valencia Gateway, the largest and most impressive Business, Technology, and Industry center in Los Angeles County. There are 1,400 businesses located at the Gateway, employing approximately 42,000 people. With the robust nature of the local economy, business prospects here are good for all.
The city is located a mere five minutes from Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. The brand-new VILLAGE-STYLE Valencia Town Center mall offers more than 100 stores for those who love to shop. Within approximately 30-45 minutes, one can get to the beach (Malibu/Ventura), Hollywood, the desert, the LAX airport, Dodger Stadium, and the myriad of shops, restaurants, museums and more of the greater Los Angeles area...(one hour from Grandma & Papa in Bakersfield)This is a community rich in pride, and perfect for raising a family. Valencia was recently ranked the 6th safest city in the country. Along with a solid safety record, the schools in Valencia are high-ranking (in top 10 in California) from elementary through high school.

Valencia is calculated in that it provides its citizens with a comfortable lifestyle without all the noise and congestion of a city. Although people are relocating to Valencia from many places, much of its influx is coming from other, more densely populated parts of Los Angeles County. People are looking for the lifestyle that Valencia has to offer. Things are moving at a little slower pace there (like Iowa...or Bakersfield).Newcomers to the area will enjoy a relatively moderate climate; summer temperatures range from 75 to 100 degrees, and winters average between 40 to 65 degrees. Because it is sunny most of the time, residents can enjoy the great outdoors all year round.Area residents enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities. Castaic Lake Recreation Area offers sailing, jet skiing, boating, and fishing. There are also opportunities for hiking, biking, camping, and picnicking. There are a series of quiet pathways winding throughout the city, known as the paseos. Residents use these pathways for biking, jogging, walking, rollerblading and skateboarding.This charming city has something for everyone; affordable housing, business opportunities, great schools, temperate climate, and lots of fun stuff and recreational opportunities. Best of all, it has a great location. Valencia isn't too far from anything.

LASTLY, IT IS THE HOME OF CHAD'S 3RD FAVORITE BASEBALL TEAM: