in loving memory

Margaret Patricia Lenz
Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma

scroll down for more memories, click on any picture to see it larger.













in memory of Great Grandma Margaret
January 2nd,1921 - May 28th, 2005
We love you, forever.

what's new

What's new with us? Well Eloise began her pee wee soccer on Tuesday. She came decked out in soccer shorts, hot pink tank, hot pink tennies, hot pink and black shin guards, she was smashing and approved. Of course only the tank and shorts remained after 40 minutes into the hour. For a girl that doesn't like to even wear shoes, soccer feet equipment is asking a lot. But she is having fun. Her friend Ruby joins her amongst the older 5 year olds. Jane wants to be right out there and sits with the team for pep talks and cheers.
Other news, tomorrow is the last day of our beloved 2 1/2 hour preschool... then summertime! Just soccer and swimming and trips to the zoo and sea world and a little bikeriding are planned. :)
Eloise got "new hair" as she tells me, she absolutely loves getting her haircut. We think this cut suits Eloise perfectly. Don't you? That leaves Jane with the longest hair in the family, though you wouldn't know it with her curls! I hope they stick around longer than mine did.
So that's the hair update. Well I hope to wash mine tonight. Cheers.


just your normal play in the bath tub, with Eloise sporting her new haircut.

shower playtime!

let's pretend

A summary of who Eloise has been over the past month:

• A dog equipped with leash and collar and water bowl and food bowl and of course a dog house (fort in the den)
• A tiger where she just goes around roaring and crawling, this tiger appears most in school.
• the tiger evolved into a baby, still crawling, and wearing Jane's clothes. She made Jane wear her shirt this morning. Of course Jane wanted to anyways. Can't seem to get this baby to nap though. She's too busy raiding Jane's wardrobe for tank tops to wear.
• oh yes, almost forgot Dora the Explorer.see Dora always has a backpack packed with everything she needs and a map sticking out that shows exactly what she's going to do in what order. Ella loves this structure and we often make a "list" of what we're going to do. Like 1. read books, 2. snack. 3. potty 4. bedtime. Or 1. lunch 2. library 3. grocery store 4. home. And she counts it on my four fingers holding up. It actually really works and she remembers what we are doing and what's next. Can you tell this schedule girl is realated to Adam? :)

Right noow she is just Ella working on many projects in the office that must involve scoth tape, string, paper and a stapler. Oh scissors too. and Bags..OK you name it. She's busy. Sweet Jane is sleeping. Which is why I am able to type right now.

needless to say we stayed quite a while and played and rolled. Ella got good at climbing on the climbing wall and Jane enjoyed running around in circles and rolling and hanging, of course.

playing at the opening of a little kids gym in PL next to bookstar.

The camera takes cool bigger better quality movies and I can summerize them in this little pic created from it.

we got yet another Costco camera, testing out the 5x optical zoom here while on the road. (Adam's driving)

here's the mother-daughter tops Mom got. Ella wears hers. I wore it then. :)

back home, staying put.

yeah! back home.

Good to be back, 9 days, 4 hotels, 3 vomits (too explicit?). Lots of pool time, pretend time, sand time, bike time, eat time. Ella is thrilled to be back at preschool, and yesterday Jane went with me to help out. She loved it, I brought home about 10 sheets of painting Jane did. She left after the 2 1/2 hours covered in paint, water and sand. I think she got the ultimate experience, and was asleep within 2 minutes in the van. So maybe she might go to TLC next year when she's two...we'll see. we're holding a spot just in case...
Monday I signed Ella up for PeeWee soccer. Yes it's going to be a joke, but hopefully some good energy burning will take place. It's just a month long, Jane and I watch on the sidelines during the 1 hour meetings 2x per week. (25 minutes of "game time" included in that one hour) Afterwards Ella goes up the hill with us for a little swim lesson there. Kick and splash the Y calls it. Eloise was really excited when we signed up, big smile, and I thought she was going to tell me how fun, how cool, but she immediately proclaimed: "Yeah! I get to wear soccer clothes!! Mom, do I have soccer clothes? we have to get some!" Well she's into the idea somewhat. So yes, we got the shin guards next and then some ice cream next door.
Like I said, it's good to be home.


yummmy mom.


cinco de ocho para church. :)


our outdoor kitchen, the cooks are busy.


trapeze artist Jane, (I hold my breath every time she swings up there- yikes!) hula dancer Ella. like the headband top? an original Ella creation.



Check out more vaction pics posted under the flashback below. Enjoy!

flashback - Monterey

found some more pictures from our stay in Monterey....Granddad now says is riding into San Diego tonight! he's gonna beat us home and do a centennial day, 100+ miles. wow.


silly Jane


sunset in Oxnard,CA


the flying Eloise


Samsimeon motel with huge courtyard outside our room for Ella to circle again and again while Jane ran behind again and again.


traveling fam

a visit to Granddad's admiral suite at Monterey's Naval post graduate school.

hide and seek, seeker Jane found us.

a visit to Denace the Menace park in Monterey

we hear that Daddy was on this train with Uncle Paul years ago.....??

goodbye kiss

riders ready

road trip updates

On the road again. After Monterey we left to Samsimeon, CA for two nights. Great little motel that Ella could ride her bike around the courtyard outside our room, again and again. And Jane ran after her trying to keep up. Girls are getting better. Jane tossed her cookies on more night in Monterey but hasn't since. ON the road to recovery.

beached Elephant seals everywhere


smelling, I mean watching Elephant seals with Grandad.



Seal Jane

baggage, lots.

we found a rest stop with some bikers riding on the shoulder of 101, we gave them a sip of our soda, they headed down to Santa Barbara, we went pass onto Oxnard.

apparently we've been driving too long, Jane finds some feet food to eat.

ahhh, we've arrived to Hawaii monday night, we'll be here until Friday. (oh, it's Oxnard, well seems just like Wakiki without the warm ocean water and long flight.)

ella the explorer....know Dora?

monkey girl

happy hour time at our hawaiin like hotel village.

Ella's writing in the sand, Jane's finding a bed.

so big!