Declan Hercules & Keevah Nyx House: Declan Hercules: Alisal; Gran & Gran Mimi visit

Above are random pics of some of our menagerie...

School is out and we are already halfway through summer! Time flies when you're having fun!

Keevah finished Kindergarten, and can't wait to be a big first grader! She had a really cute end of the year graduation ceremony, where they sang several songs, and marched to Pomp & Circumstance. I finished Fourth Grade, only one more year before middle school! I was in an end-of-year play, and really enjoyed it. We are actually headed to a new school next year (St. John's Lutheran), so I'm a bit nervous about that, but also looking forward to meeting new friends.

Awesome graduation singing

Keevah & Lucius

Happy Graduation Keevah!

We enjoyed a quick Father's Day celebration with Grandpa and Dada - and the homemade sunshine cake that Mama has made for Grandpa every year since she was born! Now Keevah & I are pretty good at making it too! We made all sorts of homemade gifts for Dada too.

Home made stepping stones

Mama, Grandpa and a sunshine cake

Keevah made so many extra crafts for Dada!

We have both been in a variety of camps this summer, with a few more to go. Art Camp, Coding camp, Connolly Ranch, and soon to come are Karate camp and Science camp! But, we also spent time down in San Diego with friends and the Alisal Dude Ranch, where we see Dada's side of the family every year. Gran and Gran Mimi also came to spend a week with us in Napa.

Keevah at art camp

Right after school ended, I got to enjoy a very special trip with Gee & Grandpa to Chattanooga, TN. It had been delayed a few years due to covid, but it was worth the wait. We rode the Chattanooga Railroad, scampered around in Rock City, and visited NASA facilities. We spent hours each day goofing off in the pool with the other children who were there with their grandparents too.

Chattanooga and the Mississippi River

Chattanooga Railroad

At NASA facility

Rock City

We had so much fun in San Diego with Miss Analeah & Mr. Ian, Mama and Dada's friends from college. We played a lot with their boys Keaton and Jonah, and did a lot of swimming in their pool & the ocean. Keevah loved the fireworks over the local racetrack as well! One of our favorite excursions was seeing the Midway aircraft carrier - we spent several hours exploring the belly of the ship and then the landing deck. We even did a virtual reality game where we got to pretend we were flying. The Top Gun references were plentiful!

Mama, Analeah, Dada & Ian

Everyone on the Midway - in the briefing room

Commander Keevah

Maverick & Goose

Everyone in a helicopter

VR flight school

Attention on deck!

That's one BIG anchor chain

Beach fun: Declan & Jonah

Ready to boogie board

Me, Jonah & Keaton boogie boarding

Keevah digging a big hole with Keaton & Jonah

Analeah & Keevah doing yoga

Keaton doing pushups with Keevah on his back

Chicken fighting in the pool

me & Keevah on the velcro wall at 4th of July celebration

Happy 4th!

Fireworks!

After several days in San Diego, we drove up the coast to Alisal. Dada's family has been going every year for 44 years, and sissy and I look forward to it every year. I even celebrated my 11th birthday there with all my cousins! The Rodeo is the first night, we we watch steer roping and barrel racing, followed by a Mexican buffet, music and a magic show. The last night is the whole ranch hoedown, with even more music and a huge buffet (where I enjoyed a cowboy ribeye!). In between, we take advantage of the large pool, game room, and arts & crafts room. We love exploring and playing with our cousins non-stop! The barn animals are also fun to pet, and we love horseback riding too. Sissy did her first breakfast ride to the Sycamore Grove - and we even skipped the beginner ride to go straight to the intermediate ride. She did great, and wanted to go even faster! I went with a big group of cousins to the archery and air rifle range, and did pretty good! Keevah also was a champion in the annual family water balloon fight - we must have had over 500 balloons this time!

The whole gang

Keevah, Emery, Logan, Owen, Davis, Declan - on the way to the Rodeo

Keevah competing in the kids relay race

Declan in the lead

Cowgirl!

Emery, Logan and Keevah

Some pretty arm painting

Country Family

Keevah, Davis, Declan & Owen

The three boys - Davis, Declan & Owen

Caricatures of Alexia, Emery, Logan & Keevah

Pool time with Granddad! We are so glad he is healthy!

Swimming with Granddad

Cousin pool time

The Keevah Launch

Declan & Keevah with Granddad

They kept spinning her like a starfish!

Mama with a bunch of cousins

Dada, Granddad, Uncle Steve & Uncle Kevin with a bunch of cousins

Alexia, Keevah, Emery & Logan

All dressed up for one of the fancy dinners

Me & Cousin Harper - we could be siblings!

Ready for another fancy dinner

Granddad & Boppy with all 10 grandkids. top row: Laura, Harper, Avery, Declan, Logan; bottom row: Alexia, Davis, Emery, Owen, Keevah

Granddad & Boppy with Declan celebrating birthday #11

Hoedown dancing: keevah & Mama

dancing cousins

Me & my cowboy ribeye

Dancing with Dada

Game room

Getting ready for the water balloon fight

All four of us on the breakfast ride

Dada & Keevah also did a separate afternoon ride

Owen, Davis,Keevah, Alexia all geared up for the horses

More arm painting

Arts and crafts room

Keevah enjoying the barnyard

Gran was waiting for us when we returned to Napa, and we had a lovely 10 days with her. Gran Mimi (Gran's sister) also flew out from Colorado for several days - it was the first time she had met Keevah, and the first time I've seen her in 8 years! We all had a great time exploring Napa and hanging out on our deck. We continued our tradition of going to Morimoto with Gran, and stuffed ourselves silly! Gran Mimi is a judge with the AKC, and she judged Spirit with me. Spirit is now known as "Spirit of Montecito" and earned his Canine Good Citizenship award. Next, we are going to work on getting him certified as a Trick Dog! Gran Mimi also helped Keevah re-vamp her fairy garden - they went to the nursery and picked out some succulents to spruce up the garden. Gran and Gran Mimi were also here to help me celebrate my belated birthday party. I had several friends join us for a party at a trampoline park -- where we bounced until we couldn't bounce anymore! It was so much fun! Keevah and I were sad when Gran and Gran Mimi had to leave Napa, and can't wait to see them again!