Dylan's 1st Long-Range Fishing Trip

Hi there. Well I am a little late with this post (story of my life these days!), however; as some of you know Dylan went on his very first long-range fishing trip with Jim (aka Grandpa) July 12 – 17th. Every summer, my Dad charters the American Angler boat for his annual Crystal Pier fishing trip. As it is an invite-only event, the passengers are mostly close friends and the atmosphere is very relaxed and fun, with everyone on their guard for my Dad’s next practical joke! Dustin has been going on this particular trip since he was 7 years old, so Dylan was long overdue. I however; was extremely nervous about how Dylan would handle being on a boat for 5 days without his Dad or big brother, as neither would be on the trip this year. I envisioned the Coast Guard doing an emergency air lift when Dylan decided he was “done” and ready to go home. For those of you who really know Dylan, you know that is no joke!

Fortunate for everyone, the trip went smoothly and Dylan had a FABULOUS time with Jim, Craig Campbell, Bob Williams, the rest of the passengers and the amazing crew of the American Angler, captained this trip by Brian Kiyohara. The fishing was great and Dylan came home with plenty of albacore for our next fish taco fry. He had a blast fighting the many fish he landed but also hanging out in the bow of the boat waiting for the flying fish to appear, videoing the schools of dolphins swimming alongside of the boat and indulging in the many culinary treats! He called me the first day to tell me tell me he was having King Crab Legs for dinner – he was so excited! He was also amazed that full-size candy bars were left out all day and that he could eat as many as he wanted!

You know Dylan had a great time when he came in after 5 long days on a boat, dog-tired, swaying as if he was still out at sea and said he can’t wait to go again! A BIG thank you to "Grandpa Jim" for having the guts to take Dylan on his own and the entire staff of the American Angler . . . Captain/Owner, Brian Kiyohara, Deckhands Cameron, Todd, Jordan and Ray and according to Dylan, “the best cooks ever”, Nate and Paul. Thank you for not only making Dylan’s first trip, one he will never forget, but for this Mom, keeping him safe and bringing him home. Enjoy the pictures below. Some taken by the crew of the American Angler, some by Dylan and Chris.

Be sure to check out the American Angler’s website if you ever want to go fishing. Owner/Operators Brian and Sam along with their crew are the best there is! http://www.americananglersportfishing.com

Dylan & "Jim"


Dylan & Captain Brian


Dylan Fighting a Fish


The Group & Their Catch


Jackpot Winners & Dylan (Honorable Mention)


Dolphins Swimming Alongside the Boat

Ya Ya!

Hello there, I was planning on my next post being an update on Dylan’s first 5-day fishing trip with Jim (aka his Grandpa) however; I just could not resist posting these pictures of Dani and her new hair-dos as well as a hysterical video (sorry, video has disappeared, I'll try to re-post). Dani’s daycare provider has also turned out to be her personal hair stylist and is the person responsible for the super cute do-s. I think she looks like a Chinese Cupie doll, don’t you? As for the video, before I shoved the video camera in Dani’s face, she was eating lunch and then all of a sudden started yelling (in a very un-ladylike manner) for Ya Ya. Ya Ya is her word for Da Da as she is still working on enunciating her consonants. Anyway, I started laughing when she would yell for Ya Ya and then pause and wait for him to magically appear (he was at work). Once Dani picked up that she was the source of my laughter, it was on and she proceeded to yell louder! She also thought I would get a laugh out of her picking her nose which she does as the grand finale to this short but funny video. Be sure to check back this weekend for an update on Dylan's long range fishing trip and pictures of his and Jim's fish.

Happy 4th of July!

Well it isn't quite the stellar Southern California 4th of July that we are used to . . . . seems June gloom is lingering in San Diego a bit. That didn't stop the kids from getting in the pool though. We're so grateful for all of these "firsts" as a family of 5. Enjoy the video of Dani's first 4th of July!