I know, finally...

We have been definitely neglecting our blog the last few months! Once fall started we all got caught up in the busyness of the new season, and have not had much time for updating the blog. There are many things to share, however, so hopefully over the next couple of weeks we will get the Shell Shack Files back up to date.

One of the most recent happenings was the 26th birthday party of the unofficial 4th Shell Shacker Kristin, aka KBaby. (Don't worry, Janai, you both qualify as the 4th Shell Shacker. And I know, you deserve your own post.) She celebrated with a 1920's themed murdery mystery party at her house in San Jose. Unfortunately I was the only representative of the Shell Shack for reasons to be explained in future posts. While Charity and Devon were missed, it was fabulous party - everyone showed up dressed to the nines, and we transformed Kristin's parents' house into the quinetessential 20's jazz club.

See more pics from the party at the Shell Shack Pics link to the right.

Aside from lots of schoolwork and adventures in substitute teaching, only two other significant events have occurred since August. One is that at the end of August my mom and I visited my granddad and grandma in Oklahoma, which was so much fun. I hadn't been back there since junior high, so it was great to be there and see all the Betts relatives. Highlights of the trip were exploring the family history at the cemetery (I know, it sounds morbid, but half of the cemetery are my ancestors), getting a tour of the family farm with my Granddad, and my grandma Louisa helping me get started on the huge project of turning several of my shirts and sweatshirts from high school and college into a quilt. She was also amazing enough to let me leave it with her to finish, and I can't wait to see the finished project in person! Last, but definitely not least, my friend Rachael had a baby boy! Rachael and I have a crazy story about our friendship - we were good friends for three years before we discovered we were third cousins! That means that Elijah Cody VanDorn is my first baby cousin, and I was so blessed to meet him. He arrived safely on September 20th, at 20 inches and 8 pounds 8 ounces. I love him so much already! Check back soon for updates on Charity and Devon's lives! Plus, our 3rd Annual Fall Fun Party is just around the corner!

First Official Shell Shack Post

The new Shell Shack is officially warmed up! Every morning when I see our ocean views I can't believe where I live, and again at each glorious sunset.

The last half of December, since my arrival back in the States, to now, has been a whirlwind of activity, as usual. I was met at the airport by my amazing friends, and we spent a incredible weekend in Orange catching up, chilling at the Romano pad, and a fabulous day at Disneyland, where we complained if we had to wait in line for longer than 2o minutes.

Then it was Christmas with the family, where I got a most unexpected but very fun present: my very own .22 rifle!

Other highlights included a kicked back New Years,
ice skating with friends,and celebrating Devon's 24th birthday with a trip to San Jose to visit the unofficial 4th Shell Shacker, K-Baby,
where we engaged in a ferocious game of blondes versus brunettes bocci ball.
Now that the holiday vacations are over, life is slowing down, and the Shell Shack is enjoying the time to reflect on how blessed we are by our families, friends, and to be at this stage in our lives. So, while there is no actual point to this blog, check back often for updates on our thoughts, theme parties, or whatever else we feel like posting about.