The Ballet...

Yesterday evening Robbin and I attended the San Ellijo Dance ballet presentation at the Poway Center for Performing Arts. What a special evening it was, too. These little ballerinas will steal your hearts... they're so precious!














Granddaughter Chloe, who is almost 4 years old, was one of the "Buttercups" and did a great job. She's pictured in the photos at top, and 2nd from the left in the bottom right photo.

To quote our daughter Carrie Ann, who said it best: "They were so brave. All eleven of them. Hands locked in a little human chain, in the dark, with no idea what was going on. Not a tear. No cries for Mom or Dad. Just wide eyed and brave little ballerinas. It was precious and I am so proud of them".

A Day at the Beach...

On Sunday, April 17, we spent most of the day visiting daughter Carrie and her husband Kelly in Carlsbad. Along with their daughters, Chloe and Ava, we all headed over to the beach which is just a short drive from their home. Beautiful weather and we parked right next to the beach! What a great way to start off a new summer season.

Above, our little miss Ava tries on some cool "shades", while below daddy Kelly and grandma Robbin play in the sand with the girls.

The Beach at Carlsbad...

Yesterday a big group of us showed up at Carrie & Kelly's house in Carlsbad to celebrate the 1st Birthday of their daughter Ava (I'm sure Carrie will post photos).

On the way home I took granddaughters Haylie and Kayla to the beach near Carlsbad Village. Got this near-sunset photo with the cellphone.

A Delightful Visit With Chloe & Ava...

As mom and dad (Carrie and Kelly) head off to Minnesota for 4 days, Grandma and Grandpa Albrant played host to Chloe (age 3) and Ava (age 10 months).

They were funny, and cute, and delightful... and we enjoyed having those little sprites around to make us feel young again!

In these photos, Ava shows off the flower in her hair while sitting on Grandmas lap, and Chloe gives Grandpa her funny grin during their lunch on the patio.

Ava learned a new trick -- coming down the stairs backwards. Meanwhile, Chloe went grocery shopping with Grandpa and she insisted on buying a clove of garlic because it smelled so good and she wanted to take it home!

Ava Renee - Photo & Video

Here's a short 1-minute video of Ava Renee taken at her parents home on Friday evening. Big sister Chloe shows she is already a good "helper" to her little sister!

Parents Carrie Ann and Kelly are glad to get home with their new bundle of joy.

Photo shows the two sisters in a quiet moment.

Sorry for the poor quality video but it was taken with a cell phone.

Ava Renee Has Arrived!

Ava Renee arrived

today at 1:24 am!

Ava Renee Daoust is the newest member of our extended clan!

She is the new daughter of parents Carrie Ann and Kelly. She weighed 7 pounds and 12 ounces at birth, and was 19" long.

Everyone is doing great, although a little short on sleep!

Ava Renee is spending night with her mom at the hospital, but will be coming home tomorrow, where Grandma Robbin and sister Chloe await their arrival.

YIKES! Those teeth can bite!

Granddaughter Haylie and friend Lauren are pictured as they get ready for some Trick or Treat fun in the neighborhood.

Haylie said she was feeling a little "thirsty" and decided Lauren would be the perfect appetizer! (Click on the picture for an up close view).


Also out on the town was granddaughter Chloe, who was here with her mom and dad, Carrie and Kelly.

'Candy' is now one of her favorite words!

Becca and family visit...

On Saturday, August 22, we spent the day with Becca, her mom Nancy, and daughters Bailey and Bristol. The purpose of their visit was not a happy one however, as Nancy's dad passed away recently and they were here for the funeral in Long Beach.

Despite the sad occasion, we had a full day of fun activity. The video here is just a short clip with highlights of the movies we took.



In addition to Becca and her family, our daughter Carrie, husband Kelly and their daughter Chloe also attended.

First we had a terrific lunch at the Belmont Brewing Company in Belmont Shores (an area of Long Beach), on the outside patio, followed by some play time on the beach. Then it was off to a local park where all the kids had a chance to play, play, play! It was a very full day, to say the least, and all the kids (and Grampa Bill) needed a nap to catch up!

Bill Jr. (Becca's husband) had to work, but there was some good news about him. He was working as First Mate on his ship (this is the #2 position on the boat, under the Captain).

There are also pictures at this link: BECCA VISITS

There's A Baby In My Sink!

We had several overnight guests this past weekend.

Grandchildren Quinton, Colston and Haylie stayed with us Thursday through Sunday while their mom Carrie Renee was visiting friends and relatives in Arizona. On Saturday evening the gang had a big Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner (originally scheduled for last St. Patrick's Day!).

Granddaughter Chloe spent Sunday night with us while her parents, Kelly and Carrie Ann, visited friends in San Diego. One of Chloe's "funner" times was taking a bath in the kitchen sink. A bath is quite important, especially after eating lots of juicy watermelon!

Sorry for the quality, but this is a cell phone shot.

We Visit The 23rd Avocado Festival...

Lots of food and sun today at the 23rd Annual Avocado Festival in downtown Fallbrook.

I went down to Carrie and Kelly's ranch early so we could get there before the big crowds arrived. As you can see, even getting to this event early means it is elbow-to-elbow down Main Street!

In the photo above, three of the Avocado Princesses stopped by to say hello to Chloe, who was thrilled to see some real nobility!

After a couple of hours sight-seeing, and getting all kinds of free samples, we went back to Carrie & Kelly's to have lemonade (fresh from their lemon tree) and some treats. Robbin and Kayla joined us later for a nice lunch.

Food, sun, princesses... and more food!

Now, doesn't that sound like a perfect day?

(Click on pictures for a larger view)

Family from Ketchikan... Part 1

This weekend was b-u-s-y!

Becca and her mom, Nancy, came down to visit in California. Of course they brought two cute Alaskan babies with them... Bailey and Bristol. They stayed with Kelly, Carrie and Chloe in Fallbrook.

Daddy Bill had to stay home to work hard for his family. We missed you Bill!

On Saturday the entire group, plus Carrie Renee, Kayla, Haylie and Matt, spent the afternoon in Old Town Temecula, with lunch at the famous Swing Inn Cafe, a landmark since the early 1800's. In these photos, Chloe and Bailey share one end of the table, while Bristol patiently awaits for her food to arrive at the other end of the table.

On Sunday the same group (plus Mikey, minus Haylie) went to the local mall where the three little girls had professional photos taken.

Becca's mom Nancy gave us a really special gift -- a thumb drive with many great photos and movies of the girls, taken in Ketchikan. We can share these with you if you like.

These are just camera phone shots. Hopefully I can post some better pictures later.

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A Nice Day For A Swapmeet...

With temperatures up in the 80's, it was a beautiful day to visit a swapmeet... so we did!

Daughter Carrie Ann with husband Kelly, and their daughter Chloe, plus Carrie Renee joined Bill and Robbin at the Lake Elsinore swapmeet today.

This is a new event that got its start just last month.

The crepes were excellent, and there were several other tempting booths filled with food, clothing, jewelry and other items.

The swapmeet was at the baseball stadium for the Lake Elsinore Storm, a pro baseball team, which explains why Chloe is sitting on top of a giant baseball in the picture.

These are camera phone photos, so the quality is not the best... but you get the idea... we had fun!

Chloe Goes Trick or Treating...

Last night granddaughter Chloe came up for Halloween in the neighborhood. She had loads of fun collecting goodies. This was her first time Trick or Treating!

She's pictured above with daddy Kelly after a particularly good treat.

Chloe and her mom Carrie Ann spent the evening with us and had pancakes for breakfast.

Click on the picture for a larger image.

Chloe Walks & Talks!

Our little Chloe is growing fast! Last week she started walking, and quickly mastered the new skill. She's also talking, with the usual "ma", "da" and also "behwah", which is Bella, the name of their family dog.

Here she is taking a stroll at her grandparents home last night. Carrie and Chloe came up for dinner while daddy Kelly was playing with his band in Oceanside.

Carrie promises to get some movie footage before little Chloe takes off running down the road!

Click on the picture for a larger view.