Hi! My name is Tara & thank you so much for checking out A Spectacled Owl. I started this blog to share reviews, giveaways, deals I find, stories about my family and anything that strikes me as interesting. I’ve also been having fun adding a couple of my DIY projects. I enjoy meeting people from all over and getting to know them better (especially since I’m not all that social in real life!)
I named my blog A Spectacled Owl because 1). my daughter and I love owls, 2). because I wear awesome purple glasses and 3). I thought I was pretty clever to remember that there actually is an owl called a Spectacled Owl.
This is my husband Daniel. He works for a defense contractor here in San Diego. He is a Test Engineer. Basically, what that means is he is smart & he knows it! Daniel loves watching geeky TV, working on geeky side projects, bike riding with the kids and COFFEE. Copious amounts of coffee (I keep telling him he needs a Starbucks IV bag)
Jared, our oldest son, is 14. He enjoys reading, playing video games and building things (he and my husband just built a crossbow together!). Jared also loves reading comic books, prefers older music (Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, etc.) to music from today and is fascinated by Stop Motion Animation (he’s actually made a video himself!)
Ashlyn, our only daughter, is 10. She loves karate, reading (she carries around 2-3 books with her all the time), is great at writing and drawing and loves riding her bike. Ashlyn also loves the color purple and LOVES wearing hats! She’s the perfect cross between a tomboy & girly-girl.
Ryan, our youngest son, is 4. When you think of a kid that is “all boy”, loves to climb and jump off of things, is all about winning every game he plays, very competitive…well, you’re picturing Ryan 
He is also a tremendously good reader for 4 years old and is finally able to tell us great stories after being in speech class last school year. Ryan is also obsessed with everything YELLOW. It really doesn’t even matter what it is, as long as it’s yellow!
We live in San Diego, CA and spend a lot of time together as a family. Thanks again for stopping by A Spectacled Owl and I hope to see you again here soon!
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Wow I live in RI. The little ity bity state
Hello Tara. I live in Ninilchik, Alaska. I am 61, retired and have my daughter and 4 /2 year old grandson living with me. His name is Zeke and I love him with my whole heart. I tell him I love him and He tells me he loves me more, more, more. Then says I beat you! I love you a bunch more!
I retired from the University of Alaska Statewide Administration after 20 years. During that time I also cared for over 60 foster boys while raising my daughter by myself. I enjoy fishing, camping and playing with my grandson. My oldest grandson lives in Nebraska and graduated from high school last year as well as obtaining his Eagle Badge in Boy Scouts. I am very proud of him. Winter has finally hit here and it is snowing pretty good right now. It is 31 above outside and is nice for this time of year. I built a 5 bedroom3 bathroom home in Fairbanks while I was fostering all those kids, usually 5 to 6 at a time. That house was over 4000 square feet. It burned in a fire in November of 97 while I was visiting my mom and step dad in Ninilchik, Alaska. Rather than go back to Fairbanks I built a new 2400 square foot home here in Ninilchik on 2 and 1/5 acres. It is a lot warmer here in Ninlchik in the winter than it is in Fairbanks. I grew up in Fairbanks surviving 50 and 60 below zero temps and have no hankering to go back to that. Larry
Awesome family! Thank you for sharing! I just recently found your blog and I love it! I have been trying, stopping, thinking about, trying to start back up my blog! Does that make sense? Lol, anyways I am from Georgia!
anita GAMBRELL recently posted..Free Sample of Starbucks
Thanks so much, Anita! It does make sense…blogging takes a lot of time. I did not know that when I first started! Thanks so much for your great comment!