Summer 2015

- August 20, 2015

July started with the three littlest girls and I going on a trip while the big kids and Josh went to Scout and Girls Camp. We had such a great trip! I was getting over a terrible cold that had me sick for over three weeks. Recuperating in warm sun at mom and dad's house was a great way to recover.

Following Heather's lead, we stopped at the Mystery Trees just south of Crescent City. Can you believe in that in all our travels up and down that hwy I can't think of a time we've stopped? Maybe once. Crazy! It was fun. We didn't do the gondola ride - I'm hoping to do that this fall though.

The girls were royally spoiled by Grandma, who stocked up in preparation for their visit with dollar store goodies to keep them busy.

Swimming outside is always a treat. My girls loved the days of playing in the pool and having cousins there made it double the fun!

I think one of my favorite things was going to the Corvallis Community Band's concert in the park. Not only was it fun Disney music, but I just thoroughly enjoy hanging outside in the summer evening with my family. Can't get much better than that!

At Jenny's house we got caught in a massive thunder storm.

Fun for me and scary for some of the kids!

I think this was the first time Natalie and 'J' formed a relationship and spent one on one time together. They both love electronics so it's like a friendship made in heaven!

We got home just in time for an all day soccer tournament. Super fun! I was able to catch all the games. Josh had to zip from Santa Rosa to Lakeport for a presentation he was giving, but he was able to catch the last two games that each child played. They did really well!

And this girl got her braces off. YAY!

Our family trip this year was an amazing trip to Yosemite. We had such a fun week. I wasn't super, super excited about Yosemite. And honestly the driving is so much just to get into the valley that we were tired of seeing that road. Josh did ALL the driving on this trip. Poor guy!

But the valley is stupendous. We ate pizza at Curry Village TWICE because dang it - it's the cheapest place to eat in a two hour radius and the pizza was actually really good.

I love Wawona, which is just a few minutes into the park from the south entrance. The old settler buildings and the beautiful Merced River are just such a great setting. We hoped to go back and play more but we ran out of time.

The boat rental on Bass Lake was popular with everyone except Faith. She didn't really like being on the boat.

Yosemite Falls "hike"

the Ahwahnee Hotel - for breakfast and also because it's just a really cool building.

As we left Yosemite we swung into the town of Columbia to visit the State Historic Park there. It was only 100 degrees..... which we thought was going to kill us so we didn't spend as much time wandering around as we might have.

Didn't know the early settlers were into Captain America, did you?

Do any of my sisters know what picture we recreated? Only with the addition of a boy? There is a photo of my sisters and I in front of this very building - the jail in Columbia!

We took the free Jelly Belly Factory tour. Josh and I haven't done it since Brynne was a baby!

I love seeing my kids enjoy being together (and I just ignore the times they don't)

Rock climbing at the hotel at Yosemite - they also did archery and loved it. Natalie got a Bulls Eye! She was rocking that bow and arrow!

See? Still doing all the driving!

A stop at China Town on our way home - first time we've taken the kids there. I feel so ashamed that it's taken 10 years of living here. It only took us 20 minutes to find a parking place, though it felt like FOREVER. That's the downside of San Francisco!

Trying yummy food at the Bakery

Who doesn't get excited about lunch at the Cheesecake Factory??!!

When we got home from Yosemite we leaped right into playing with some Richardson cousins!!!
Faith didn't really like sharing her toys with this cousin.....