Summertime and the livin' is easy...

Don't you just love summer! The kids have been swimming a lot and are my little water babies.  It doesn't matter how much they've been in the water or how waterlogged they are, they always want to go back again!  One afternoon we went to play in the water at the local park and Doug called to say he was on his way home from work.  I told him where we were and he dropped by and surpised the little ones with icees.  They were so excited!  Jacob didn't have time to look toward the camera as he was too worried someone was going to take his icee away and so he had to drink it down as quickly as possible.

One of the best parts of our summer was getting to spend a week with sweet Skylar!  She was so cute when we took her to Bridgeport.

She and Grandpa Doug spent a lot of time gathering white rocks.  She adored the white ones.

While we were swimming at Bridgeport, Lauren lured a local squirrel in with a chip.  When he got close enough to take the chip, she tried to grab him and he bit her finger.  She said she was just trying to pet him.  But have you met Lauren?  She tries to catch anything and everything and she's actually quite good at it!

Skylar was so adorable the whole visit.  What a sweet baby!  We're so in love!

Black Chasm Cavern

I am the cave,
So cool and dark,
Where time, unending, leaves its mark
As natural forces build and hone
A crystal world from weeping stone.


I am the cave,
And at my core
A sea once was that is no more-
A sea alive and sunlight-warmed
Where limestone, born of death, was formed
As sediment of shell and bone,
Compressed, became a floor of stone.
But shifting continents brought change;
This floor, upthrust, became a range
Of mountains that displace the sea
And held the limestone heart of me.

My ceilings cry their endless tears
That fall throughout the endless years,
Each droplet leaving just a trace
Of sparkling crystal in its place.

--Excerpts from Cave by Diane Siebert

Winchester Mystery House

Yesterday we zipped out to San Jose to visit the Winchester Mystery House.  I say "zipped" because it only took us about 2 hours to get there, but unfortunately about 5 hours to get back.  Since we arrived earlier than anticipated, the ticket folks let us hop on an earlier tour of the house.  This was my second visit, and the first for Doug and the kids.

Conversations with the Peanut Gallery

Any time Jacob is outside wreaking havoc with the water hose and you attempt to open the sliding glass door to turn the water off, this is what you're met with.
The latest and greatest from our small crew...

Me:  Did you have sweet dreams?
Jacob:  Yes.
Me:  What did you dream about?
Jacob:  Monkeys.

Anna:  Lauren, will you play restaurant with me?
Lauren:  No.
Anna:  Please play restaurant with me!!
Lauren:  Okay, but I want to be a police officer.
Anna:  Fine, I'll have a doughnut shop.

Speaking of doughnuts, the kids have discovered the wonder that is Krispy Kreme.  I know they're bad for us and we try not to go too often but boy, are they ever delicious.  When we go, Jacob always tell us he wants a "sprinkler" doughnut.

On the 4th of July, when we sat down to eat I asked the kids if they knew why we celebrated the 4th.  They yelled out "freedom" and "independence".  I then asked them, "Freedom and independence from what?"  The answers ranged from "George Washington to Thomas Edison to Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln".  Obviously, we had to have a talk.

Driving to San Luis Obispo last weekend Jacob kept saying, "Are we going on a trip?"  Everytime we said "yes", he would say, "Yeah!  I see the trip!"  Anna kept asking how much longer before we were there.  Doug said, "You knew it was going to be a long drive, right?  We're almost in southern California."  Anna said, "Wait, what??!!  Did we drive through Mexico?"  Doug just looked at her and said, "Oh, boy!"

Jacob has been listening to my heart lately.  When I ask him what my heart is saying, he says (with a funky beat to his words) it goes "Boom, Boom-boom, Boom-boom-da-boom".  I told him my heart is really saying, "Ja-cob, Ja-cob."  He responded, "Here you listen to mine now.  It's saying 'Mo-mmy, Mo-mmy.'"

We were at the movie theater recently and a little girl in the row in front of us kept looking at Jacob.  He turned to me and said, "That little girl keeps looking at me.  She thinks me so handsome."

San Luis Obispo Mini-vacation, Day 3

On Sunday morning, we drove into San Luis Obispo and visited the San Luis Obispo Mission in between services.  The Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was founded by Father Junipero Serra on 1 September, 1772 and was named after Saint Louis, the Bishop of Toulouse, France. The Mission is located in the "Valley of the Bears", so named due to the abundance of grizzlies in the area at the time.

Father Junipero Serra

The trees and flowers in and around the mission were so lush.

San Luis Obispo, Mini-vacation, Day 2

We began the day on Saturday by visiting Hearst's "Casa Grande" on the Enchanted Hill.  We were so excited because Doug and Jacob decided to come along with us.  We weren't sure how our busy three year old would fare around priceless pieces of art but he actually did very well.  He told us on the bus ride down, "I be good."  As a matter of fact, his favorite part of the day turned out to be the bus ride.  He thought it was a-may-sing!

San Luis Obispo Mini-vacation, Day 1

I was really hoping for a few days away this summer. After the 4th of July, Doug had a 3-day weekend and opted to take the following Monday off and so away we went. He had never spent any time in the San Luis Obispo area and I was interested in showing Hearst Castle to the kids. It had been almost 20 years since my last visit to the castle. So, we decided to give the area a go. It took us about 6 hours to get there and as our lodging wasn't ready when we arrived, we decided to have lunch at the Apple Farm. It had been recommended for breakfast but we enjoyed our lunch there as well.  Afterwards we walked around the Inn and the Old Mill.

The flowers were beautiful. 

Visit with Nana and Poppy

Nana and Poppy came out to visit at the end of May for Anna's birthday.  While they were here, we snapped a few pictures of them with the peanut gallery.  For Anna's birthday, Nana and Poppy gave her her very own iPod.  Not to be outdone, Lauren started planning for her iPod on her next birthday.  Nana and Poppy decided not to wait and sent Lauren's early.  Speaking of early, look at our little girl's missing top tooth.  It was loose, newly loose, only slightly tightly loose and then one night it was out.  We had gone to the Disney store the day before and Lauren wanted the Queen Elinor bear from the movie Brave but didn't have enough money to get it.  I have a sneaking suspicion that the not so loose, loose tooth may have been pulled before its time just so the tooth fairy could come for a visit.  

Zoo Camp

Lauren also went to camp this summer.  She attended Zoo camp at the Sacramento Zoo.  She was there every day for one week from 0900-1600. It was right up her alley. She got to see the kinkajou, pet a snake, see a lion and snow leopard get their check-ups from the zoo vet, feed a bongo, and check out the owls, otters, and chimpanzees.

Like a Fiddler On The Roof

In our little town of Anatevka, we have traditions for everything...how to eat, how to sleep, how to wear clothes, and because of these traditions, every man knows who he is and what God expects him to do.

Tzeitel, Chava, Golde, Hodel, and Tevye

Last month Anna participated in Camp Music Circus in Sacramento.  It was two weeks of fun from 9-5 each day practicing to put on the play "Fiddler on the Roof, Jr." She auditioned for the role of Chava and was super crazy excited when she got the part.  Doug and I were absolutely blown away at how incredibly well these kids did after such a short time.  Everything was run so beautifully and everyone associated with the program was fantastic!  The kids performed in the Little Theater of the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.  What a gorgeous spot!

Cinderella Kids

Anna recently performed as Suzy the mouse in Cinderella Kids with Stand Out Talent in Roseville.  Again, what a great group of kids and a fun performance!