Buddies

In between our summer travelin' we had to make sure to see some buddies! We love getting together with Luke's buddy Alec and his family. Luke and Alec are so fun to watch. Here are a few pictures from the 4th of July weekend.

Playing at Alec's house





Trying to get three kids to all smile and look at the camera is out of my capabilities (Luke, Alec, Aubri)





Watching the parade



Brad and Daddy



My brother Neil and his (now) wife Ansev came to visit us for the 4th and suffered in the heat to watch the parade. (Don't worry, you'll hear about their beautiful New Year's Eve wedding...probably next June at the rate I am going!)



We went out to eat after the parade and I captured this gem of a conversation between Luke and Alec!

Luke's last day of school

Just a quick photo from Luke's last day of school at PRLP (7/1/11). He attended this school longer than any so far and we loved having him there. But with me not working anymore it wasn't really convenient and was on the pricey side because of where it was located in town. It was sad to say goodbye and Luke still asks about it sometimes, but I know he loves his new school and teachers and we are very happy with the school he attends now.
I snapped this shot to remember the day and I just love how Brad sneaked in a smile!

Summer fun

It makes me sad to write this summer fun post now that it is January and was 21 degrees this morning. How I miss the summer weather and it hasn't really been a cold winter (yet).
At the end of June, I was getting the pool out for the boys to enjoy in our yard.
Luke, being an old pro from last summer, was very helpful setting everything up.



Brad was sporting his awesome shark suit



I sat Brad in the pool and then this happened.


Needless to say, 8 month old Brad had had enough of the pool.

Luke persevered and had a great time.





Come back days of summer..

Cali Trip Part 5

San Francisco!
We ended our tour of California in San Francisco.
First stop: Alcatraz!
It was a little chilly but we were ready. (I swear Luke is there, can you find him?)



Josh has always had a fascination with Alcatraz so he was happy to take the tour. I walked around with Brad in the baby bjorn and got quite a work out. I didn't realized there'd be that much walking!





What great views the prisoners would have had if they hadn't been locked up.









Jayce and Luke in a cell



We also did a double decker bus tour of the city including a trip over the Golden Gate bridge. It was incredibly windy and cold, so Josh and I took the boys downstairs on the way back over the bridge. No pictures since I was focused on keeping Brad warm! We also did a Duck Boat tour. That was fun! I think I was holding a sleeping Brad when we did that so the only picture I have is the one we took before we got on the boat. Luke loved the duck bill quacker.

Duck Boat group shot


Finally, what is a trip to San Francisco without a visit to Pier 39?
Ed in front of the Hard Rock Cafe



Um, where are all the seals I was promised?



And that concludes our California adventure. What a whirlwind. Glad we survived and had a great time!

Cali trip Part 4

Yosemite!

Our next stop was to visit the wonders of Yosemite. I'm not a fan of winding rounds bordering steep drop offs and let's just say that is what you'll find in Yosemite. So I kept a tight grip on the door and tried to look straight ahead, but there was so much beauty to take in. It almost made me forget about the potential for falling to my death. ALMOST.

We stopped along the side of the road to take some pictures of the the main falls.



Jayce and Luke



Josh, Brad, and I



Next we did the short hike to the bottom of the main falls (the lower falls in the first picture). I was wearing Brad in the the Baby Bjorn so I got my workout in!

A little rock sculpture garden along the hike



Our family shot, would have been a neat Christmas picture if it had been a good picture. (Luke was finicky about his pictures this whole vacation)



Matt and Jayce



Luke and Josh



A view of the falls at the end of the hike



Luke actually posing for a picture



We stayed at a hotel in the national park that was right next to the rapids. It was really cool. Inexplicably, I have no pictures of that. I'll have to ask for some.

Next, and final stop, San Francisco.

Cali trip part 3

On to Monterey!
First stop, out to the boardwalk for some fine dining!



Me and Josh by the bay



The next morning we visited the aquarium.



Normally Luke loves the aquarium but he was not in a great mood this day. He was a real grump the whole time.

Brad, on the other hand appeared to be drunk with happiness



Some penguins 'cause I love 'em.

Cali trip

So let's just move passed the fact that I haven't updated this little blog for 3 months. That is if anyone still reads this thing :)
Right back where I left off, we were in California in June. After leaving San Diego we headed up the state to Cambria where we stayed the night. Josh, Matt, Jayce, and I had a nice Italian dinner out in the little town square while the boys stayed with Grammy and Papa at our hotel (which was more like little cottages than a hotel). The next day we toured Hearst Castle. It was incredible, it is set atop a mountain so high that even though it was cold and rainy/cloudy at the bottom where the tourist center was, it was clear/sunny and warm up at the castle. There are several houses at the top, not just one big castle. It was very beautiful and the history behind it was so interesting. Definitely worth checking out if you are out that way. Now, the tour is not really made for small children but I happy to report Luke did not get scolded for crossing the ropes or leaving the carpet trail like some other kid did :)
Since my arms were full with Brad and Josh had his hands full keeping Luke in check, I didn't take any pictures with my camera. Jayce was kind enough to take some for me so when I get those I can post them. Look it up online though in the meantime if you are interested.

After the tour we continued on our way to Monterey. We stopped alongside the highway to see the elephant seals.