April

April began with a trip to Visalia to enjoy General Conference with Grandma Tess and Papa Steve, and the cousins.  Between the morning and afternoon sessions we went to the park for a picnic and play time.

 Grandma Tess loves her babies. 

 We celebrated spring and summer birthdays with cakes beautifully decorated by Grandma Tess.  (Are you getting the sense that she's wonderful yet?)

 The kids enjoyed playing games together on Sunday. 

 Jack visited the dentist.  A clean bill of health, and sparkling teeth!

 Over Easter vacation we went camping with our friends the Morrises, and Jarod's sister Autumn and her family. 

 The first two nights we stayed up the canyon in Big Sur. 

 It was freezing!!

 As it turned out, the water was shut off, so I spent a lot of time collecting water from the stream, and boiling it for our use.  What an adventure!

 The kids kept busy digging for bugs.  They all got along so well!

 Our camp fire tradition is popping Jiffy Pop. 

 Little Jarod was a real trooper. 

 After two nights up the canyon, we travelled down to the coast to spend one last night.  The view was breathtaking. 

 We spent time hiking down to the coast, exploring the boulders for sea life. 

 We collected hermit crabs, sea weed, rocks, and shells. 

 It was fun to feel sea anemone close up around our fingers. 

Karen and I hiked to the top.  I was pretty proud of myself.  I have a slight fear of heights, and this definitely qualified as facing that fear. 

 Josh had fun throwing rocks into the ocean. 

 Carly is our collector.  I was worried her pockets would tear, they were so heavy with rocks and shells. 

 Jarod is our only baby born in California.  I had to get some pictures of him in the California Poppies. 

 We're so glad our kids are such happy campers, in every sense of the term.  They make these excursions so fun!

 On the way home, we drove PCH 1.  I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the scenery.  We stopped in San Simeon, where we saw elephant seals beached on the shore.  At that time of year, the females and their pups populate the shore.  In the winter, the males do battle for their mates. 

 Elephant seals as far as the eye could see. 

 Jack also started T-ball.  Jarod was his coach, and Jack loved it!