Lady Bug Adventures

Jarod's parents live not far from the redwood forests in California. On the way to the Sequoia National Park, there are other great hiking and scenic venues. We took a quick trip one afternoon to hike one: the Lady Bug trail. There is a bridge that in the spring is covered with thousands of lady bugs. Of course, we weren't there in the spring, so we only got to see ants crawling along the bridge. That didn't put a damper in the kids' spirits, though.

On our way up to the hiking spot, there was a snake making its way across the road. We stopped, and thought we'd get a great shot of Mama Tess pointing at the snake...I think we got an even better shot of her jumping in the air as the snake turned around to make its way back to its hole. Yikes! Lady Bug 1.7 miles!

Josh loved the hike, and I had to do all I could to keep him from leaping into the raging current below. My breath is always taken away by the beauty and majesty of the scenery in that area. Just gorgeous. Mama Tess had a great knack for getting the kids down right fascinated by the ants and other creepy crawly creatures.

Fun Toys

Well, like I said, Mama Tess and Papa Steve went a little crazy buying toys for the kids to play with while we were in town. Here are a few pictures of the kids playing. They had such a great time. They grew so attached to Mama Tess, Papa Steve, Elle, and Emmerson. It was a great visit.

Here's Mama Tess helping Carly spell her name in sidewalk paint. The kids loved it!

Josh is using the sidewalk chalk roller. He had a lot of fun with that toy. He would walk around all day making chalk lines if we'd let him.

Thank goodness for whoever invented Color Wonders! I love that stuff. The kids are playing at the great easels that Mama and Papa bought. They just loved all the coloring options they had at their fingertips! I came home with some cute pictures Carly drew while we were there. She's turning into quite the little artist!
Here's Jack takin' it easy in a bucket. Carly thought was a great idea to put him in the bucket, and he seemed to agree...at least at first.

Solid Foods!

I was waiting until we made it to California to start Jack on solid foods, because I knew Mama Tess would get a kick out of feeding him for the first time. He really took to it. He ate that nasty gruel-like rice cereal like a pro. After the first feeding, he was able to sit in the high chair by himself, and just opened up wide whenever he saw the spoon getting close. There's no doubt that boy is ready for food! Yummy!!

Elle's Graduation

We were lucky enough to be in town when Elle graduated. She and I went to the nail salon to participate in some girly activities before her graduation ceremony. She'd never had acrylic nails before, so this was a must! It was a lot of fun. I think Elle has decided that nail beauty isn't worth the pain involved! The graduation ceremony was very nice. The weather was perfect for an outdoor event. Carly was excited to look for Elle getting her diploma. Congratulations Elle!! We're so proud!

Sweet Pickins

Mama Tess and I took time one evening to pick boysenberries at her co-worker's house. Their house sits on a lovely plot of land with all sorts of different fruits, vegetables, and nuts growing around them. Boy was I jealous, and dreaming of having my own 10 acres to harvest. It was so fun to get out and pick fruit. That was one of the things I said I had to do while I was in California. It was a beautiful evening to be outside.
To make it even better, we made jam from the boysenberries we picked. We had enough to do three batches of shelf and freezer jam. My mouth is watering just thinking of it.
I hope the batch I did arrives safely in my mailbox. I can't wait! It's always fun to visit with my mother-in-law and try new recipes and get lots of cooking tips and advice.

Josh Turns TWO!!!

Our next big adventure while in California was Josh's second birthday. Mama Tess and Papa Steve had already bought lots of fun toys, painting stations, and play house in anticipation of the kids' arrival, but for Josh's celebration we went a little ball crazy. They bought a basketball hoop, lots of bouncy balls, soccer balls and goals, and soft baseball bats and balls. The kids had a blast. Here's Josh and Carly before the birthday festivities. Josh loved the Lightning McQueen race car that he got, along with all the other goodies.We had a pinata in true Mexican style. Little cars, dinosaurs, and candy rained from the sky, when the kids hit the pinata. Mama Tess made a delicious ice cream cake...I swear, that woman can make anything!Josh was just as excited about his Nemo place mat as he was with all the toys. Of course, he's not a huge desert eater, so he didn't enjoy the delectable cake as much as the rest of us. The kids all took a turn blowing out the candle. Here's Carly showing them all how it's done like a pro.
Josh liked to sit in the ball bucket, while Kaela played next to him.
The only thing missing from the celebration was Daddy. We're so glad he let us leave him to go on vacation though.

C.A.L.M.

C.A.L.M. stands for California Living Museum. Our first weekend in California, we visited the Wilstead cousins in Bakersfield, after a morning at farmer's market...always a favorite with me. Californians are so spoiled with their delicious (and cheap) produce. It's always fun to see what things the local growers bring to market. The kids loved seeing their cousins, and hitting Mama Tess up for souvenirs first thing at C.A.L.M. They got some pretty stylin' glasses and bracelets. Josh loves the animals. It was pretty hot that day, so not all the animals were out, but we had a great picnic at the park there.

Here we all are, minus Mama Tess taking the picture...Kaela, Damon, Clarissa, Ava, Carly, Me, Jack, and Josh.

Here's Mama Tess showing Carly and Josh how to "fish" with sticks. They loved it.
Of course, the kids were still getting used to being away from home, and accidents will happen. Carly wet her pants and so we spent a while in the bathroom washing them out, and drying her panties and jeans under the hand dryer. While we were in doing that, Josh came in, and he'd had an accident through his pants, as well. Ah the joys of child rearing. We didn't let that stop us though. Carly just went around in her panties all day. I know...you're all in disbelief that I let my child walk around like that in public. Luckily, the park was pretty empty. I think the favorite animal of the day was the Bald Eagle. Now the kids go around talking about eagles. It's great to hear Josh's vocabulary expanding. He can pretty much name any animal. He's quite the animal lover.