Fun at 6 Flags

We decided to check out 6 Flags Discovery Kingdom - for some reason still unknown it happened to be the busiest day of the season.  Despite the crowds, we had a great day checking out all the animals and even going on a few rides.  

Here is Cooper ready to feed the elephant after the elephant show

She took that snack right out of Sumer's hand!

 Cooper & Sumer checking out the dolphins after the show

 Grandma Sylvia, Teresa & all the kids hoping to touch a sting ray

 A little rest while Sumer & Grandma Sylva are on a roller coaster

 Sisters

 Cooper (Sumer, even though you can't see her in the picture) & I getting wet on the log ride.  Thank you for the rain jacket Sylvia!

It was a long day with alot of walking but everyone had a great time. Sumer even talked the boys into doing some rides which normally doesn't happen.  I'm sure the kids have some great memories of this day.
OK...post 2 of the "California Vacation"

A little visit from the South!

We got to spend a week with Eddie's Aunt Teresa and Sumer who were out visiting from Mississippi.  We hadn't seen them in 5 1/2 years - but once they got here it felt like it had been no time at all.  The kids started playing, we started cooking and the fun began!  I have got a ton of pictures but am going to do my best to document our time without photo overload. Not going to be easy because we had loads of fun, I wish I could share them all. 

Off for a ride up in the apple orchard - hold on tight!

 This was Paula Dean & Martha Stewart preparing Granny's goolosh (however you spell it)- Eddie's favorite meal and the first one he'd ask his granny for every time he went to Mississippi.

 A trip to Bodega Bay to play in the waves & sand

 A little wine tasting

 we even got Teresa to try some!

 Dinner at Hopmonk while Billy was working

 He even got to join us after his shift

 We had plenty of time hanging out at the house.  The kids rode bikes, played on the golf cart, jumped on the trampoline, scootered, played on the swings and in the sand box. We still have the huge wall Cooper & Sumer built, this was the beginning of their creation..

 Sumer wanted to roller blade in California

 We spent a quick afternoon in some antique stores (Sebastopol has a ton of them) and this awesome consignment shop - Sumer found some boots she had to try....:-)

OK- post one of our adventures....more to come!

Go SF Giants!

We were in the city the other day (that's an entire other post with tons of pictures I need to get working on) and were inspired to get tickets to a SF Giants baseball game.  It's something we've been talking about doing since the spring and Cooper knew Sunday's game - against the Arizona Diamondbacks - was a free kids jersey giveaway day.  So, we got some tickets and headed to the game.  To beat the traffic/parking/bridge toll/stress, we took the ferry into the city.  Something the kids and I had never done before.  From the ferry building we (again Cooper's persistence) we took a bike taxi - I'm sure they have some cool name but I don't know it.  That guy had some strong legs to taxi our family to the ballpark. 

Here we are on the bike taxi

 Cooper is ready for some action - This shot made the jumbo tron during the game!

 A little cold on the morning ferry ride.

 Part of Friday's motivation was Cameron and Eddie running into the coach Bruce Bochy outside the stadium.  Eddie got him to take a picture with Cameron! Yay Eddie

 Eddie & Cameron enjoying the boat ride

 Pre-game action.

 Can you tell what team we were routing for?

 Game time!

We had so much fun at the game.  They ended up loosing but it was a great game & beautiful weather! WOO HOO - go Giants!

Lake Shasta

We went on our 5th annual 4th of July Lake Shasta Trip.  It was loads of fun.  It's amazing how quickly 6 days on the lake passes.  I guess we are really good at chillin' even though it was REALLY hot - 110 every day!  We just love that lake - it's huge, I think like 360 miles of shore line.  The water is so warm (which I love) and so clear.  It's our kind of vacation!

Cameron really mastered his wakeboarding skills this trip.  He worked really hard to get his stance down and can go for a long time now and crosses the wake back and forth.

Roxy loves playing with the kids - she is one of them!

Cool shot.

Roxy even got out there and tubed with the boys.  They get all nervous when she is on there and make us go slow.  We think she'd like some more speed but they won't have it.

Cameron chillin' in the camper.

The 'boys' hanging in the lake

Annual shot - started by Billy back in the day. He's growing and getting good on that board.

Playing around

Snowy mountain top in the far distance - seems crazy when you are sitting in 110.

Eddie is amazing to watch on his board.  He does some awesome tricks!

A little boat ride

great find - yum

another great find on the lake :-)

Cooper getting his board on

me doing the same

We had some friends up there staying on a houseboat so we'd go by and visit them and let all the kids play (they love the slides on those things).  We got in a couple of evening bike rides and had some great BBQ.  A great little vacation.

Happy 4th

 Roxy knows how to get in the spirit

 our little campsite decoration

 the kids decorated their bikes and themselves - they were a huge hit around camp!

 Eddie & I partying - even have some fireworks in the background (real ones aren't allowed on the lake)

 the boys decorated their room with all their glow stuff - I snuck in when they were asleep to get a picture - so sweet

 Cooper ready for some fun

This girl can rock these glasses!  she even had a 4th of July bandana (complete with cooling gel to keep her cool in the 110 we were camping in).
Hope y'all had a great/fun/safe/lots of bbq/awesome fireworks kinda 4th.