Saturday, July 30, 2011

Adventure Full Day

We decided to head out on an adventure. We hoped to find a swimming hole or at least a pretty place to have a picnic. So we loaded up the van with up lots of supplies and headed out into the Diablo Range.  

On the side of the road we noticed this cave! So we stopped and got out to explore.



Someone has staked it as a "claim" marked with this "3 foot monument". :-)


Liv was impressed with all the painted rocks..


Then we found a real park, swings, picnic tables, the works! And had a lovely picnic.
Of course, this park is miles and miles from ... well ... anything. so we totally had the place to ourselves. What a pleasant afternoon!



We ran around in the grass, climbed on the rock walls, collected long pine needles, had our picnic lunch, chased butterflies.


On the way home we stopped to explore this stream on the side of the road. So cool! We saw giant red crayfish, several kinds of little fish, a little waterfall. Such cool stuff. Might have been a cool place to wade around and explore.. except for the distint odor of cow; makes me think... maybe not.

 

The adventure continued, with a trip to the carney that is in town this weekend, but they don't open till 4 and we were a little early - so the library. nope. closed on Friday. So the little splash park in town (we had our b-suits!) And woo-hoo! the water is on, the kids are playing and what's this? Friends!! Lisa and Lauren were there. What a happy surprise!

So we had fun playing in the sprinklers with friends for a little while, then got changed and headed back over to the carnival to try to get a ride on the ferris wheel.  I tried to warn the girls that they might not be big enough. And sure enough, Liv was tall enough to go with an adult, but Camila was too small. So, we found one kiddie ride that Liv could ride alone. We walked over to the ticket booth, bought our tickets and Liv raced back over to the train & paid her tickets. She picked her seat, got buckled in and just as the raide was about to start this 6 year old little girl came racing across the park with her pigtails flying and ran up to the gate, the guy held the door open for her and she climbed in next to Liv and chatted non-stop for the entire ride about her dog, Matty, her mom selling tickets, and whatever else came to mind! Pretty cute. 

It was a little disapointing that the carnival wasn't more fun for Liv and Camilla, but we had talked about the possiblity that the rides would only be for taller kids. So it wasn't crushing. But we all felt a little bad so I decided that we needed to wrap up our big adventure day with 59 cent soft serve at A&W!!

I think this might have been their first softserve icecream ??!!

It was a hit! You can tell by the hundred yard stare that says all thier attention in focused inward.
 



Saturday, July 23, 2011

Camp Out

I've been thinking that it might be time to take the girls camping.


So, we got a new family tent (instead of our super light weight backpacking tent (that is set up in Camila's bedroom) and set it up in the back yard!

And decided to spend the night as a trial run.


Here are shots from the morning after! Gosh we had fun!




We stayed up late watching the stars throught the roof of the tent. And airplanes and we even saw a helicopter. That was very exciting for the girls to try to identify in the dark.

I'm not sure we're (Mommy is) ready to go off on a real adventure.  :)

Firefighters to the Rescue



Firefighters Livvie and Camila came to the rescue the other day.


Lots of zooming around and pretend spraying of water.
Pretty impressive displays of teamwork.






Saturday, July 16, 2011

Blueberry Picking

We caught the very last couple of days of blueberry season. (Next year we'll try to go in June!)



But the picking wasn't hard - nearly every berry left on a bush was ripe! And really, there were plenty to choose from. Not the big fat beautiful variety that you get earlier in the season apparently, but these little beauties still have really good flavor and will be perfect for baking -- not to mention smoothies and that's only if there are any left after constant snacking!



Livvie ate all her berries before we could get out of the field. :-) She had been picking a bit further on with Jeff, and as they were headed back I heard her say proudly, I have 8 berries. Then, I heard her say, just as proudly - or (matter-of-fact ly; anyway) "I have 4 berries" I honestly believed she meant she had just picked 4 MORE berries. Until the count down continued and her bucket was EMPTY by the time she got to me!!
 :-) funny kid. Camila ate her fair share, to be sure! But not every single one!!

Party Time

 Chase turned 16!!
His brother & sister constructed an incredible birthday cake (I'll have to add the picture later) it was tiers and stacks of Hostess Treats: twinkies, snoballs, brownies, cupcakes, etc.


Then they blindfolded him and led him all over the neighborhood and finally to the house with all his friends and family and incredible cake.  Good memories, I'm sure.


The next night the little girls enjoyed pizza and a movie!





Thursday, July 14, 2011

Fourth of July in Florida












Florida Trip

We've recently returned from another wonderful family vacation in Florida with the Ruoss (Sanders, Pfeiffer) Clan.  Our warmest thanks to the Sanders family for extending such marvelous hospitality to the invading inlaws at their lake house retreat for the holiday week. 

The travel is a big part of the adventure, especially for the kiddos, and they both did very well. We arrived  on time, with our sanity, our smiles, and our luggage... A damn fine start!!

We left home at like 3:30 am. Here are the girls waiting for the shuttle bus at the airport. Yawning and wrinkled from sleeping in their clothes.


We spent a good part of everyday at the beach. What a fun treat for all of us.

Check out this terrific grasshopper that Jeff brought down to show us.
WOWZA!


Enjoying a neighborhood picnic.


Kim & Wayne Sanders 


Uncle Roger making Camila giggle (doesn't take much!) a little tickle is a sure thing!


Liv sharing some bit of exciting news with Uncle Wayne


Little sister basking in the loving attention.


Jumping off the sea-wall onto a giant inflated "tube"


Splash. Splash. Splash.


more beach fun. and a quick (distracted) hug from Aunt Kimmy


more beach fun with Cousin Summer.


Re-Fuelling before heading back out to play.


Go - Go - Go Girl!


Our neighbors have these ridiculous French Bulldogs. They are very friendly, and the girls loved them.