Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a spot that was definitely on our list.  I haven't been there in a very long time and the boys had never been, so we crossed it off the list.  We have some wonderful friends who live in the Monterey area, so we made it a double family event.  And what a great time we had!!  Thanks Wells Family for the hospitality and for having a little man right in between our two.  With a one year old, two year old and three year old, it was a busy day!  Four adults were definitely needed to wrangle these three.

Pie, Yes Please

I saw this post on  You Are My Fave about Pie Ranch.  This place is in Pescadero, which is still within driving distance of us so it is totally a must!  Pie Ranch, I mean come on, my husband likes pie more than anything else in the world.  We must make a trip!  Yum!  In the meantime, I have been dreaming about pie, cobbler, crumble, pretty much anything with fresh berries.  Oh Yum!

The Boat

We have a boat… not something I thought I would ever say in my life...

but we have inherited a boat.

I am warming up to the idea.  I didn’t grow up with a boat or spend that much time on the water, but Conn is pretty excited about it.  This boat has been in his family for several years and has been a bit neglected.  So, one of our summer projects is to get the boat in working order.  We are excited to get it up to our favorite camp site in Calaveras County for one of the many lakes.

Not sure when this boat last saw water.  Hopefully 2011 will be her time.

I could see myself lounging on the boat soaking up some rays.  Now how about this guy?

Captain KJ don't forget your sunscreen!

Ice Skating in Yosemite

When Conn and I first started dating, we spent a lot of time in Yosemite National Park.  We both love it there.  No matter how many times we go, we can't get over the monstrosity of El Capitan, the beauty of Half Dome and the wonder of Mother Nature. We would find ourselves there several times a year and each time as we drive in, that first glimpse of the valley takes our breathe away.

This time of year we would go up to enjoy the snow, the small crowds and the ice skating and hot chocolate in Curry Village.  It is a bit harder to get there now, but we still love it and try to get there once a year.  I hope as the boys get older we can bundle ourselves up, head to snowy Yosemite Valley to enjoy hot chocolate and the ice skating in Curry Village.

One of the amazing parts of being a parent is being able to introduce such wonderful things to your children.  I remember when I first saw El Capitan and how tiny I felt in comparison.  Ah the wonder!

Daffodil and Irish Days

We spend a lot of our weekends in the summer in Calaveras County near the cute town of Murphys.  Murphys is great for wine tasting, cool little shops and just lazy days in the sun.  This time of year, Ironstone Vineyards has a weekend called Daffodil Days  and it is in conjunction with Murphys Irish Day.  I would love to spend the weekend enjoying the wine and great views of flowering daffodils.  Because we typically camp while we are there, it is too cold to do it now, they still have snow.  But, when the boys older we will have to join in the festivities.  I look forward to it!



photo thanks to photoeverywhere.co.uk

Our National Parks

When I was a kid I wanted to be a forest ranger when I grew up.  Several years later I am not a forest ranger, but I still love our National Parks.  There is a passport that is given out to kids that encourages them to visit all the National Parks and check them off as they go.  

     

My father in law brought one to the house for KJ and EJ.  Well, I guess that means we must start checking them off the list.  Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks are definitely on the list. 

 

We love Yosemite but have been there many times.   We must broaden our perspective.