Happy Halloween.

Yesterday we were playing outside when the UPS truck pulled up and handed Ivy Jane a package...

My Littles opening Halloween goodies from Grandma, what a fun surprise! Thank you Margaret.

Have you seen this Halloween Movie? So sweet, Charlie and Lola are the best.

Today I spent the morning helping Mrs. French with the class Halloween party then we marched in the parade. Savannah wanted to be a zombie, she planned the outfit herself using her own clothes.

She has since decided to dress as Rapunzel for the actual trick-or-treating. I could tell she wasn't feeling very dead-eating-deadish.

Her buddy C. had the best costume, his Dad made it out of a baby jogger. Brilliant.

Happy Halloween!

The Julies'.

This last weekend, Tim's birth mom Julie and her friend Julie (the Julies') came for a visit. It has been 10 years since we traveled to New Zealand and met his birth family. This was a first trip to California for both ladies. We had so much we wanted to share but so little time.

We took The Julies' on a quick tour of our town and Apple Hill.

We spent a full day at Lake Tahoe and as we stopped to see the salmon spawning, these two baby bears delighted us with a little show.

Then we hiked down to Emerald Bay/Vikingsholm and had an Autumn picnic.

 

Red Ribbon Week.

Last week Savannah's teacher asked a mom to help decorate the class' door for Red Ribbon Week. The project fell into my hands and I was happy for it, I loved working in the classroom again in an artsy capacity. The theme was "The best me is drug-free." The kids then thought of a favorite activity in an "I'd rather..." sentence, then wrote said activity on a balloon held by a their own decorated Halloween Doll. Each class was to decorate their door and the Principal would come by on Friday to pick the winner. I was sure all the children's creativity would merit top honor but alas, 1st grade didn't stand a chance against a very talented 3rd grade. But the little 1st graders were so proud of their door and told Mrs. French they felt like they had already won.

Birthday Dinner.

Today is my little sister's Deanna's 30th birthday. She and Tony came over last night for dinner and pumpkin carving. If you know Dee Dee, you cherish her because her friendship is a rare find, she is generous, super smart and very funny. She is beautiful. Happy Birthday Dee Dee. I love you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yosemite.

As a child I spent a lot of time camping and riding my bicycle all over Yosemite. Tim and I couldn't wait to take our Littles to the Valley Floor to see this magnificent park. All the falls were dry and the river ran low but the turning leaves' vibrant colors made up for the lack of water. And so we played with our friends Jay, Stephanie and their Littles on the last warm, perfect day of Autumn.

Tim and his buddy Jay looking for climbers on El Capitan.

Yosemite Visitor's Center Museums.

 A very old tree.

Thomas, Julia, Ivy, Savannah in The Ahwahnee. Sweet Stephanie prepared the most amazing picnic lunch for all of us, she acted like it was no big deal but I know otherwise. It was a feast.

These are the last photos of The Goo crawling, it was after this playtime at The Ahwahnee he decided to commit to walking.

While the Littles ran around Tim and I took a break on the lawn wishing time would stand still.

Half Dome as the sun set.

The Old West.

Just outside Sonora, California is the former Gold Rush town of Columbia. The central part of town, Main Street, is a California State Park. Our friends Jay and Stephanie just recently relocated to Sonora and took us on a day trip to Columbia. You park just aside from Main Street, there are no motorized vehicles allowed. All the shopkeepers dress in period costume and sell souvenirs of the Gold Rush days. The Saloon and Hotel Restaurant are fully operational (Sarsaparilla anyone?). Just in case you can't visit Columbia (though I highly recommend you do, especially for the sake of your Littles), here is a photo walk down Main Street.

Our group pictured in front of the Wells Fargo & Co. Stagecoach Express.

The Hotel.

The Hardware Store and Chicken Coop behind.

Rocks where Gold was found.

Columbia's Fire Wagon.

 
The Black Smith.

The Bowling Alley.



Dipping Candles.



This guy was legit. He hung out in the Saloon, smoked like a chimney and was all around awesome. The highlight of our trip. We kept waiting for another cowboy to challenge him on the windblown street. This park is such a great family experience and the entire trip My Littles were learning about a piece of California's history. I kept thinking, this would be great place to have a wedding.