4th of July

Mt Lassen at sunset

The boys and the cousins waiting for the parade

Connor tubing

Rob's cousin Kaysi and her husband Nick ready to tube

Rob's cousin Brandon wakeboarding, the boys thought he was so cool doing all of his flips.

Getting ready to fish with dad

the boys waiting to go for a ride in Uncle Brian's boat

For the fourth we took our annual trip up to the cabin at Lake Almanor. Last year we were not able to go due to all the wildfires. It just did not seem like the fourth last year. We were so excited to go this year. The town of Chester has a 4th of July parade every year and the boys and all their cousins love to go watch and collect the candy that gets thrown from the floats. The boys are at such great ages (six and four) they are so easy to travel with. Rob keeps asking me "are you really sure you want another one?, This is so easy and nice." I just choose not to think about it, and when I do I come to the realization that they are not that little for long.

In years prior the boys have been content to sit in the sand, build sandcastles, and play. This year all they wanted to do was swim in the lake. Sometimes I think they are part fish. It was nice I sat on the dock with my ipod and book while they swam away the day. When we would take the boat out to fish Chance would hop off into the lake on the opposite side Rob was finishing from and hold onto my legs and swim, he couldn't get enough.

Every year there is a fireworks show off of the peninsula across from where the cabin is. It is a great fireworks show and all we have to do is sit on the deck and we have a great view. A lot of people take their boats out and watch the fireworks on the lake. It looks like sea of lights. This year we decided we would try it out. Rob, I, and the boys took our boat and Rob's Aunt and uncle and their family took their boat out too. When we got out to the peninsula Rob's uncle dropped the anchor and we tied up to them. The boys had fun hopping from boat to boat until the show started. It was a great weekend we had a great time hanging out will all the family we can't wait for next year. We feel so blessed to have such great vacationing opportunities.

The garden

Some of the tasty green beans

Our garden is finally starting to produce. I have been getting green beans for a couple of weeks now. They are great producers I get about two handfuls every day. The soybeans are not doing so well the leaves are turning yellow. Yesterday I picked some cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, and yellow squash. They are so good. I am surprised that the tomatoes are taking so long, it is probably because of the lack of heat. This week should be nice and warm so the garden will get some much needed heat. I can't wait to move on to our property and start a bigger plot next summer.

Dillions Beach

The Dolphin!!!!Those of you who know me well know I was so excited to see this.

The Native American Village

Piont Reyes National Park

This is the view from the house

The near by town of Tomales, cute town

For father's day weekend and to keep with celebrating my birthday we went Dillon Beach with some friends of ours. They had bid on a beach house in a silent auction at a fundraiser and won a two night stay,they asked if we would like to go with them. It was a great weekend we had a great time. It was nice of them to invite us. Our boys are close in age and play well together so the boys had friends to play with. It was quite cold but we still enjoyed ourselves. Saturday we packed a picnic lunch and headed out for a road trip to Point Reyes National Park, about a forty five minute drive. It was beautiful there not a windy and a lot warmer. The drive there was also a beautiful drive along the bay. We kept passing hole-in-the wall places selling BBQ oysters and the guys were drooling. We did get to stop at a nice restaurant on the way home right on the water it was so nice and everyone minus me got to have BBQ oysters (i am not a fan of oysters)I stuck with the clam chowder, which I didn't get much of because Chance decided he loved it too. At the park we to a little hike to see the Lolku Indian village, the kids were so excited. I love to go to places like that with such history. The boys enjoyed learning how the Native Americans used to live. The loved the sweat house. After the hike we found a nice table in the shade for our picnic. Afterward we hoped back into the car to drive to the Light house, but it was so windy. The guys got out of the car to check it out but the hike to the Lighthouse was too far and it was way too windy you could lean against the wind and it would hold you up that's how windy it was. So we didn't get it the boys were disappointed. On the way back through the park we found a beach(Drakes Beach) that had cliffs that sheltered us from the wind so the kids could get out and play in the sand. While we were there we saw seals and dolphins it was really neat. It was a really fun weekend Thank you Tyson and Teena for inviting us.

Happy Birthday to me!!!

Last Thursday was my birthday, but I started celebrating on Tuesday. Tuesday my sister in law got the girls together from our bible study and we went to Chevy's on the river(pictures to come). The big surprise was that my in-laws had rented a limo, it was a great time. We had a great dinner and laughed until our stomachs hurt. On Wed. I got to go to the DMV since I am a procrastinator and waited until the last minute there was no appointments available before Thursday to renew my license, (My wonderful friend Teena watched the kids in the car so I didn't have to worry about them) so I had to just show up and hope the wait was not too long. I waited for an hour it could have been worse. I wanted to keep my old picture it was actually a good one, I was nice and tan from our honeymoon in Jamaica and my hair was longer, but alas they said I had to take a new one. On Thursday we went to Logan's Roadhouse after picking my brother up at the airport(he was in town from Tulsa for a wedding) I love Logan's they have a bucket of peanuts at every table and you just throw the shells on the floor. It keeps the kids busy until our food comes. I finally got an ipod for my birthday, I love it. I have to laugh now when the kids ask "Mom do you have your ipod we want to listen to....." so different from when I was their age and I am not that old!!!

Memorial Day Roping and BBQ

This weekend Rob's cousin hosted a roping and BBQ at her house. We roped all day, then we branded her new steers, and afterward there was a BBQ. It was a good time and good food. The boys had a great time running around and playing with all the other kids. They came home tired and filthy. Once the sun went down it got a little chilly so we sat around the branding fire to warm up, and the kids ran around in the arena.

The garden and my muddy boys

Today I finally got the rest of my garden in. They boys helped me plant a few of the pumpkin plants, and then they were off to find adventure. It wasn't long and they had found it. Before I knew it I heard SPLAT!!!!! Then laughter I turned to look and the boys had stripped down to their undies and had found a mud pit, that's what I get for leaving the hose running. I should have know better. I let them have their fun, I am a pretty relaxed mom when it comes to getting dirty, God made dirt and dirt don't hurt, right? That is also why we have showers and washing machines. They had a great time and I got the rest of my garden in so it was a good day all and all.

Mothers Day

For Mother's Day my sister and I surprised my mom and took her on the Sierra Train for brunch (my sister can't contain herself when it comes to gifts and surprises so she ended up telling my mom they were going on the train for brunch the night before. ) Rob, the kids,and I drove down that morning and met my mom and my sister at the train station. She didn't know that we were coming, that was the second half of the surprise(my sister managed to keep that part secret, lol) it even took her a few minutes to recognize me standing on the platform to board.

Happy Birthday Connor

I can't believe that Connor is six today. Time has flown by. We had a crazy day today. Chance had t-ball pictures at 9:30 this morning, then he had a birthday party in the next town for one of his classmates. So we stayed for about and hour then raced home to get ready to celebrate Connor's birthday. To celebrate we took him to Fairytale town and Funderland. My mom and sister drove up and my mother-in-law brought my niece and nephew. I made a picnic lunch for everyone and we had sandwiches, chips,pasta salad, watermelon, and cake of course in the park just outside Fairytale town before we headed in for all the fun. My sister (who has no kids )thoroughly enjoyed the puppet show, I think she wishes she could get back that twenty minutes of her life. I am sure she is looking forward to having kids now. I think when you are a mom you find more humor in things like a puppet show, it is our way of getting through it. It was a great day and Connor really enjoyed himself. I need to do more picnics with the boys they really enjoyed it.

Rodeo Parade

This past weekend we went to my parents house for rodeo weekend. I had entered the boys to ride in the Oakdale Rodeo Parade. This is the same parade I used to ride in when I was younger, I can't believe that my boys are now old enough to ride in it. I can still remember the early mornings getting ready. They had so much fun. Connor my oldest hammed it up for the crowd. He was waving his hat and shooting his cap gun in the air. He loved the attention, it only took him about a block to figure out what the crowd liked and after that he was working the crowd and being a ham. He won first place and my youngest won second. Connor also won "Best in the Parade" . I wasn't really expecting them to win I just wanted them to have fun which they did. Every year at the cabin we watch the fourth of July parade and they kept saying how they wanted to be in a parade one day so this was the perfect opportunity. They both did so well and loved every minute of it. After the parade Connor said "girls were waving at me and lots of people were taking my picture" it was pretty comical.

The not so comical part was the evening before I was getting the horses ready bathing and clipping them and such. I started clipping Buck the horse Chance was going to ride, I meant to only clip a little but before I knew it I had gone to the point of no return and ending up having to clip his whole body. I was just trying to clean him up a bit and shave off the winter fuzzies, but I went too far and had to finish it. The problem was it was getting dark and the clippers were giving out on me. So I got his neck,belly and sides clipped and never got his hind quarters or legs shaved. By 9:30 I was cover in horse hair, itchy, and my clipper had quit me. So poor Buck had a bad, very bad hair cut. I think you can see it in some of the pictures. I got a good laugh out of it, at that point that's all you can do right?

T-ball

I am a little late in posting these t-ball pictures. Opening ceremonies was a couple weeks ago. The boys look so cute in their uniforms, I love watching them play. Connor is much more serious about it this year. The whole family is playing baseball this spring Rob and I joined a co-ed rec softball team in a nearby town, we are having a lot of fun. The boys like watching mom and dad play too.