Friday, July 08, 2011

Summer Update

The last few months have flown by. These warmer months always seem to do that, probably because we are enjoying being OUTSIDE in the sunshine. We also took a trip last month to see our families in California, and all of the preparation and excitement involved in that venture made it seem as though June just disappeared.

Before leaving, we went on a hike near Minnehaha Falls, which are about a mile from our house. We all love little hikes like this, and this was a perfect early summer afternoon.





Our time in California was lovely, and very exciting for the kids, as they always love the time with their grandparents and cousins.

They were thrilled to swim in the ocean.
So much sand to explore.
Papa did a good job of keeping them safe in the waves.
We had a big 6th birthday party for Jack while we were there, graciously hosted by my brother and sister in law. This amazing cake was made by Joel's sister, Faith, and our cousin, Lori. They worked so hard on it, and Jack loved it! His Uncle Charles also spent a lot of time making the amazing lego creations for the cake. Jack was feeling very special, to say the least.
The cousin round up.
The Darth Vader pinata.
Jack takes a swing.
The Yoda Soda was a hit. We had a great time, and it was a wonderful excuse to get the whole family together for an afternoon.
While at Grandma Greer and Grandad's house, Corrie spent a lot of time with Beatrice the Basset, and actually trained her to shake hands.
The kids had a great time attending "Adventure Week" at their cousins' church. As you can see from the photo, they really enjoyed themselves.
Cousins
We also ventured up to Santa Barbara for a day to see Joel's grandma and some of the rest of his family. Grandma took us out to lunch on the SB pier. We had such a good visit with her.

The kids loved this whale at Moby Dick, a restaurant that Joel's family has frequented and enjoyed for many years.

It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, but we were so thankful for such a full and wonderful trip. Upon returning, we had a bout of fevers and coughs that kept us home for a solid week or so. It's never fun to be sick, but it provided a good chance to rest after all of the activities in California. We are now back in the Minnesota summer swing of things, with swim lessons and trips to the lake being at the top of our agenda.