Stop 4 - Palm Desert

Last stop, La Quinta with Nanny and Papa.  We enjoyed playing with cousins, golf, shopping (especially at Kate Spade & Lululemon) and lots (and lots) of swim time!  Thanks Kathy and Dennis for letting us take over your home once again!  We had a grand 'ol time as usual!

I caught ya smiling little Gracie!!!

Keeping Bridget entertained

Trying to get a good shot of the cousins, i didn't do very well Kathy (sorry).

The pink little ladies.

Middle of nowhere Nevada.

We spent a lot of time in the car, so we have a lot of  'car' shots

Ohh, what would we have done without technology on this trip!  Steve Jobs is my hero!

Stop 3 - Gigi Alice & Tierra Rejada & The Warners

Stop 3 was to visit Gigi Alice and family in So Cal.  We spent an entire day with Grama, and then got eat dinner with Bobby, Charlene, Amanda and little Maddie!  So fun!  Then we were treated like VIPs at Tierra Rejada for a day of family fun on the ranch.  Last, we headed for a wonderful evening at Teddie & Kent's, where I drank waaay too much wine catching up on life!  Thank you everyone for your wonderful times and memories!

Miss Maddie getting read to by Gigi

Ready for the Cow Train around the farm

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

Hi Dad!  I'm riding a horse (errr, pony).

Sweet Little Goat

Tom the Yogi

Look at me!  I'm on a farm!

Farmer Craig and his followers

Feeding the GIANT HORSES

One more for you!

Driving the Tractors with Rafe & Laird - This was very exciting for my kids who have never really driven anything before

Digging for Treasures - AKA Gems & Fossils

CA Road Trip - Stop 2 Monterrey

Stop 2 was the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.  I have wanted to go here for years, so it was fun to visit as a family.  After the visit to the Aquarium, we drove Highway 1 all the way down to my hometown in Camarillo.  Phew, that was a loooong drive.  But by some miracle, everyone did quite fine, and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery the California Coast had to offer.

Of all the animals that were at the aquarium, Kyle & Alice LOVED the tide pool exhibit the most (where you got to play with water).

Me and my little man

Kyle being the photographer, not too shabby!

We look like the tiki man behind us

I still like looking like the tiki man

Kyle not impressed with the gorgeous views of the 17 mile drive

Writing on the wall at a restaurant

Alice is looking a little too demure and mature here......sigh.  They grow up so fast!

Stopping to look at all the Sea Lions as we head south on Highway 1 

California Road Trip - Stop 1 San Francisco

This year for Spring Break, we braved the roads for a little family road trip.  We started from Boise to Reno, and then stopped in San Francisco for a day of afternoon fun on our way to Monterrey.  Both Tom and I love San Fran, so it was fun to show the kids a little bit of the city.

That looks dangerous, so....'Let's Go There!'

TOURIST!

At the Ferry Building

Ghirardelli Square

Bay Bridge

TROLLEY!  We loved the trolley, a lot!

Hanging out in February

Since it began to get nice, we started on some yard work.  First order of business, rescue our Gingko tree from a strangling vine.  I did not take this task lightly.  This was a clamatis vine that went up our tree at least 20 feet.  I was worried the gods of Mother Nature were going to descend upon me for taking it down.  But it did not produce very nice flowers, and it took away from the beauty of this 100 year old tree.  So down it came.....it literally took us the entire day to get it down

Alice begins the process

Kyle joins in

Part of the pile after we were done.  We kept finding 'things' in the tree once the vine was gone, so the kids call the Gingko the 'Treasure Tree' now.

Would you like some pancake with your syrup?

The kids 'switching' clothes, goofy!