and I let Isaac have our small camera on his wrist all morning. He rushed from exhibit to exhibit, finding the angle of his shot, snapping, and moving on. We FLEW through the zoo! These are some of his best shots.
During the week we also went to the Central High pool with some friends to hang out for a morning, Boomer's one evening (played mini-golf and a few games), a play-day at a friend's house and cooked some of Isaac and Violet's favorite meals! Whew!
On Friday morning Randy drove up to Oakhurst to pick up Audrey, drove back to the Valley, we all loaded into the van and headed to San Jose to spend a couple days with my parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew. Ben, Alli and Clark had flown in from Portland on Wednesday and had already had a whirlwind of visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles and extended family in Visalia on Thursday, and were visiting a grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins in San Jose that day. Our family was able to set up our sleeping areas (kids in the "cabin" in my parents' backyard, Randy and I in a tent in the back...just beside the cabin) and enjoy a nice dinner with my parents before welcoming them back later in the evening.
Enjoying the lovely weather in the backyard...well into the evening!
Saturday morning, after waking up and making our way through breakfast and "getting ready" (a bit interesting in a small, 1000 sq. ft. house with 1 bathroom), we headed to the Willow Glen Farmer's Market where we enjoyed fresh produce, fresh flowers, samples of hummus, chips and salsa, amazing cupcakes, and some live music that the kids listened to with shakers in hand! We loaded up with some fruits, veggies, and some fantastic Indian food to supplement my mom's food for the rest of the weekend!
Saturday afternoon we were joined by my Aunt Yvette, Uncle Russ, cousins Preston and Spencer, and Spencer's girlfriend, Kathleen. They drove up so we could all go to a soccer game together that evening, San Jose Earthquakes vs. Portland Timbers. Since the game started at 7:30 p.m. my mom opted to stay home and get Clark and Violet to bed on time.
Some pre-game fun!
Enjoying the game, which ended in a 1-1 tie!
Saturday night we (all 15 of us) managed to find a bit of floor space to get a good night's sleep, then woke up Sunday morning and all made it out of the house by 10:30 to get to church on time! We enjoyed the church service and a light lunch together before my dad's sister and their family headed back to Visalia. We relaxed the rest of day, finding a nearby park and taking a leisurely walk after dinner through the neighborhood.
Monday morning we headed off for a day in Santa Cruz (less than an hour away). After stopping at Emily's Bakery for coffee and a pastry, we headed to the Boardwalk. When we got there, the sky was still clouded over, and it wasn't that warm. But after lunch the sun came out and warmed us up for the rest of the day! Audrey spent most of the time walking up the beach or the pier, looking for shells with Grandma Janice and Grandpa Bruce while Alli and I watched the kids play in the sand and in the water (yes, I am including my husband and brother in the general word, "kids").
Tuesday, our last full day together, was spent relaxing around the house, playing at the park, playing games together, running through the sprinklers, and enjoying meals together. It was such a wonderful blessing to be able to be with both my parents and my brother's family for a whole week!
On Wednesday we spent the morning together, ate lunch at In-N-Out Burger (at Ben and Alli's request) and said our goodbyes. Our family of five headed back to Fresno while my parents drove Ben, Alli and Clark to the airport.
This last week and a half has included lots of sleep, trips to the library, swimming in the pool, three Grizzlies' games,
and a dinner out at Trelio (no kids) for my birthday.
Today was the first day of school...bring on the routine! I will post pictures and stories later this week.
4 comments:
Such wonderful pictures, Jamie! So glad you were able to spend such precious time with your whole family!
Wow! We did a lot! Isaac took some shots at the zoo! Love, Mom
What a wonderful week it looks like you had!! And such great photos of such cute kids:) Hope you are doing well!
Looks like it was all a blast! Cool photography by Isaac! They're ALL getting so big! The week long trip looks like too much fun! Luke gas a friend who is working for the Timbers. We had been hoping to get up therefor a game! Sigh. Smart of you to see them while they were close!
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