Where to start?

This blog has been silent for a long time and so much has been going on this summer! I am going to try to go back and post for the last two months!

The very first week in June I packed up the boys and we headed to Califironia with my parents to see my extended family. Peter wasn't able to go with us because of many things at work going on, and he was packing our apartment for our move the end of that week. My dad drove to Dallas so he could fly with me and the boys...let's just say it ended up being a necessity for him to help me! Here are a few plane pics...

Grandpa and Gabe got a good nap in together...

We had many great meals on my grandparents back porch while we were there...
Here is my sister, Alicia, Joshua, cousin Janet, Dad, Uncle Tim, and Grandpa

My mom loved getting to spend extra time with her grandsons that week!

Joshua had a dance party on the stage in the backyard (really just a part of the porch)...

Joshua ate all of his meals in a high chair that my dad used to eat in...let's just say that we're lucky the wood hasn't rotted! Just kidding, Dad, and Happy 60th birthday!

Joshua loved hanging out with his 2nd cousin, Stephen. They are walking along old railroad tracks behind my grandparents' house. I remember the trains going by when we visited as kids and waving to the conductor from my grandparents' backyard.

The boys got lots of kisses from Greatgrandma!

My grandpa loved playing with the boys and even spent some time on the floor with Gabe...

It was so fun hanging out with my Aunt Diane all week...

One morning Alicia and Joshua made donuts from scratch...it was pretty impressive and they were decent tasting. Joshua loved cooking with his Auntie!

One afternoon we went to a park and a duck pond. Gabe loved the slide and swing...

Joshua enjoyed feeding the ducks...

Alicia and I at the park...

My sweet boys humoring me for a picture...

My dad and Joshua loved the teeter-totter...

The second day we were in California, most everyone went to Muir Woods, which has tons of Redwood trees. Gabe and I didn't go because he had a fever. Joshua got to stand inside a tree!

My dad, grandpa, and Joshua looking up at the huge trees...

After Muir Woods, they went to this lookout point to take pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge...

Another day, we went to San Francisco for the afternoon and evening. We did all of my favorite touristy things while in San Francisco...Pier 39 Boardwalk and sea lions, and Ghiradelli Square. Here is Joshua looking at the sea lions that gather on the pier...

Gabe and I enjoyed a quick look at the sea lions, but it was very cold and windy!

Here is a small view of the sea lions. There were hundreds and they are very loud when they talk to each other. Joshua's two comments about the sea lions is that they were "noisy" and "smell like poopy diapers" and both of those things are true!

We then went to Ghirardelli Square and ate an "Earthquake" at Ghirardelli Ice Cream Parlor. It had about twenty scoops of ice cream and tons of toppings...it was wonderful!

Since all of my grandparents' grandkids and greatgrandkids were all together, we got a picture taken for them...

At one point Gabe fell asleep in Steven's arms, so we took this silly picture...

He was still asleep while we were waiting to pick out the pictures we wanted, so my dad laid him down in the mattress section of Sears. We think that we should get royalties for this picture..."sleep like a baby" on this mattress...

We had such a fun time with my family and am so glad that the boys got to spend time with them!