SAN FRANCISCO

After tax season we decided to take a family trip to San Francisco. We only stayed 2 days so we packed in as much fun as we could.

Our first night we took the kids to a restaurant called the Rainforest Cafe. It has a fun store at the front of the restaurant and then a fully decorated rainforest in the restaurant. It included hanging vines, sounds of animals and then about every 15-20 minutes there was lightening and thunder to give the appearance of a rainstorm. It was a lot of fun, however Kiana hid under her jacket every time the thunder started.



After dinner we found a booth where we had the kids names painted. The kids had a lot of fun picking out the colors for their names and it was amazing watching the way the man painted their names.



The next morning we took the kids to the San Francisco Zoo. We had gone several years ago, but Kiana was too young to remember. She was really excited to see the monkeys. My favorite was the giraffes. :)



After the zoo we stopped by the beach. It was sunny, but very cold and very WINDY. Seth was the only one to actually get in the water--crazy kid--I think he is immune to feeling the cold.



Our hotel had a heated pool so the kids had a blast swimming. It was too cold for Andrea, so she went back to the hotel to take a shower while Seth & Kiana swam and Aaron took a nap--that guy can sleep anywhere!





That night we took a walk down to Pier 39 to see the sights and have dinner. We would love to come back and do the Alcatraz tour.



The next morning on our way home we stopped by the Oakland Temple--BEAUTIFUL!!!



When the trip was over I asked everyone what their favorite part of the trip was; here are their answers:

Aaron: Finding sand dollars on the beach
Gina: Eating at the Rainforest Cafe
Andrea: Looking in the shops at Pier 39
Seth: Being with the family
Kiana: Swimming in the pool

Tax Season

All of us were very happy to see April 15th come and go--especially Aaron. What better way to celebrate the end of tax season than to go out to dinner at our family's favorite restaurant (La Comida) and then to enjoy a delicious homemade cheescake with fresh strawberries (Grandma Ruth's special recipe) There's nothing better than food, family, and the comforts of home.

Easter

It's that time again to pull out the easter baskets and color eggs for the Easter bunny to hide. The kids had a great time coloring eggs. This year Andrea actually painted the eggs with my craft paint. She enjoyed that much more than just dipping them in colors. (click on collages to view a bigger image)



We had two Easter egg hunts this year. One on Saturday at Grandma Leila's with the cousins and then another one Sunday morning in our backyard.



Of course we had to get the annual Easter pictures of everyone in their new Sunday best.




The joys of being a kid!

Table Top Mountain

We took our annual trip to Table Top Mountain with the family. The weather was beautiful and the wind was just right for flying kites. The wildflowers were everywhere! We were able to enjoy our picnic, go on a hike, and of course "The Dad" had to take a nap on the blanket.



Here are some cute pictures of Andrea and her cousin Remi enjoying a sunny hillside.

Spring

Andrea got a hold of my camera and look what she found--SPRING!!!



Our yard was blooming with color and Andrea tried to capture every little piece. I never knew I had so many different varieties of flowers.

Thank you Andrea for the beautiful flower collage!

Ice Fishing

Seth went ice fishing!!!








Grandpa Rick took Seth ice fishing a few weekends ago. Even though it was cold, Seth enjoyed sitting out on the lake waiting for the fish to bite. They then ventured closer to the shore--that is where they found the fish. Seth was able to catch SIX! He had a great time fishing despite the cold & frezzing temperature.

Lovely Lilacs

Around the middle of March I have three lilac bushes that bloom. It is my favorite time of year! Not only are they beautiful but everytime you walk outside the scent of lilac fills the air. Here are several pictures I took so I could share my love of these amazing flowers with you.