Welcome to the Bay

It's been awhile since I've posted anything...but we were busy playing with cousins last week and all very happily distracted. My brother Michael, his wife Candace and their four kids, Zack(6), Calder(4), Meridian(2) and Ammon(10 months) came to visit for their SpringBreak. I think I have been feeling a bit homesick/sorry for myself lately so having some company...who made us feel so special that they'd drive 12 hours (twice) just to see us...was exactly what we all needed.

They came on Saturday afternoon and we enjoyed pizza in the park and one of our favorite games around the kitchen table. Have you ever played "Ticket to Ride?"

Sunday started with pancakes, sausage and orange juice, and ended with spaghetti and a stroll around campus. In between there was train building, movie watching, lots of playing, and church. I love how someone else's toys are always so fun to a visitor. It was great to watch the boys rediscover toys they hadn't played with in awhile all because their cousins thought they were neat.

Our first big adventure started bright and early on Monday at the Muir Woods National Forest. It's one of my favorite places to take people. The drive is an experience itself...through Golden Gate Park and across the Golden Gate Bridge and then past Sausalito and over the mountain into a gorgeous grove of Redwood trees. The boys loved running along the path and beside the river, and Emily wanted to spend as little time as possible in the stroller.

I include this picture of our group...seven kids and three adults...because we got a lot of funny looks. People passing us weren't sure if all those kids belonged to the same dad or what. Usually, either me or Candace walked in the front of the group with the kids and Mike in the middle and then the other mom bringing up the rear. I tried to use the word "cousin" a lot to give people a clue, but if I had been at the Muir Woods that day...I probably would have stared at us too.

Ammon let Emily tag along in his double stroller for awhile.
These cousins are exactly 6 months apart.

We stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge before playing at Golden Gate Park. I don't think I can ever get tired of seeing the bridge...which Ben thinks should be called "The Great Red Bridge." (By the way...here I am unveiling my new, short haircut after a day of windy hiking. But you get idea...and I love having a change.)

Here are the boys with Uncle Mike. They had all just climbed on top of a giant wave at the Children's Playground at Golden Gate Park.

And here are the two girls...Meridian called me "the other mommy" and always wanted to drive in our car and even let me do her hair. We had so much fun!

You might think that we were done playing at that point...and maybe we were...but we still had some sites to see. We drove through the steep streets of the city and of course we didn't miss Lombard or Hyde and then we walked through the wind at Fisherman's Wharf. The sea lions and carousel, warm pretzels and corn dogs made it fun, even after some woman asked if we were polygamist...I'm not kidding, and neither was she :-)



I do love this city...the intensity and the action and the colors and the crowds...I feel so glad that we are just a drive away...but then, I'm always so happy to come home.


The next day we drove to the beach and enjoyed the sun, the wind, the sand, and the tootsie rolls. Mike jumped in the ocean and all the boys got buried in the sand.

MICHAEL

ZACK

NATE

CALDER

BEN

We were so happy to have our cousins come and can't wait for more houseguests...whenever!