Descanso Fun

Here are some more pictures from our Descanso trip. Brady is flying over the coy pond.

Lacey and Mackenzie sharing lifes secrets.

Cousins on the bridge.

Brady jumping off a low wall in one of the lawns.

This is Davin's jump.

Mackenzie

As we were walking, we spotted this deer. Look through the trees in the middle of the picture to find it.

Kids in a tree. Samantha, my niece, is in the middle of it all.

This is where we had our wedding reception. Justin and I stood right in the middle of this picture. It is fun to see it after all these years. The rose garden was fairly new when we used it. It is way more mature now.

We took TONS of pictures in front of this gazebo.

Mackenzie found a friend in the children's garden.

Kids on the stairs that we took our wedding photos on.

More kids.

Descanso has a little train that runs through part of the gardens, the kids decided to follow the tracks into this "tunnel".

My Nana

If you know me, you know that I love my Nana. A Lot! She is awesome. I have loved her since I was a little girl. I have ALWAYS loved visiting her, even as a surly teenager. I still to this day will happily drive 18 hours in a car with all 6 of my kids to visit her. She moved to Port Townsend, WA several years ago and will not come back to live. She is unable to live by herself now, which makes us sad, but she has an amazing friend named Desi who took her in and they have all kinds of adventures together. I am grateful for Desi. I would much prefer Nana here, but this is the next best thing. Nana will come to visit us a few times a year and I will drop everything to see her and let my kids spend time with her building their own memories with her. She came and we went to Descanso Gardens for an outing. She hates her picture being taken, so I had to be sly sometimes. This is her and Desi in the Japanese Gardens.

This is a 4 generation shot. She is in a lot of pain, but seldom if ever complains. She was a real trooper hiking all over the gardens. She is one of the strongest women I know both emotionally and not too many years ago, physically.

She LOVES my kids, they know it and I know it. I know she wishes she could physically do more with them, so sitting with Mackenzie on her lap was precious to her. Plus it is a great shot she posed for. This is one of my favorites.

Nana got mischievous and splashed Kenz when she wasn't looking, it was funny.

I have been terrible about taking pictures with her and my kids, so I try harder to remember everytime I see her. This one is on my mom's front porch. I love you Nana, may I be half the woman you are.

Flat Stanley

My nephew Jackson (I believe) had a class project with flat Stanley. I fail miserably at helping with things like this, but my brother and sis. in law, Jason and Jeanette, volunteered. We took Flat Stanley to Descanso Gardens for an activity. These are all photos with Flat Stanley in it.

At the enterance.

The coy ponds at the Japaneses gardens.

Flat Stanley being photographed with the coy.

In the cousin pictures. This exact tree branch was one that Justin and I took engagement photos on 16 years ago.

Can you find him in these?

Scootering

When we go to my parent's house, the kids love to ride up and down the street. Just like we did when we were kids. It is a little less dangerous as the sidewalks have been evened out. The acorns that can derail the wheels of a swift moving skateboard or scooter are still there, so it always gives me a slight panic attack as they come barreling down the hill. We haven't had many major mishaps yet though.

Here my niece Samantha is heading down. I love the colors of her outfit.

Davin is focused, he truly was going full tilt down the street.

Conner on his run.

Just Mackenzie

She is so cute. She is giving us a run for our money right now, but she is the love of our lives. She is potty training right now and is doing very well.

Cub Scouts at CALM

Our Den leader couldn't lead the cubs for a while because of work, so our bishop's wife Rayanna and I took over. More like Rayanna took over and I tagged along. One of the excursions we took was to the California Living Museaum or CALM. It is Bakersfield's little zoo. It houses animals native to California.

Here are from left to right, Timathy Bywater, Josiah Henderson, Brayden Peterson, Carter Hemingway, Harrison Hunter, and Matthew Hemingway.

Tim at the petting zoo.

Josiah, Tim, and Brayden. The crutches belong to Harrison Hunter.

Looking at the cat exhibit. The little guy is Michael Hunter.

This is what they are pointing at.

Brady, Carter, and Harrison running down the trail to the birds.

At the end with the bald eagle.

The Thanksgiving Miracle

Every now and again, Justin comes up with a funny way to celebrate special days at the lake. His birthday was one of those, I am not sure if I will blog that, we may just leave it to the memories of those who experienced it first hand. This Thanksgiving, he and our friend Alan Bankhead decided to depict the first Thanksgiving. Much time and effort was spent locating the costumes, but they pulled it off. The commentary is stolen from Alan, but it fits.

The natives were savage....

and the water was cold.

But we were determined to befriend them.

Choppy water behind the Mayflower

They seemed wary of our strange clothing and customs.

But we were able to reach a treaty. It is a Thanksgiving Miracle.

Here are a couple of shots of Alan skiing after the miracle occurred.