Yosemite Fun

What did we do in Yosemite??

Charley took 3 of the kids fishing. They didn't really catch anything though...although they were given a fish by a friend that they went fishing with that we were able to cook up. That was kind of fun.

Kristina made this sign...just in case people wondered where they were:)

Charley and I with Lower Yosemite Falls in the background

I don't think I've ever been to Lower Yosemite Falls. It was a very easy walk and what a sight!! Beautiful!! We took this walk a couple of times while we were there.

Kristina and Charley had wanted to walk up to Vernal Falls...so when our friends the Greenhouses came up for the day, they decided to do it together. My sister Lindsay went with them too. Well....they made it up to Vernal...and then kept going on to Nevada Falls!!! WOW!! I'm impressed! Not all of them went up to Nevada..but Kristina did! WooWoo Honey!!

On our last day there, we decided to take a bike ride to Mirror Lake..and we are SOOO glad that we did. It was beautiful! Because of all the rain we had this past winter, the lake was at a perfect level.

The kids enjoyed jumping off this huge rock. This is Joshua jumping off.

Charley and I...what you see when you look UP from Mirror Lake...Half Dome! And, it is MIRRORED in Mirror Lake:):):) Next year (and yes we've already put down our down payment:) we want to spend more time here. The kids had a lot of fun playing in the water.

I saw my one and only bear on this ride back to the campground. It was a smaller brown bear climbing up an embankment. Nothing close though....although we DID have a lot of bear activity throughout the week....I just never saw them...thankfully:):)

The day we left we saw this doe and her 2 baby fawns following her. Not sure if you can see both of the babies in the picture or not, but it was quite sweet.

Yosemite and Friends

Well, we took the "plunge" this year and went to Yosemite for a week for the Bible Conference. I say "take the plunge" because in years past, going to Yosemite has not sounded like a very fun thing to do....especially with all of the work involved in going. It IS a lot of work...but OHHH SOOO WORTH IT!!!!!! We had a GREAT time!! My kids made so many new friends and had a week full of fun and play.
Caleb and Jake (* This little guy looks and acts so much like Caleb! We joked that he seems more like Caleb's twin than Joshua does:):)


Anna and Bella

Just...being little girls:):)

Making friends at the river...the very COLD river

We had some New Tribes friends stay with us for a couple of nights and it was WONDERFUL to get to know them. You know some people you meet and you feel, after only a very short time, that you have known them forever? That is how I felt with Dulcie. Wish we could have spent more time together!

The Milton Family and the Epps Family

Joshua Milton and Kristina

Hannah Milton and Abby...two peas in a pod :)

Anna and Bella...2 little rascals

Joshua, Jake, and Caleb ~ BUDS!! or, maybe...TRIPLETS:):)

Anna Rides A Broncing....SHEEP???

Well unbeknownst to me, my daughter has the ability to ride a sheep. They had sheep riding for 3-6 year olds at the fair this year, so Charley told Anna that if she would go on it, that he would buy her a "Wool Warrior Princess" pink t-shirt that they were selling. Of course she said yes...how could any little girl resist new clothes...PINK at that...and...with the words PRINCESS on it. Little did she know what she was getting herself into :)

Anna and Daddy getting ready for the sheep riding


Well here she is!! She stayed on for 5.3 seconds and then fell off into the EXTREMELY softened up dirt. When she got back to Charley, we weren't sure if she was laughing, smiling, or crying. BUT....she did it and was rewarded with her pink princess t-shirt. After her ride, Charley took her over to the starting gate to just watch the other kids do it. One older girl who was just doing it for the fun of it (she was too old to be in the competition) got a little scared and didn't want to do it. With a little prodding from Daddy, Anna told her, "Don't be scared..you can do it!" The "host" said, "What did you say? Somebody give me a microphone. I have a little girl over here who knows how to commentate." So he actually gave Anna a microphone and had a little conversation with her. It was SOOO funny! He also asked her if she wanted to ride the sheep again and she said, "NO!" Imagine that! :):)

Although the boys were too old for the sheep riding, they were able to play "run after the sheep (plural) and try to get the purple ribbon off of the sheep's rear end".

Getting ready to chase after the sheep

Neither boy got the purple ribbon, but they had fun trying:)

Goodbye Julia!

My parents had a young girl from Germany stay with them for a month named Julia. Such a sweet girl! Thanks for all your help Julia! Hope you will come to visit us again.
The kids and Julia at the fair for one last photo

I Love the Fair!!

We went to the Alameda County Fair this year and once again had a great time! It is always so fun. We kind of showed up late this time though and realized that next year we really need to get there when it opens to be able to do and see everything.
Anna and Mommy enjoying some ice cream.

Joshua and his ever-sweaty head of hair enjoying some yummy ice cream

We did the tractor pull again this year and the boys actually raced against each other. Nobody made it to the finals, but they had fun trying!

Joshua and Anna learning about and touching a cow.

They have the cutest little petting zoo that the kids can go through. They had a couple of fawns, a pot-belly pig, goats, chickens, and even a slightly temperamental donkey (you weren't allowed to feed the donkey)

Anna and Kristina feeding the little fawn.

Abby was able to be in a little "play" that they do every year too. Imagine that!! Abby wanting to be in the limelight :):)

Abby riding a pony

Joshua getting a ride on the pony ride

Happy 10th Birthday Abby!

For Abby's birthday this year (in June) we had a bowling/sleepover birthday party

Mind you, it was our FIRST sleepover birthday party so it was very interesting:):) Did you know that little girls like to BE LOUD!!, and giggle, and stay up late?? Actually, I think they were all asleep by 11:45. I guess it could have been worse.

Hope you had a fun birthday sweet Abby!! We love you!!

LOVE...what more can I say :):)

A Life Change

In the middle of June, we loaded up my Grandparents belongings and moved them out of their sweet home on Starlight Lane in Arroyo Grande. It was kind of bitter sweet as they were leaving a place that they have called home for so long, to move to Bethesda Home where they really need to be now. It was definitely the Lord's timing and they moved into a very homey place which they have now made their own. Charley and I drove up in the morning, arrived about 1-2 p.m., helped load the truck & clean, ate dinner, and then drove the 4 hours back home. It was a LONG day, but it was nice to be able to sleep in our own beds instead of sleeping on the floor in my grandparents empty house. The next day, we got up, went to Bethesda and unloaded the truck. By the time my grandparents got there (around dinner time) their little place REALLY looked like a home....china in the china cabinet, bed made, kitchen in place, etc. I really think that them walking into a furnished home helped the "blow" a little of them having to move to Bethesda.
My sweet Grandma watching as we loaded the truck.


By the time we were done, this truck was PACKED to the very end.


A friend of my Grandparents came to help us move and he brought his little grandson with him. He was SO cute!! He wanted to help out in any way he could. Charley provided this photo opportunity for me:):)

Somebody handed him this screwdriver and told him to get the screws out of the bed frame. He stayed there for quite awhile just working those screws out and trying to work hard. SO CUTE!!

This wonderful lady is a special friend of my grandparents. She came and literally made the kitchen SHINE!

Margie and my mom Carol

Auntie Mary, me, & Auntie Helen after eating a hearty meal that Aunt Helen provided for all the hard workers.

So Long Little League Season

Well little league season ended with a day of awards and then a dinner at Fuddruckers. I must admit that it seemed like a LONG season. Maybe it seemed that way because Charley was a coach this year and Kristina's softball practices overlapped for a month. Whew! We made it though.
Coach Daddy with Helper Kristina and Joshua and Caleb


While at Fuddruckers, Coach Charley gave each of the kids their medal and told why he appreciated each player or how they had improved over the season. The kids looked so proud when they received their trophies:):)
Coach Daddy and Joshua



Coach Daddy and Caleb