Here We Go Giants!

Peter is fired up for another season of baseball!  Opening Day was so much fun.  It was adorable to see all the kids out there in their uniforms, and everyone loved the parade, the band, and all the fun.  Peter even got to play his first game on Opening Day, and he was a defensive beast, stopping a play at home and making an out at first.  Great job, Peter!  

Roller Girl

When you're the third kid, you have to be a fighter.  You have to be persistent and stick with what you want to do.  That's definitely Catherine!  She's tough, and she doesn't stop until she gets what she wants.  Catherine had been telling me over and over how much she wanted to go rollerskating, and I just kept doing my best to put her off.  After all, who puts a three year old on roller skates?  Well, finally she wore me down and one day when we were playing out front I put her on the skates and kind of just let her do her thing.  She was great!  She carefully stepped all around, doing a great job keeping her balance.  I don't think it will be long at all until she's racing around the court.  Good for you, Catherine!  You believe in yourself and go after what you want, and I'm so very proud of you!

Way to Go, Peter!

Peter had a great season in basketball.  One thing I love about Peter is that he brings the hustle!  He listens to his coaches, he focuses on what he's supposed to do, and he always does his best out on the court.  He really loves playing, so it's very fun to watch him.  We love to see Peter out there, and can't wait for many more games.

Fans!

It's a well documented fact that there are no better fans than Grandma and Papa.  They're always up for a game, not matter the time or place, and they'll drive all over to get there.  They often even just show up and surprise us!  We are thankful for they're dedication and love, not to mention all their cheers!

Good Season, Lizzy

Lizzy loves basketball, and she had a great season!  It was so fun to watch her learn and improve.  Lizzy is a great shooter, and she made some awesome baskets this year.  She's also tough on defense, and stopped a lot of girls.  Most importantly, Lizzy really enjoys playing, so that makes it all the more fun for us to watch her out on the court.  I loved getting to help out with her team, and I can't wait to watch many more of Lizzy's games in the future.

Cave Adventures

I like to choose fun.  Pat and I joke that you get enough sleep when you're dead, and although we're joking, it's pretty much true.  If you get a chance for an adventure, take it.  Don't hurry home, don't pass things by......just dive in, and see things, and explore, and have fun.  You'll never regret it.  After our few days away, we were all pretty tired and ready to head home.  On our way, we saw some signs for a cave.  We decided to take a detour and take it in.  We soon wondered what we were doing.  Down a windy, remote road we drove, wondering where on Earth we were heading.  Finally, we found it, and what an amazing place it turned out to be!  I absolutely love discovering "hidden" wonders that are right in front of us.  We could have easily walked by this spot a million times and never noticed that hiding under this mountain was an absolutely amazing cave full of such beauty.  The miners discovered this cave in the 1800's, and used it for all sorts of things.  We loved getting to walk around it, and take in all it's majestic beauty and mystery.  I would have been so sad to have missed this, so I'm so thankful we decided to give it a try!  Don't pass things by!  There's so much to see, and so many amazing things to do!

One With the Big Trees

I LOVE going for a hike at Calaveras Big Trees.  To call these trees "big" is like calling the sun "hot."  They're so enormous, and so amazing, it's truly hard to take in.  They are breathtaking!  You feel a special energy just walking among the trees, and it truly is a one-of-a-kind place.  The kids love it, and it's so amazing to walk around the trees and to learn all about their wonder.  

Tubing?

In the winter, we love to go tubing.  This year, we were assured there was plenty of snow at our regular tubing spot, but as we drove up the mountain, and got closer and closer, we began to wonder, "Really?!  Where's the snow?!"  It was crazy!!  No snow at all!  In years past, the snow has been everywhere, and this year, just plan dirt fields.  We got lucky, however, because on one little hill there was just enough snow to go tubing.  The kids trudged across the dirt to find the snow, and we had a great morning.  Everyone loved tubing!  Even Catherine had a great time, and she wanted to go again and again down the hill.  Peter loved exploring the snow, and digging and playing around.  Lizzy was a daredevil, and loved doing crazy runs down the hill.  Even while we were there, it felt like the little snow that was remaining was melting away, so I'm so thankful we got in at least a little snow play.

Columbia

The California foothills are so beautiful, and have so many wonderful places to explore.  We took a day trip to Columbia, an old fashioned mining town that has tried to remain historically accurate to the 1850's.  We had a great time!  We got to visit an old store and an old school house.  The kids loved walking along the downtown and even got to play an old fashioned game of bowling.  When we weren't sure what to do for lunch.....we hit up a saloon and had pizza and beer.  But probably the best part of the day was mining for gold.  The kids loved this!  It was so amazing to pan for gold flakes, and the kids loved finding other pretty rocks and minerals in their pans.  

Hikers

Every year, in the winter, we try to get away for a few days with our special friends the Heinz's and the Nelson's.  Usually, it's a snow trip, where we love to get bundled up and play in the snow.  This year, with you snow at all, we had to improvise.  We started out with a wonderful hike around our cabin.  The kids loved exploring all around, chasing deer, and playing in nature.  Most of all, the kids just have so much fun being together, and we look forward to this special trip every year.