Avenue of the Giants

Before we leave this gorgeous state we wanted to see some of the big trees most people will only ever read about. We traveled six hours north to the 31 mile stretch of historic 101 aptly named, Avenue of the Giants. We stayed several days in the little town of Redcrest, right on the Avenue, and drove the entire highway from start to finish. We stopped along the way to explore and walk amongst trees that stood even before Christ was born. We found ourselves speechless much of the time, I'm even lacking for words to describe them now! It was a quiet escape we'll remember for some time, I hope to go back someday....

They seem to go up forever!

Skipping rocks at the Eel River

It was a close fit!

Our cabin at Redcrest Resort

One of the many "Giants" we saw

Confusion Hill, just off the 101

I had to hurry through- this place made me sick!

Pumpkins, Halloween and Christmas Trees?

For years now the stores have rushed into the holidays months before it's time to shop, decorate and celebrate. It seems now that the regular population has followed suit! Really now,- a Christmas tree on your front porch the day after Halloween!? What about harvest time, pumpkins and Thanksgiving? Just to be obnoxious I want to dig out all my decorations from Easter to the New Year, adorn the front of the house and hang a banner declaring "I Win!" But winning this ridiculous, underground race would be a loss in the end. I love the fall and winter holidays, the progression, the gatherings, the long, sweet finish to a full year with a brand new one ahead. These months are always so special to me, full of reflection, thanks, and wonder. I thank God for this time of year and what better way to show my gratitude than to savor the moments!

Welcome to the Pumpkin Patch, Y'all!

The cheesy grin is completely on purpose- Kevin made me do it! We had ourselves a fun day at a nearby farm where the kids climbed over bales of straw, fed goats, ran through a corn maze, raced pedal carts, launched pumpkins and more. Makes me tired just thinking of it all. I left wondering if goats will eat until their stomachs explode. For everyone's sake I hope they're not gluttonously suicidal- that's no fun for the kiddies.

And Then There Were Two

Five if you count the dogs! Next in were Grandma and Poppa with Duke, Tuesday and Molly. This always makes the boys VERY happy and the good thing is we all get exercise taking the dogs on walks. This time around we hit up the Carmel Mission (field trip for Ethan), celebrated Isaac's 6th birthday and went whale watching. We saw Humpback whales, dolphins and two blue whales on our way back in to the harbor. Thank you Mom & Dad for EVERYTHING- we love you.

Got Some Catching Up to Do!

October got off to a great start when Meg & Floyd came in for a long weekend. Keaton is so tall, smart and handsome and kept Ethan busy at the park! Aunt Meggy and Uncle Floyd got little rest between keeping up with their little guy and running races with everyone in the grass. After a few cool days on the coast it was back to the heat of the city for them- loved having you guys, we miss you!

Lombard Street

This post was actually supposed to come after "Where There's a Will..." but at this point, just getting new posts up is a small miracle, I'm not going to get nit-picky. Perfectionism is becoming an easy obsession to break out of! Part of Erin's plan when we visited Alcatraz was to see the famous Lombard Street. I have to thank you Erin, without your determination I will admit we would have left San Fran without having seen this spectacular view and quircky little road! The first picture is a view of Alcatraz just before we took a right onto Lombard. You kind of inch down because people are stopping along the way to take pictures, getting in and out of vehicles and diligently trying to keep their bumpers from scraping the low wall along the roadside. It was picturesque and just one more thing we can say we did!

Where There's a Will, There's a Way!

And if anyone's gonna make it happen, it's Erin! The whole family trekked across country and spent just under a week with us. We hiked, visited the aquarium, scouted the beach, toured Alcatraz and still there was more left unseen by the time they had to leave. Thank you guys for traveling so far- we love you!

San Juan Bautista

Back in August, Kevin's class visited San Juan Bautista, I'm hoping to go as a family in the near future. He raved about the spot they stopped at for lunch (Jardines) and the tiny little town surrounding the mission is full of antiques, stained glass, and as indicated below, wildlife!

ABC-123

School days are here! Isaac started Kindergarten last week- he couldn't wait- and Ethan will begin his independent study this week-he'd wait forever if he could! Isaac marched into school like an old pro, he had looked forward to it for many weeks. While other kids were sniveling and running from their new classrooms Isaac was unloading his backpack, seating himself on the carpet and waiting patiently for the day to begin. And thank goodness for that! He made it so easy on me, I would have sprung tears and whisked him away had I detected the slightest dismay!

Can We Just Go Walk the Beach?

As things get a little crazy around here my mood falls! Early every morning it rains, the sky is ALWAYS gray and foggy over our home and I'm starting to feel the pressure from our soon approaching travels. Thursday and Friday come and I just don't have it in me lately to put together exciting Saturday plans, can we just go walk the beach? It's wonderful how rewarding an hour or two next to the sea can be. We smile as we find amazing treasures, we let our hearts and minds feel the calm, we spend time together and delight in sharing some special moments- like spotting dolphins swimming by!