California 2016: San Francisco

Uncle Paul played tour guide for us on our day in the city. 

He gave us a fantastic tour! On the drive up, he pointed out the San Andreas fault line, and the looong skinny lake/Resevoir where the big valley crack in the earth has filled with water. He pointed out the "Flintstone house" and the giant satellite dish and the San Francisco sign on the hill when you come into the city. We had great views of the old painted lady row houses, the bay bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Transamerican pyramid, Coit tower, Art Institute, Palace of Fine Arts, Lombard street, and cable cars and double decker "Harry potter" busses galore. There were sea lions, seagulls, and street performers. San Francisco is a very cool place with never enough time to see everything. 

After Vista Point we hit up the Bay Area Discovery Museum. Our favorite display was the Magic Treehouse room. A bunch of creative play areas based on different magic treehouse books.  Historical fiction and imaginative dramatic play? It was a teacher's dream! :) Soren was a train conductor with Nico, Aaron made a great civil war patient for Nurse Reese in the medic tent, I went oyster fishing with Corbin, and we were students in Mrs. Quincy and Mrs Reese's classroom. The kids all got to hide in the tornado shelter in the schoolhouse. It was fun and Corbin beats to check these books out from the library next week. He read the titanic one a couple weeks ago and loved it. 

The babies loved the tiny tot room at the museum. Places to crawl and climb and play in an explore area designed just for them. How cute are they holding hands in their strollers?! 

On to Pier 39

Daddies watched the little ones and the big kids got to go up the musical stairs with mom and auntie for a trip to the fairy shop. 

We made a wish and got glitter stamps 

We watched the sea lions and ships and ate fish and chips and clam chowder in bread bowls. And for dessert...

a must when you're in the city: hot fresh tiny donuts! 

Love this photobomb. "Excuse me, there's an aunt in my donuts..." Hahaha 

I am thankful my kids were are to be able to see and experience this very cool city. 

It was special for Aaron and I to share it with them and thanks to Paul and HolleeAnn, who know all the best places to go and park (and eat!), the day was even better! 

California 2016: Elk Grove, Funderland, Fairy Tale Land and Auntie HolleeAnn's House

My sister, HolleeAnn, lives in Elk Grove, about 2 hours northwest of my parents. We took a little trip with the kids and my parents up the 5 to spend a wonderful day with her and her cute family.  It was sad to see how low the San Luis Resevoir is. I hear fb friends talk about the drought all the time, but it is different to see it. The land is dry and the hills are not green, but brown. The colorless landscape of the valley was a stark contrast to the lush green forests of Arkansas. 

First stop: Funderland! Adorable and fun and the weather and company were great! 

From Funderland, we walked over to Fairy Tale Land. This was Reese's favorite part of our whole trip! A tiny theme park of play structures and animal exhibits based on fairly takes and nursery rhymes. It was so creative and so fun! 

Auntie, being Auntie, got the boys cute matching tshirts! Pose and say, "cousins!" 

And matching baby cousins too! 

After the fun, we hit noodles & company for dinner, then went back to my sister's cute (seriously so cute, it makes me rethink my whole decorating process. Every square inch of her house is beautiful and thoughtfully staged. It's warm and just darling.) house for a swim in her pool. We visited and then HolleeAnn busted out a blast from the past for my big girls (ok and us) to enjoy: fashion plates! So much fun. And helloooo 70's styles! Haha. The girls had fun "naming" their creations. 

Thus was a very good day! 

Donut Run

One of my favorite memories with my Grandpa Sam was going for a morning donut run with him when he came to visit. I love that my dad takes kids out to get donuts now. Soren marched in the house this morning and proudly announced, "dinnertime!" 

Family Treasures and Keepsakes

In preparation for their move to Arkansas I'm a few months, I am helping my parents purge, pack, and prepare to downsize.  While cleaning a closet from my grandmothers room, we found a box of her treasures and were easily and willfully sidetracked by a stack of old photographs. Now these are priceless gems! 

My grandpa Sam Tenney and my grandma (MiMa) Myrtle Hatch Tenney

This photo was taken in 1941. On the back in my grandmothers writing are the date and "we really looked better than this." Hahaha it's so her to say that! 

Here are my great grandparents George Lynn Hatch (my mothers namesake), Julia Maude (Maudie) Croff Hatch (Myrtle's mother), and my Great Uncle "Mac" (Corbin's namesake) Lynn McKnight Hatch. I think my Corbin Mac and Uncle Mack even looked alike when they were both really little. 

Grandma Myrtle Tenney with her brothers and sisters (Mack, Ruth, Harvey, Myrtle, Roy, and June)

The other treasures we discovered were these "how to declutter" books. Oh the irony of finding them while purging closets and filling boxes for donation! Hahaha! We "downsized" and got rid of both of these. My mom doesn't need a book, she just needs a couple hours alone with me to heartlessly assist in sorting through a lifetime of belongings. I can tell it's hard, but she's doing a very good job. 

Lawrence Family Talent Show!

Gather round, ladies and gents for the greatest show on earth! Paul and HolleeAnn's family joined us on Sunday afternoon, and we had family dinner after church. What better activity than a talent show? I declared an "all play" and gave everyone 10 minutes to come up with their act. Last minute, no instruments available, required adult participation, and four very small children wandering around near the "stage" area? These are perfect conditions, people!

I doubled as Emcee and had Reese open the night with a magic trick. Great job, Reese! She stumped us! 

Auntie HolleeAnn worked some magic as well on baby Sloane 

Grandma Lady's talent impressed many. 

A memorable rap by Easy Muffin, White Muffin, and Ty Rex. Hilarious. 

Grandpa performed some famous "zerbits" on Gigi's yummy cheeks. 

Nico and Paul rocked "take me out to the ball game" 

Garrett claimed "one needs no talent when you look this good." And offered to get a bunch of girls' numbers but we were satisfied with a couple GQ poses. Look out, SUU, Garrett is comin atcha soon! 

I don't have a photo, because my phone was being used to play "juicy wiggle" for Aaron's memorable act. It was one for the books. He juggled eggs. Raw eggs. We were wildly impressed until one got away from him and landed on Tyler, and cracked open! Grandma Lady was an extremely good sport while we cleaned up the mess. I predict that any stain that shows up anywhere on that rug in the future will from now on be referred to as "the egg stain" and get blamed on Aaron. It's ok, babe, you had a good run as favorite son in law. Now you're "the 7th favorite." ;)

Parker and Steven did Comedy Sports and I did a few skits with them. 

Amy shared her coaching talent and helped Soren do gymnastics for us. 

And Corbin told the joke, "what do you call a three humped camel? Pregnant!"

Playing with Cousins at Uncle Marker's House.

On Saturday, the packers/movers had arrived at Mark's house. I went over and looted their "not saving it" pile and rescued this batman costume, a matching one for Saunchy, and a sweet padded muscle power ranger costume that Corbin sleeps in every night. I love a perfectly repurposed hand me down.

All was right in the world once we had Super Taqueria. 

Sloane had a fever, so she spent the day in our arms, napping, while we kicked back in the California house watching the kids swim and eating these exclusive California treats. I've consumed an obscene amount of them over the past few days. 

It's not always awful to have a sick baby. So snuggly! 

The cousins entertained each other in the pool, on the trampoline, and playing basketball and lacrosse. 

We ended the night with a family tri tip BBQ outside.