California Vacation

I know it has taken me forever to post this but I was having problems with uploading the pictures for some reason but here is what we did last month on vacation! Our trip from the pictures I took, which sadly aren't that many! we must have been having too much fun to think about pictures! or too busy running from my parents house to Michael's parents, it's good and bad to have both our parents living in the same place, it's nice to only have to plan one vacation and see almost all of our family but it's hard because we have to split up our time. I think we should take vacations that are twice as long!! We had a lot of fun with everyone and wish we could have been there longer to enjoy it more!! Our vacation started by driving to the Grand Canyon and stopping along the way, here are the boys playing in a Tepee at one place we stopped, and then we stopped at Walnut Canyon in Arizona and hiked along the canyon wall where Indians had once lived, we could hike to the little caves they lived in that were stained black from fires so long ago. The whole time I was thinking about how many kids could have easily died from falling off the edge of the canyon, scary thought!




When we got to the Grand Canyon we got dinner and went to bed, in the morning we got up to drive to the Grand Canyon to see the sun rise, but when we went outside, we were surprised to see that it was snowing! We went to the Grand Canyon look-out anyway but couldn't see much of anything so we went back to the hotel packed up and ate breakfast, but went to the lookout before leaving for California. The sun had broken through the clouds and we could see the whole canyon, it was beautiful! We were cold but enjoyed looking at the beauty of the earth and its diversity.



When we finally got to Bakersfield California, we were able to relax and let the kids run around. They did really good in the car and we had a lot of fun talking and playing together. Jonah and Ryker really wanted to go swimming at Grandma's house and they both got in, even though the water was freezing! Jonah jumped in twice but Ryker kept going back for more after each time Michael dunked him in. These boys were the first ones in the pool (voluntarily) this year. I say voluntarily because while were there my sisters came over to my mom's house so we could all go shopping together and my sister, Christa's, oldest boy Peyton (3) fell into the pool (un-voluntarily) and my mom jumped in to help him out.





Jonah wanted to go fishing so Michael took Jonah and his nephew England. They came home with these good sized catfish, we were all very impressed until Jonah said he knew a secret: The fish were from the store. They couldn't come home empty handed!!



Michael's parents live on a Ranch and have lots of horses, chickens, peacocks, and such. Michael's dad made a wagon from the back of an old truck, I think, so he hitched up some horses and we all went for a buggy ride around their property. Jonah had so much fun playing out on the farm, there is so much to do there and so many of his cousins live out there too! Ryker loved to walk around the yard playing on the toys and the teeter-totter and his favorite part about the farm were the chickens!






Playing at the park with my sister's kids and some old friends from Bakersfield. Jonah looks so grown up to me in these pictures! He was one of the biggest kids there!




Before leaving we had the opportunity to visit with my granny, despite her age and restricted movement abilities she is almost constantly crocheting something! While we were there she showed me all the quilts and things she's working on. I hope I can still be productive when I'm her age!