Summer Family Time (Extended Mix)

We were completely spoiled this summer as Poa Poa and Doh Doh (a.k.a grandma & grandpa in Chinese, should be pronounced Go-ng Go-ng but I thought it was too cute to correct Jayden) came for a visit.

With unlimited sweet treats, train trips to Palo Alto and not to mention the showering of love, Jayden adored spending the days with his grandparents.  Pleasantly, Chris and I would arrive home to big grins and home made Chinese food!

Here are some highlights of their visit:

 family dinner time 

(this is how Chinese people bond, over food)

 pork & chive perogies

(and the perogy monster)

 yummy!

 My parents taught Jayden a new game - gambling

(How we spent most of our evenings.  Who was the big winner?  Oh yeah...JUDY!)

In celebration of my mom's 60th birthday we went to Safari West in Santa Rosa, CA.  Finished it off with a fabulous meal at Sotto Mare's in San Francisco (freshest Italian Seafood restaurant).

On the way: Moraga & 17th ave in San Fran

  

these guys would make a great purse...

  

Chris has lovingly named my mom "Darth Visor"

"May the force be with you!"

(Sorry Ma, had to post this picture)
 

 

Is he compensating for something?

 

   Posing with the desert skull

Ruminating over Ruminates

 

 

Someone needs to join the hair club for birds!

 Thanks for the visit, we love you!

Hot Chocolate, S'mores, and Campfire - oh my!

Jayden's preschool year at Yew Chung International School was a memorable one.  There, we met a group of families that remain special to us to this day.  Every once in a while, we schedule a reunion to get the kids and families together again.  Here are the highlights from our Preschool Family Camping Reunion we had at Plumas Eureka State Park this summer.

Day 1 (still clean)

 

Ready, start your hiking engines!

 

Where's the Trail? Blazing Our Own Trail!

Jamison Mine Complex 

 Kayley - don't touch the camera lens!

Meet the J-Dawg, super hiking enthusiast!

Along Grass Lake Trail, 3 hours in,

J scopes out the perfect spot to stop for lunch and skip some rocks

After a 5.5hr hike, it's time for a well deserved soak in the creek:

Lia soaking her aching shoe?

When in doubt, skip rocks

What's for dinner kids?

Aftermath of S'mores and Hot Chocolate

Sugar "Hi!" from Kayley, Lia, and May

...and Griffin and Jayden

Ice cream?  Aren't we suppose to be "roughing it"?

The whole gang, panning for gold

This is what you are looking for...

Is this enough to pay for my school tuition?

Meet our Child Laborers:

Walden

Amara and Alana

 

 Kayley and Lia

May

 

Griffin 

Jayden

Bottom of Stamp Mill

 
More River Fun:

Jeremy's Zen Tower:

Brought the baby-sitter

Camp Chef

Tree Monkeys

Dynamite Storage Shed...dyn-o-mite!

Entrance to Old Mine Shaft

Cool!

Stamp Mill from above

 

Day 4 (not so clean)