A Day Away

Over the weekend, Mr. Barefoot and I packed up the kids and a mountain of stuff and headed up north for a night away from home with my parents. We spent Saturday night at one of our favorite places: Black Bear Resort and Casino. We didn't go for the gambling, we went for... wait for it.... the pool!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we do have pools much closer to our little town. Pools that would have been less crowded. Pools that do not lack in size or cleanliness or wetness or any other thing you may be looking for in a pool. Yet we drove north, trapped in the car with chattering, fighting Sprouts for... well, way too long, in order to spend an evening and a morning in a pool far away from home.

It was nice to get away from the house for a day. We swam, we ate at the buffet (good eats!), we took the kids to the arcade, we slept, we swam some more. It wasn't an eventful trip - just a bunch of Barefoot crazies hanging in chlorinated water till their skin and eyes burned, and their fingers and toes were all pruny - but it was incredibly nice.

The best part was that Little Sprout, who has a deathly fear of being in water deeper than her belly button, actually left the pool steps and doggy paddled her way around the pool for hours! I was so proud of my little one for taking this big step! Now I just have to work on getting her to learn to float without the life jacket. Well, everything in it's own time, I guess, right?

Sometimes it's good to get a change of scenery. We get bogged down in the day-to-dayness of life. So this was a bit of a breather for this Barefoot Family. We spent time together with no distractions, no impending sense that something or other needed to be done. It was time spent completely in the now, with no worries about what comes next, or where we had to be. I'm so glad we had this opportunity, and I look forward to doing it again next year....


~ And that's all I have to say about that ~

Catching Up

Oh, where to start?!

Well, the lost crochet hooks have been found. Mr. Barefoot, that lovable man, found them under the couch of all places (evidently I didn't pull it out far enough when I looked there months ago) while looking for my keys. The keys, unfortunately, were not under the couch. They were in my purse, if you can believe that.

It was a crazy moment for me. There I was, frantic to find my keys and furious that they had gone missing again. I was grousing about the messy house, and in a hurry to get out the door. I was not in the mood to be happy. Yet Mr. Barefoot was showing me something that undeniably made me very, very happy.

I didn't quite know what to do. I wish I had a picture of my face as it tried to scowl and grin at the same time. I bet it was pretty funny.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Big Sprout has grown into a Mighty Hunter. Two weekends ago, she went out goose hunting with Uncle Wolfie. She not only got one goose, she got two. With one shot. The girl has got some mad skillz, I'm tellin' ya! I was so proud I just about burst. So now we are all happily munching on smoked goose, and Big Sprout is making big plans for future hunting trips.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This past Sunday, we went to the local Renaissance Festival. It was, as always, great fun.

Big Sprout dressed up, wearing the chain maille made for her by Uncle Wolfie. I think the best part, for her, was the pouch of gold Sacajawea dollar coins Uncle Wolfie gave her "to make the day more real". She purchased herself two very pretty bracelets and lots of good food with the coins, and seemed quite pleased with herself.

Little Sprout discovered a love of belly dancing while we were there. She hopped right up on the stage with the pros, and shook her belly and boo-tay like crazy. She also got her face painted with flowers, and got a flower garland for her hair. She told us all she was a Flower Fairy Princess, and acted accordingly. Boy! What a bossy child! She also went on her annual trek through the Enchanted Garden in search of Bilbo. We were lucky to be able to convince her that he was on a "field trip" and would be home a different day.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mostly, life has been pretty boring around Barefoot Manor. I would like to say that I have been busy with the gardens, and that I have been able to cross off many things from my "to-do" list. Unfortunately, nothing much has been happening. I go to work, I come home, I sleep.

Of course, yesterday Little Sprout tried to glue her toes together. That was exciting.

Mama, I'm Coming Home

Today is the day we leave CA and head back towards MN.

I am anxious to sleep in my own bed, cuddle with Mighty Cat, and play in my own dirt, and yet....

I don't wanna go.

I am going to miss Grandma J and Grandpa D so much.

Big Sprout told me the other day that she isn't sure she is ready to go home, either. She is going to miss the family she has gotten to know and love out here on the West Coast.

*sigh*

There is still so much to do. We have to clean out the truck, pack our things, stop at the store and fill our cooler (we try to save $$ by avoiding eating out while on the road) and fill the gas tank before we can leave.

It is 8am, and I am up. Everyone else in the house is sleeping, and I am up checking the maps one last time. I am fretting over forgetting something important. I am fussing over how long it will take us to make the drive.

I am trying to avoid thinking about how much I am going to miss it here.

I think, instead, I will focus on how nice it will be to drive on flat roads. I will focus on how much I have missed the familiar sounds and sights of MN. I will focus on how much I like having water everywhere. I will think about the nice, clean house I will be returning to, and seeing my folks again. I will keep busy.

And I will go home.

Yosemite, Take 2

I took the Sprouts back to Yosemite while Mr. Barefoot spent time fishing with his Dad. While they were immersing themselves in some serious male-bonding type activities, the girls and I did our own bonding.

Of course, mostly I just wanted to bond some raw steaks to the Sprouts and kick them out of the car at one of the "Warning: Mountain Lion Sightings In Area" signs!

Just kidding. They were pesty, but not quite that bad.

We saw the Giant Sequoias.

Yeah, they really are that big. Can you believe it???




Lake Tenaya. Beautiful. See how clear the water is? Amazing!



We saw bear! Mr. Barefoot is so jealous. They were amazing.

It was a pretty amazing day. Little Sprout gave me trouble at every turn (not wanting to walk, needing to pee the minute we left someplace with restrooms, etc), but I was the big gal in charge, so I got to go where I wanted!

We tooled around the park, rode the shuttle bus in the Valley, and wandered a bit on the short trails.

It was a full day, and I am ready for bed. In two days, we head back to our beloved MN. It will be so nice to be somewhere flat and familiar again!

Salvaging A Bad Day

We got started late to Yosemite.

On a weekend.

It took us about 30+ minutes just to get through the line to pay our fee and ENTER the park.

There was no parking.

Anywhere.

At all.

Ugh.

Finally, FINALLY we found a place to pull off and let the kids eat. It was at the bottom of El Capitan. We watched a raven and a squirrel,and had some birds (I don't remember what they were right now) beg for Cheetos.

I would beg for Cheetos. Who can blame them?

We decided to take one last troll around Yosemite Valley to see if we could find a place to park and see some of the sights.

We found a space at the base of Bridal Veil Falls Trail.

We saw Bridal Veil.

It was breathtaking.

And wet.

Little Sprout hated being wet. She insisted on riding in the stroller.

Mr. Barefoot wasn't feeling well, so we headed out of the park.

I will be returning with the Sprouts on Monday while he is out fishing with his Dad.

Thank goodness our pass is good for 7 days.

The Best Day. Ever.

We were up at 5am this morning.

I can hear you all gasping in horror already. ;) Why, Barefoot! you are all saying Why in the world would you be up at such an ungodly hour on your vacation, of all times!

The answer, my friends, is simple. We had a long drive ahead of us, and we were intent on avoiding as much of the dreaded Bay Area traffic as possible.

The next question is, of course, why in the world we would ruin a perfectly good vacation by heading down the the Bay Area. I have two words for you folks: Coastal Redwoods.

I don't even have words for the amazing experience I had at Muir Woods National Monument. First you have the ferns. Oh, golly, the ferns. Gigantic, lush, beautiful, amazing ferns! Then there are the mosses. It seemed there were countless different kinds of mosses growing on the trees, rocks, and ground. I was in heaven.


The crowning glory is, of course, the coastal redwood trees. There are no words in this language sufficient to convey the absolute majesty and glory of these incredible trees. It was a dream come true to walk among these giants, touch them, see the light as it filtered through their canopy so far above.




It brought tears to my eyes, quite literally. The air was filled with a spicy-sweet scent that I couldn't identify, but that soothed every raw nerve I had after a 2+ hour drive through nasty, dirty cities.
After just a few minutes, I was ready to send the Sprouts back to the car. Seriously. They were running off, yelling, and generally being pesty. They finally settled down after a mile or so of walking, and I was able to listen to the sounds of the forest.

It was magic.

For lunch, we left the Redwood Grove and headed down to Muir Beach. It was our first time to the Pacific Ocean (the Sprout's first time to any ocean), and it was the perfect place for a picnic.

Immediately after eating, the Sprouts and I took off our shoes and socks and headed into the waves.


Both Sprouts ended up soaking wet, but they loved every second of it. They played tag with the waves, chasing them out and then running from them as each wave came in.



Little Sprout ended up wet all the way to her armpits, which was very unfortunate for her Pull-Up. Seriously.


I laughed just as hard as the Sprouts each time the icy water came up over my Barefoot little toes. It was perfect. A cool breeze off the water kept the sun from being too hot, and the beach wasn't so crowded that we couldn't enjoy ourselves.


The only black spot in the whole day was the trip home, which was plagued by that above-mentioned traffic.

Ugh. Bay Area traffic is the absolute WORST! It took us over an hour to go 7 miles. I am so not kidding.

Still, we made it back to the house in time to fill up on leftover homemade gumbo and french bread before showering and collapsing in bed.

Honestly? It was the Best. Day. Ever.

At least until tomorrow, when we head over to Yosemite. ;)

California Wonders

No photos today, so all you dial-up users can breathe a sigh of relief.

We have been in CA for 3 full days now. Days that have been full of naps and food. Days where the Sprouts have had fun and been homesick all at the same time. Days when Mr. Barefoot has been happier than I see him at any other time of the year.

I am loving CA. Yesterday, we went to Columbia. They have a cute little village that is set up like a living museum of the gold rush days. The Sprouts, Mr. Barefoot, and Grandpa D had a blast panning for gold. We wandered around for a while, picking up a few souvenirs and getting ice cream before finding some lunch at a FABULOUS cafe in Sonora and then heading back to the house.

Big Sprout and I went up the mountain today and went walking near one of the reservoirs. It was beautiful and so fun to spend time alone with my big girl. We get so little time together without Little Sprout, and I know she misses it. I had to laugh at her, though, because she wanted to run up the trail - read: mountain - and she got very frustrated when she didn't make it very far before having to rest. Poor thing! She can't understand why, being MN born and bred, she can't run up and down the mountains the same way she runs up and down the hills at home.

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing normal, homey things. Big Sprout spent hours with her Gramma J, who she met for the first time when we arrived here in CA. I was shocked and pleased to see how quickly she has warmed up to her new Gramma. I headed into town and picked up groceries, making my Chicken Stir Fry recipe for supper.

Mostly, things are pretty uneventful. Yosemite is planned for Saturday, and tomorrow we are planning to visit more family down in the Bay area.

Stay tuned....

Day 3: The Arrival!

After leaving Yellowstone (around 7:30pm), we headed West and South through Idaho and Nevada on the way to CA. I can't tell you much about either state, as I was either sleeping or driving through the dark for most of it.

I (again) pulled into a rest stop around 4:30am. After a little over an hour of rest, we all woke and headed off for the final leg of our trip. There was a nice view from the rest stop




After what seemed like hours and hours of driving, we finally reached Sonora Pass in CA. It was an amazing and nerve wracking drive! There were several signs posting warnings about 26% grade as we were climbing the mountain.


It was seriously beautiful, no matter how steep the road or frightening the drop-off.



There was still a lot of snow up at the top of the pass... at least 6 feet in places! We saw folks skiing and snowmobiling through the mountains, right along side folks on motorcycles. It was wild!


We did finally make it over the mountains, and to my FIL's place. We were so glad to get out of the truck and unload all our stuff! It was wonderful to know that we didn't have to cram ourselves into that confined space again for 10 whole days!

I think we all slept about 11 hours that night. It was a long, exhausting trip, but so worth it!

Stay tuned for more Adventures From CA, 2010!

Yellowstone - Day 2, Part 2: East Entrance

Finally, 2.5 hours after we originally planned on being in Yellowstone, we reached the East Entrance to the park. A really nice gentleman offered to take a picture of the whole family while we all shivered in the cold and rain.

Little Sprout spotted the first wildlife (a moose). I was too slow with the camera to catch that, but between Mr. Barefoot's superior braking skills and my quick camera, I was able to get this photo of an elk.

There was plenty of snow on the ground yet, and with the rain to further swell the streams there were waterfalls everywhere. I swear it was one of the most lushly beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life.

The best wildlife sighting of the day were a pair of buffalo that had absolutely no fear of humans or their vehicles. This one walked up through a picnic area straight towards me. I quickly jumped into the car, and it walked past my door so close that I could have reached out and touched it! Just a half mile up the road, Mr. Barefoot had a similar experience with another buffalo that was walking down the center of the road.

Barefoot and the Sprouts at the Continental Divide marker. Thanks, Mr. Barefoot, for turning around to get this one!

While we were waiting for Old Faithful to erupt, this cute little relative of the chipmunk (still have to look up what this guy is) posed so cutely for a photo.

Mr. Barefoot and the Sprouts with Old Faithful in the background...

Old Faithful

A parting gift from the park wildlife was this large herd of buffalo that crossed the road right in front of our car. There were several calves with the group, and they didn't seem to mind at all that we crazy humans were hanging out our windows in attempts to get decent photos.

This meadow was completely full of buffalo. We piled out of the Barefoot Vehicle, wrapped ourselves in blankets, and watched this large herd as they worked their way across a meadow by the river. Little Sprout was entranced, and Big Sprout was grinning ear to ear. There were probably a dozen calves with this group, and it was so fun to watch them run and play!
We left the West Entrance to the park around 7pm, after seeing only about half of the park. We were all sorry we didn't have more time to sight see, but we knew we had a long ways to go before we reached California. Mr. Barefoot and I are considering the possibility of maybe driving through again on the way back, so perhaps you will all see more of our adventures in Yellowstone!

Stay tuned for The Arrival: Day 3

Yellowstone - Day 2, Part 1: The NorthEast Entrance

Everyone felt great after a night spent in a real bed, and after helping ourselves to the hotel provided breakfast, we headed off on the first fun day of our vacation. This was the day we were to spend in Yellowstone National Park!

We were beyond excited as we left the hotel and started out for the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone. I had planned that we would go over Beartooth Pass, visit my favorite city of all time ~ Silver Gate ~ and then spend the day going slowly through the park. Mr. Barefoot was kind enough to pull over and let me take pictures when I saw this beautiful creek running through the bottom of the valley. Or maybe he just wanted a few minutes peace from my "ooohs" and "aahhhhhs". Whadda you think?

We started up Beartooth Pass, and I almost started to regret my choice. The grade was steep, the road was curvy, and I was just sure that we were going to plunge to our death at any moment. Mr. Barefoot was cool as a cucumber, though, and soon we reached the overlook near the top of the mountain. It was raining (again), but that was fine when we realised we could look down on a rainbow! If you look really carefully, you can see it in this pic.


The Sprouts were happy to be out of the car again, and we decided to walk all the way out on the overlook.
I got lots of great pictures on the mountain.....


.....but Little Sprout was cold and didn't want her picture taken. Little stinker!
We got all the way to the top of the mountain (where it was raining too hard to take pictures) only to find the gates closed! We had gone all that way, only to find that we needed to turn around and find another entrance to the park. I don't know what disappointed me more: not being able to share my favorite city of all time with my family, or losing over 2 hours of "park time" in travelling to another entrance.

Mr. Barefoot's enthusiasm was undiminished, though, and he kept up a happy chatter as we headed off to the East Entrance of Yellowstone.

Stay tuned for Day 2, Part 2!

The Trip Out - Day 1

We started late in the evening, after Big Sprout returned from her first ever visit to Valleyfair. A wonderful gal at work loaned us her portable DVD player, so we set the Sprouts up with Avatar and headed out of town.

I tried to nap in the car while Mr. Barefoot drove, but with the excitement/nervousness of leaving home and the lack of possible comfortable positions in the car, I was still wide awake when we reached the North Dakota border and it was time for me to take over behind the wheel.

I drove as long as I could, making it until sometime around 3:30am. I finally pulled into a rest area off the highway, snuggled into my seat, and was asleep within seconds.

When we woke around 6:30am, this was the view that greeted us.

Without realising it, I had pulled into the scenic overlook at Theodore Roosevelt National Park!

We all got out of the car to stretch our legs, and I took pictures. It was cold and raining, and after being in the car nearly 12 hours, I don't think any of us were at our best, but it was really cool to see one of the great natural beauties of North America.



We continued to walk around the rest area when Mr. Barefoot noticed something moving over by the covered picnic area. Lo and behold! There was an American Buffalo grazing right up by the tables!

Even cooler, there was another Bison on the other side of the driveway heading out of the rest area. We were able to get a couple of really good shots without making them mad as we drove past.

Soon we crossed into Montana, Mr. Barefoot took over driving, and we continued our journey across the country.

After a few hours, the Sprouts were getting restless. We stopped in a little do-nothing town and found a park for them to play in. They ran off some energy for about half an hour before we got back in the car on our way to Billings, MT.

We got to Billings around noon. We couldn't check into the hotel room until 2pm, so we decided to find a park and have a picnic while we waited. The Sprouts were very happy to have a place to stretch their muscles! Little Sprout may not look it, but she was having a blast.

After lunch and a break from the road, we checked into the hotel. I think we were all asleep by 7:30pm, and woke around 7am. Refreshed from a night spent in a real bed, we helped ourselves to the continental breakfast and packed up the truck, ready for a day spent in Yellowstone National Park.

Stay tuned for Day 2!!

Packing Is Misery

Ugh.

I am trying to pack for our trip. This means I have to wash all the laundry that has backed up over the last week or so. Which means that I am sorting through piles and piles of clothes, not knowing what clothes would be best to bring.

The biggest issue right now is Big Sprout's apparent inability to put clothing away. I keep finding bits and pieces of her clothing in the oddest places, and most of it needs washing. This results in me pulling my hair out by the handful as I try to find all the summer clothes that fit her and pack the nicest stuff. That child will wear clothes that are two sizes too small, and stained so badly you can't tell what the original color was, but I want her to look halfway decent while we are in a different state.

Or I could just let her look like a poorhouse reject. I suppose.

Nah.

I am also fretting over the yard and house. I want everything be-yooooo-tiful before I leave, so that a) Loop and Mr. P don't have to wade through our crud to take care of Mighty Cat and the gardens; and b) I don't want to come home to a mess after being on the road for 3 days. I know that will make me super-cranky.

At least Mr. Barefoot and Big Sprout did the majority of the cleaning while I was resting yesterday. Now all I have to do is the sweeping/mopping/dusting/bathrooms. And change all the sheets on all the beds. And wash off all the counters. And clean up the mess that Little Sprout is already making. And water the plants. And make a list for Loop and Mr. P about where the things they need are.

Oh, help.

The Last Day

Today, I left work with the knowledge that I would not be darkening the door to that den of craziness for a full three weeks.

It was liberating.

We leave for CA on Wed, and I am so excited I could just explode. I am scared, too. I haven't been far from home in so long.... *sigh*

Don't worry, I am not going to let my fears wreck my vacation! I am more excited than scared, and I know that once I get going things are going to be great.

Today is a picnic over at my folks' place, then comes the rush of last minute house cleaning and packing that needs to be done before we leave. I am so ready.

In garden news, I have managed to almost fill the south garden beds with my plants from the folks' place. Yesterday I moved several ferns, irises, and one poor little bleeding heart that had been nearly choked to death by the overrun plants in my folks' front beds. It is looking pretty good! I am hoping to post some new pics before we leave for vacation, so keep your eyes peeled for that...

Mr. Barefoot likes plants spaced out a bit. "Neat and Tidy" is his word for what he likes. I don't mind, it makes it easier to weed. It does mean that the flower beds get filled up more quickly, though. I am going to need to expand the flower beds by the end of summer, if I am ever to transplant all my plants.

It makes me hopeful that I will be able to get most of my beds looking good by the end of summer. I am still hoping to save $$ for an azalea and a few other plants that would provide a bit of variety in the yard, but by the time I get all my plants moved, things should look pretty lush and restful.

Yay! I am so looking forward to it...

A Milestone

Today I took Little Sprout on an excursion to the Como Zoo and Conservatory. We went, not because it was a beautiful day and I thought it would be fun (as true as that might be), but because I had reconnected with an old friend through Facebook who also has small children, and we had set a playdate. It was to be the first time we spent time together since the 9th grade.

I have talked and talked about my depression, my anxiety, and my hermit-like behaviors. What all that blather means in real-world talk is that leaving my home - my sanctuary - without the benefit of meds or the safety blanket of my husband or parents to meet up with someone who (regardless of any history we have together) is a virtual stranger.... well, it was terrifying. Not just a little scary, not something that made me just a little nervous... terrifying.

I was going to be in a strange place. I had to get there on my own. There were going to be all sorts of people there I didn't know. What if I said something stupid? What if she did? What if we didn't talk at all? What if I got lost? What if I didn't? What if Little Sprout threw fits? What if she did something more embarrassing than that? What if.... what if.... what if????

Yeah, I got that it sounds rather stupid. You really have to be inside my head to have it make sense, and sometimes even then it is baffling. That doesn't make it any less real, though.

So I got up this morning and had myself a nice little anxiety attack. I didn't know what to wear (since my uniform of sweatpants and a grubby T-shirt were out), I couldn't get Little Sprout to cooperate with things, I couldn't find the cooler I wanted for bringing our picnic stuff.... Oh, it was fun!

Then came the drive down there. We got started late, thanks to Little Sprout's constant worrying about her clothing and accessories (c'mon child! Noone cares which shoes you wear!) and general foot-dragging. Then I missed my turn on the way down there, causing us to be just a tad bit later.

I was not a happy camper by the time we pulled into the parking lot 15 minutes late. To start with, I hate being late. Really, really hate it. On top of that, I was flustered, I was scared, I was just all in all done with the whole thing.

Then the funniest thing happened.

I took a deep breath and walked into the visitor center. We met up with my old friend. The two 3 yr olds took off to look around, and the mothers chased after the kids.

And everything was okay.

I had fun. I really, really had fun! I didn't do anything terribly embarrassing, my friend was fun to talk to. We wandered around the zoo, looking at the animals. We wandered through the conservatory, looking at flowers. We talked. It felt.....normal. The girls got along great, and the baby even let me hold his hand (little littles usually don't like me much) while he walked along. We laughed, we got caught up, we generally enjoyed the day.

Today, I realised that I can get out and socialise. I discovered that I don't necessarily need my meds to overcome my issues. I finally figured out that I don't have to let my anxiety be a prison.

Most of all, I just enjoyed myself.

Taking My Mind Off The Pain

Well, ladies and gents, I recently had 3 teeth extracted. They promptly developed dry socket, so I thought I would distract myself from the misery currently residing in my mouth to tell you about the Family Vacation Mr. Barefoot and I are planning for early summer. This will be our very first Family Vacation (you can't forget the capital letters, because this is a Very Important Event)!

We are planning on going to.... (drum roll, please)......


California, by way of Yellowstone!


Mr. Barefoot's father and stepmother live in CA, so we are actually heading out to visit them. However, I am not above hijacking the trip to see and do a few other things that are on my "Do before you die" list. Not that I am not excited about visiting the in-laws, cuz I love them. I truly do. But there are NATURAL WONDERS to be seen both on the drive out there and while we are in CA, so I am going to take advantage of it while I can.

I found out that one of the routes for driving from MN to CA would take us right past Yellowstone National Park. This route isn't much longer than a more southern route, and it offers us the chance to spend a day and a half hitting the highlights of the park. We will spend the night here (hopefully), giving me a rest from driving and taking the opportunity to take pics of the Sprouts at Old Faithful and the hot springs. If time and $$ weren't an issue, I would like to stay for a few days. Time and $$ are always an issue, however, so one day and one night are all we have to spend in this gorgeous place.




I am incredibly lucky that my in-laws live a bare 2 1/2 hours from Yosemite Valley. So while we are visiting, at least one day will be devoted to seeing at least the high points to be found at this wonderful park. We will be in CA for around 10 days, so I am hoping to convince Mr. Barefoot to spend at least one night in Yosemite, but he is not the camping type and this visit IS really about visiting his family, so I don't know that I will win that particular debate. I am so looking forward to seeing again the mountains and trees that are so different from anything you can find in MN.


If time permits (and I am not overly optimistic) I would like to take the time to go down from Yosemite Valley to Mariposa Grove and see the Giant Sequoias. Just the thought of those giant trees gives me a shiver! If it doesn't work out, though, I will be more than happy seeing Half-Dome and Bridal Veil Falls at the very least.

We will be heading out the first week of June, and so I hope that the falls will all be running fairly full and the crowds will be minimal. Nothing ruins gorgeous scenery like piles of tourists (never mind that I am one) making noise, blocking the view, and generally getting in the way.

That sounds a little anti-social doesn't it? Oh, well, I suppose it does. But it's true, all the same.

The last place on my "must see" list is John Muir Woods, way across the state from Yosemite. Here I will get to see some of the coastal redwoods, though perhaps they won't be as large or perfect as those found further north along the coast. This is my compromise, though, as John Muir Woods National Monument is about 3.5 hours from the in-laws place, as opposed to a full day's drive further north to see some of the larger parks.



Being the list maker and planner that I am, I have piles papers listing all the places I would like to see and all the things I would like to do while we are in CA. Any of them we can fit in will be amazing, but I keep reminding myself that we are there to visit family, not feed my desire for wandering in the wilderness.

I am so looking forward to bringing the Sprouts with me on this adventure! Little Sprout is probably too young to remember it, but Big Sprout will make memories that will last her a lifetime. And I don't mean to make it sound as if I am not looking forward to visiting with my father in law and his adorable wife, either. I absolutely love spending time with the both of them, and am very much looking forward to showing off how big the little "critter-bait" (Little Sprout) has gotten. I look forward to introducing Big Sprout to yet another Grandma for the first time. I look forward to re-meeting their friends (all wonderful folks) and taking the time to just BREATHE for a change. I am hoping for a quick trip up the mountain for Pie In The Sky Pizza (maybe even with artichokes??? YUM!!!), and a bowl of homemade gumbo.

But I gotta say, I am REALLY looking forward to the big trees.

Ren Fest 2009

We made it this year! Yay!

I love the Renaissance Festival here in MN. I love the sights, the sounds, the FOODS. Little Sprout loved the Hobbit hole, but got very upset when she couldn't find "Elbow".

Little Sprout loved this tortoise, too. I think she would have happily chased it around the entire fair. She got her face painted, and conned a pair of fairy wings out of Grandpa.

Big Sprout got herself a cute little stuffed puppy, a feathered hair ornament, and a flowered garland. She had a blast, and didn't wanna go home.

It was a good time, but I am just too tired to tell you all about it..... maybe tomorrow.