Memorial Weekend 2009

Well, we had big plans for camping at Buckhorn for the weekend and we were about to start loading up our camping gear when I decided to check the weather. After we saw it was going to reach mid-60s for the highs in Wrightwood (lower elevation than Buckhorn) we decided to wait until it got a little warmer to camp there. So, we hiked up to Switzer Falls with the Browers, which turned out tobe a very long hike, but it was nice and shady and the boys did great!

We decided the falls weren't worth the hike, but at least we've done it.

On Monday the boys chose Travel Town over Knotts. I swear! Everytime we go there they are as excited as the first time! They can't get enough of this place! This was also the day their little cousin, William entered the world! I can't wait to see him next week!

Tom Sawyer's Island at Disneyland

Our Family Is Falling Apart

The top of our piano normally looks like this:
But tonight when we came home from the Field's house after there had been a 5.0 earthquake, we came home to this:

Some figurines had also fallen off one of our shelves. This is the first quake I've been in that has made things fall to the floor. It was short, but a good jolt and rolling. We really need to get ready for more!

Anne's First Overnighter

As the second part of our extended anniversary (the first part being Medeival Times and a night at the Radisson and no Knott's the next day because I had the 24-hour flu), Matt and I ditched the boys and headed for the mountains. This was my first attempt at an overnight hiking trip. I have to say that I was really nervous about how I would do with a pack, since I can't handle carrying a purse around town. Thankfully, Matt carried twice the weight I did and it felt more like a nice walk.

Spring is definitely the time to be in the mountains. It was so green and beautiful!

We camped at Hogees at about 3,000 ft. 2.5 miles in (a baby hike, but Matt wanted me to enjoy my first hiking experience!). The next day we hiked out of Hogees and up to Sturdavent Falls and then up the worst .6 miles I've ever done (about 4 mi.).

Amazingly, I slept better than I can remember while camping! It was so nice to camp withOUT the boys, just Matt and I. Thanks Dad and Pam! I'm ready for more!

Knott's with Grandma Lee

We fed the roosters and their newborns.
The ducks too.

Rode the horse -drawn carraige.

Saw the city on the Sky Cabin and rode some rides.

Griffith Observatory with FamiLee

We spent a lovely day up "north" on Saturday. Micah, Ben and Jon and crew met us at the observatory for a get together for mother's day.

We watched "Water Is Life" in the planetarium.Then headed to Burbank for lunch at Chevy's Where the kids wrestled, ate, and lounged with their uncles.

Jon and crew left and we decided to see Disney's Earth which was amazing! Here's a pic of the boys before the movie playing games on their iPhones. Good times.

Maritime Museum

We picked up grandma at LAX for the mother's day weekend on friday. We had originally decided to go to Pt. Fermin, but on the way I remembered that the boys still hadn't been to the Maritime Museum on the port in SP. So, we changed plans and instead of McDonalds, we went to Acapulco that was right next door to the museum. It was one of my favorite places to go for lunch when I worked in SP and where I had also taken mom and Jon before. It is a beautiful place to relax and eat. So, I knew the boys would love it. We had a table by the sea. The boys were too busy spotting a stingray (not witnessed by an adult), crabs, and starfish to eat much food.

Then we walked over to the museum. There were lots of cool things outside to look at.

Before we really got exploring, the Angels Gate trolley rolled by.
They were working on renovating the old line before I quit working. Of course the boys were enamored, so we decided to take a ride. It just happened to be free for the mother's day weekend!

We took it to the end of the line and back to the museum to continue our tour.

Spring Break 2009

RED CLIFFS

On Saturday of Matt's spring break we saw that early the following week the weather would be great at Red Cliffs in southern Utah. That determined our plans. We got ready and left early monday morning. We happened to get my favorite family camping spot we had when I was a child that has the perfect climbing rocks attached to it.

My sister, Lisa, and I called this the "Quiet Cove".

We called up some old friends of ours that moved to St. George a few years ago and they dropped by to catch up and roast some hot dogs and marshmallows. The moon was so bright that night we could hardly see the stars! It was casting shadows like the sun and it was so light that I could climb up the rocks without a flashlight!
The next day we hiked up the river. I wish these pictures could do the beauty justice!

Below is what Seth called the "broken pirate ship."

Amazing!!

This is our classic Lee family foto area. Later when we got to grandma Lee's we compared this to our old one with the seven kids. I'll have to get that from mom and add it in.
On the way back, Isaac ran ahead of me. Just at the point I was thinking I should have caught up with him, I called out his name. That was when I heard the "gunfire" and saw that I was standing right in front of a cove we had discovered on the hike up. And in it was my little sharpshooter who had sneakily been waiting for me to pass.

Nothing beats southern Utah!

(This is a small 1/2 mile walk. Red Cliffs is right off the 15 at Leeds. I think we'll be stopping here more often during our Utah trips for a great picnic spot or rest stop)