Grand Tour Part 2: San Jose

(I vowed I would get these stupid pictures up before Maggie's birthday and since that as YESTERDAY, does it still count if I/we didn't celebrate it and won't celebrate it until Thursday night when we can do it with Eddie?)

After our trip to Yosemite, we drove to Eddie's parent's house in San Jose, CA. And I totally can't believe it, but we didn't take a single picture while we were there. Despite the lack of picture proof, we had a marvelous time! We talked and laughed and learned about family history and played with puppies and watched a new show and really just had a great time with our family. Thank you Haws' for hosting us and letting us hang out. Can't wait for the next time.

Eddie flew home on Monday and we drove over to my Dad's house to spend the week. We had such a wonderful time and I loved showing my kids all the little places I loved as a kid. They loved being able to go outside at any time in the day (unlike Texas where it is too hot to be outside unless you're in water.) They especially love going next door to play with Alisha and their dog Lily.

While we were there I got a chance to connect with some old friends.



Cathy Oliver Percepe (?) and I at her home in Campbell. Cathy and I grew up together from the time we were in Kindergarten. Her brother Mike and my brother Mike were good friends and they lived around the corner from us through elementary school. We would walk to school together and lived for the day we would be in the same class. Hip hip hooray for 3rd and 4th grade! Cathy always managed to get me to try fun and crazy things that I was too afraid to try. She would always laugh when I did stupid/silly things, teach me the lyrics to all the "popular" songs, play barbies in her killer barbie house for hours on end, she never judged me or made me feel stupid, and she always let me tag along with her and her cousin Samm when they got to do amazing things. (I will always remember the time we got to be "sweat girls" for the Stanford basketball game...It was very scary and fun and bouncy.)

Here we are with our sweet girls. The boys were too busy playing outside in the sand box. Thanks Cathy for an awesome trip!

I can't remember the order of my summer anymore, but one of the days we were in San Jose we got to go to my old stomping grounds at Oak Meadow park. My pediatrician used to be across the street from this park and anytime I would have to go to the doctor's my mom would bring me here with a picnic and some playtime. I think her philosophy was, you're already pulled out of school, let's make the most of it. ;)While we were here, I got to spend some time with Janet (Chiba) Williams and Melissa (Panabecker) Altknecht and their adorable children. And thanks to Alisha for coming along to help coral my wild kids.

Nathan and Andrew on top of the old airplane.

Nate, Drew and Claire on top of the old airplane. These three are like three peas in a pod. They LOVE when Janet comes over to play. ;)

Anson and Maggie bonding over some blanket time.

It was so amazing getting to meet Anson and to hold him and love on him...I can't believe he's already so much different from this picture.

My sweet brown-eyed girl.

After a hot day at the park, what better way to cool off than to go swimming in a freezing pool? Lol. The water was so cold the only one wanting to stay in the water was Andrew and I think it was because he has the most body fat out of the three kids. Regardless, they had a great time while it lasted. Here they are toweling off. Side note, if you look in the back you can kind of see Alisha holding Maggie in her arms. Alisha got in the freezing water and played with the kids and helped carry Maggie around and entertained the kids...And I love you Alisha and miss you more than words! Wanna come to college out here in Dallas and live with us? I'd be all for it. ;)

The kids had fun swimming, but they were hilarious in the bathtub. They had so much fun laughing and splashing and playing make-believe with the "little people" in the tub.

My dear, dear Lizzie came over one morning to read to my children. No, she came to play the "catch-up game" and got suckered into reading the boys current favorite book "Going on a bear hunt". She had the boys eating out of the palm of her hand.

Lizzie is soooooo good with children and they respond to her. It makes perfect sense to me that she is a school teacher and she is going to some day be the best mother in the whole wide world. I love her and look up to her and aspire to be as creative and patient and witty as her.

I am so grateful that while I was in San Jose, I got the chance to go to Happy Hollow with Connie and her girls and their children. It was a wonderful day filled with sunshine, laughs, and making new friends. I know this picture is blurry, but it's proof that I was indeed on this trip. The boys, okay Nate, had a great time on the carasol. Drew was scared to death until about half way through the ride and then he loved it too. I don't know what Maggie did...She was on the back. ;)


Scared, but would still take a time-out from crying to smile for a picture. I love this boy!

I think this was the boys favorite thing of the day...the maze! Nate wanted to stay in this maze forever! He loved that he could run around on his own and see me up above him.

Andrew loved the rock climbing wall. Here is Drew's attempt.

And Nate's.

Definitely a highlight of the trip for me was meeting up with Sara (Barnes) Thompsom and Kassie (Doubrava) Grey and getting to meet baby Cooper. We met up in downtown Los Gatos and walked over to the fountains where we sat on a bench and just got caught up. It was heavenly! Plus it was the perfect spot for two little boys to run wild in the water. I let them take off their shirts and go running through the fountains.

I think this has got to be one of my all time favorite pictures of the boys. It just captures their little personalities so well. Nate can be the silliest, happiest little boy when he wants to be. He definitely hams it up for the camera. And Drew just laughs and laughs at Nate. He loves his big brother and wants to be just like him. Overall, they had a GREAT time.

And poor Maggie just sat in her stroller. This was in the pre-crawling era and plus there wasn't really anywhere for her to sit without eating dirt or sticks or grass. She was still adorable and all smiles.

Not a very good shot, but you can see where the boys were running. We'll definitely have to come back to this spot on our next summer grand tour.

I was truly blessed in highschool to have the greatest friends...and to still call this sweet woman my friend. Kassie you are an amazing mother and I can't wait to see Cooper grow and to see you grow as his mom and the wonderful journey you're on. I'm so happy for you!

Sara, Cooper, Tracy and Kassie. Thank you girls for such an amazing afternoon in the glorious California sun. I had a great time and I can't wait to do it again soon. I'm so beyond blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life.