Nathan's Wedding!

Saturday, January 19th was the wedding day for Nate and Kristine!  Their wedding was lovely.  They were married by John Detrick in Arnold, and the reception was at Sequoia Woods Country Club.

 

Nate planned carefully his dance with his mother.  He had

a tape of Joan singing a favorite lullaby as their song.  We all cried!

 

Uncle Nate is a favorite with both of his nephews!  This is Blake with his

grandmother.  So cute!

                                                  Paul and Joan finally got to relax, too!

Caleb Erquiaga Arrived

Caleb Michael arrived on April 21, 2013!!!  Here are Heather and Caleb on his birthday!

Proud Daddy cuddles with his new son!!!

 

 Collin welcomes his little brother to the family!

Nana drove all day to hold her new grandson and play with Collin!

Christmas with the Erquiaga's

Daddy and Collin and a Christmas hug!

 

                                                    After Christmas morning and brunch, Melissa,
                                                    Josh, and I went for a walk and then headed to
                                                    the local park with Collin.  Nothing like slides,
                                                    jungle gyms, and dinosaur riding toys for all
                                                    ages!

                                           Happy smiles with Auntie Lissa!!!

 

 

Collin and his dad are in deep concentration as they learn

how to use the Cars' computer!

 

                                         Josh and Heather picked Melissa up at her Grandmother
                                         Jeannette's in Pomona on Christmas Eve, as they returned
                                         from the Erquiaga family's celebration.  She and Collin played
                                         cars on Christmas morning.  We all played various games
                                         throughout the day:  Go Fish, Chutes and Ladders, and the
                                         new Squirrel Game!  It is so much fun to celebrate
                                          Christmas with a three-year-old!!!!

                                       Collin's teacher at pre-school gave him a couple of
                                       ornaments he had made.  Here he is seriously placing
                                       them on the tree!

                                                  Collin and Heather figured out how to play
                                                  the Squirrel Game for us before the real match
                                                  began.  Uncle Tom and Aunt Danie arrived with
                                                  the perfect gift once again!!!
                                                   

 

Josh and Heather's good friends, the Grays, joined us

for Christmas dinner of tamales, salsa, Spanish rice, and

spinach salad!  Yum!!!  Olivia and Charlotte, their girls,

arrived in their Christmas jammies, too cute!!!  Heather

had almost the same nightgown when she was little!

 

                                          Collin and Auntie Lissa cuddled before bed!

We are so blessed by our family and friends.  I

hope you had a wonderful Christmas, too.

Tom and I head to Medford on Friday to

celebrate with Dad.  We missed him!!!

Thanksgiving with Melissa and Dana

     I left Yucaipa and headed to Cayucos to celebrate Thanksgiving with Melissa and Dana.  They have fixed up their apartment so that it is very cute and comfy!

    They served ham, mashed potatoes, little potatoes, yams, spinach salad, and asparagus!  In addition, Melissa baked corn bread.  We were stuffed, appropriate for Thanksgiving.  For dessert, they served blackberries and raspberries over ice cream.

   Dana's mother and step-father joined them for dinner.  We had a lovely visit.

   I left for Murphys after dinner.  Fortunately,  the fog I encountered only lasted from Kerman to a little south of Merced.  I was pretty tired by the time I got home!  But, I had a great week!

November Excusions!

Melissa and Dana came home to meet the twins!  Yes,

Melissa's herd is growing!  Here are the newest members.

She also arrived to help celebrate the November birthdays!

 

 

                                        Here is her two-year-old bull.  He is huge!!!  She
                                        is considering selling him.  Anyone interested in a bull?

                                                    
                                            Some dogs are just loved, like Haley!

                                                Dana and Melissa took me out for dinner on my
                                         birthday.  We went to Sarafina's in Arnold, mmmm!!
                                         I left for Heather's on Sunday.  Collin and I began
                                         playing immediately.  We constructed a great train
                                         track and played trains!

                                         On Tuesday, I got to watch one of Collin's swimming
                                         lessons.  He is learning all of the basics - Swim for the side!

                                                  
                                                           Kick!  Kick!  Kick!!!

                                                               Float with a big belly!

                                                                     Dive in!!!

                                                      Collin's a happy swimmer!

                                                             His mommy is proud of him!

Denise and Dave Visit

     Denise and I represent a three-generation friendship. Our grandfathers met when they were both working for the men's wear store.  Denise's grandfather was my grandfather's boss.  The families became friends, and they took joint vacations.  On one of those vacations, they went to Rosarita Beach in Baja California.  Our mothers became friends at the age of eight.  After our mothers married and started families of their own, they would visit each other weekly.  I have fond memories of swimming in Denise's family's pool in Reseda.  Her family joined ours over the years for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Now, Denise and I stay in contact despite the fact that she now lives in Colorado and I still live in California.

 

     This July, after I returned from Chicago, Denise and her husband Dave visited for a few days. We had a wonderful visit.  It was fun to show Dave around a part of California he had never seen.

We drove up Highway 4 to Mosquito Lake and down into Hermit Valley.  Ebbett's Pass is one of my favorite haunts!

 

 

                                        
                                         We drove back to Alpine Lake, where my children and I camped
                                          each summer with friends, and hiked into Duck Lake.
                                          I had never completed this hike, so I was excited to
                                         try a new trail.

                                          When we returned from Duck Lake, we walked along the
                                          shoreline of Lake Alpine.  It is a beautiful lake surrounded
                                          by pines and granite!  It is one of my favorite local spots.

                                        For the remainder of their stay, we visited Sonora and

                                        went wine tasting in Murphys. Below, Dave is cooling

                                        his feet in Murphys Creek in the park.

 

                                           

 

                                       Then, they left to join

                                        Denise's brother, Greg, and his family in Yosemite.  I

                                        drove over to spend the day with them.  I hadn't seen

                                        Greg since he was in high school.  I met his wife, his daughter

                                        Jennifer and her boyfriend.

                                         This is the view we are blocking!

                                                 
                                          Once we were on the valley floor, we met some very tame
                                          deer.

                                         Denise and Jennifer were very happy to reconnect!

 

 

We decided to get some exercise and hiked part way up

the Yosemite Falls' Trail.

 

                                          

                                               By the time we hiked down, it was time to return
                                               to Greg's campsite for dinner.  I had to say farewell
                                              to my good friends and drive back to Murphys.  We
                                              will look forward to our next adventure!