Kids Got Talent

Lately they have had some fantastic new singers on Britain's Got Talent. Check out this 10 year old girl and know you can do anything you want in this life! We are all talents yet to be discovered! Try lots of new things~you might be surprised what Heavenly Father has given just to you!

Photo Shoot~Reward!

One Happy Little Guy!
Don't you love the gianormous spoon someone gave him?
Supervision and photo by Grampa

Saturday Morning~Farewell!

Our last morning was really fun we had a pancake breakfast and then we were off to the yard to try to get a good family photo of Chris and Missy, Connor, Aynslee, Zachary and Owen. Can you guess how many photos Jim took? Tons and in most something was just a little off but they are all cute.

Here is one I like of their family.

Here is a couple of Jim and me that are passable for a couple of old duffers! We were trying to duplicate a pose from another photo of us that is OK but it wasn't totally successful!

Here's one of Chris and Missy

And since we had to do every possible combination
Here is one of Jim and me and the kiddos...

As we were doing all of this Aunt Gail was able to come over and so we got her into the act also. Here she is on the teeter totter she bought for the each of the families of our children. We are keeping Spencer's and Ross' while they are in Italy.

I for one loved this time with everyone.
It was just great to be together!
I know Grampa agrees 100%

The San Francisco Museum of Science

The San Francisco Museum of Science has been under reconstruction and renovation for several years. It just recently reopened and the changes are pretty spectacular. We picked up Grandma Gloria and took off for The City fairly early in the day. Being Easter Vacation week it was pretty crowded which is one reason why I am not a big museum fan. You pay a lot of money to stand in big lines but that is OK...the kids enjoyed it very much.

The museum has a wonderful three story rain forest that I did enjoy very much although it was pretty humid. It was filled with beautiful trees and tropical plants and birds and the biggest surprise for us...there were many beautiful butterflies. The butterflies, in a rainbow array of exotic colors were landing on people. One landed in my hair and the next thing we knew one landed on the baby carrier right in front of Owen's big blue eyes.

Look closely on Christopher's back to see
the black and orange butterfly that has Owie mesmerized!

When we got on the elevator we were to look in the mirror provided to make sure we were not exiting with butterflies on us. The aquarium is really neat and under the rain forest. The floor of the rain forest is glass so you can see the people walking around underground in the aquarium. It was really cool from down below as well as up above. The kids enjoyed all the creatures and fish and the immense tanks are very tranquil. One thing that was unusual was an albino alligator along with the green cami ones.

The Entry to the Museum
flickr photo from an insider.
It was full of people when we walked in.

Alligator

One of the two remaining attractions from the previous museum~
The pendulum measuring the rotation of the earth.

3 Story Rain Forest

Boy do I miss this kid!

Having a little moment with our son! Rare and really awesome!

The ceiling is the rain forest floor!

The bunny ears follows us everywhere!

Don't the kids look little?

Jim's Mom with her great grandkids~she is amazing for 82!

I don't know how it happened that we only have a couple
of photos of Missy's back and none of Grampa! Sorry guys!
Nice haircut, Missy!

Melissa
The beauty of blogging and being behind..
you can add in a different day's photo!

On our walk back to the car to go for Pizza!

Italian Picnic and S'Mores

The day before the kids arrived we had a very freaky hail storm. We didn't know the weather would be so wonderful on our perfect day in the yard. So we cooked a variety of pasta sauces and had a spaghetti bar for dinner. It was so nice we decided to eat outside on the spur of the moment. We invited Grandma Gloria and Uncle Steve and Aunt Emily and Uncle Gary and Aunt Marilyn over for dinner. Gary and Marilyn couldn't make it but after dinner, Michael and Thomas stopped over to say "Hi" to the kids and joined us for the marshmallow roast. The menu was a big hit with the kids!

Backyard Fun!

You know how when you daydream about the way you want things to be and then in reality it is not always quite so perfect? Well, for 30 something years Jim and I have had this vision of the perfect day in the garden with kids and grandkids and I think this weekend we realized we had it. The first day that Chris, Melissa and the kids were here we just hung out at home and visited and played all day long and it was so amazingly fun and relaxing. Life is suppose to be just like this but, more often!

This was the first time in ages..months and months that our little snow babies have been able to run and play outside and breathe deeply of the fresh air. They played and played, long and hard and had a great day. These were some stellar grandparenting moments for Jim and me. Double click to enlarge any of the photos.

Missy and the boys.
Zach is not sticking out his tongue
he is just eating a vanilla wafer~hands free.

Tetter-tottering...so much fun!

The things we forget to notice when we grow up!

I knew this big ball had a better purpose!
Aynslee loves this mid-air ~ funny hair photo

Christopher back in his boyhood stomping grounds..

Mr. Conner!

Owie having a treat!

Owen playing tether ball and bouncing another..
yes, our grandkids are exceptionally talented at a young age!

Zach enjoying his cousin Ross' scooter!

Aynslee found some weeds that looked like pompoms and cheered for her Grampa in his basketball game. We played a game of Horse and guess who won? Gramma Bonbon! Surprisingly~I played basketball as a kid! A little rusty but... hey...I won!

Lots of tree climbing by all the boys and Aynslee

Aynslee can keep up just fine with any boy!

Zachy looking down into the pond and
inching his way out on the boulders

Daddy explaining why the big brothers had to stay clear
of the pond's edge because Owen always wants to do
what the big kids do and it wasn't safe for him.
Connor fell in once,
Aynslee fell in twice
Zach fell in once,
But Owen...not at all!
Mission Accomplished!

Oh and Sweet Missy tirelessly did the laundry... :-)

The kids spent hours around the pond and waterfall. They were so busy throwing things in and then skimming them out. They built canoes from big ivy and fig leaves, pitched in countless pine cones, rocks and twigs and sticks. (Lucky Grampa!) But he didn't mind. They had a ball.

Zach with his pool skimmer

Chris leaping for joy in his secret garden!

Climbing a tree and remembering his
boyhood friends, Steve, Josh and Andrew

Monkey see...monkey do!

Wheelbarrowing down the hill at warp speed..
this is better than Disneyland!
Best E Ticket in town!

Owie thought these citronella bombs were pretty fascinating

Nice lay up, Son!

Owen by the pond!

Grampa, Zachary, Chris and Aynslee soaking up the sun.
They had 500 plus miles of snow and rain driving out here!