We've Been Busy!

We've been so busy the last couple of months, and I got behind on my blog, so now it's time for an update. Since our trip to Yosemite in July, we have taken a couple more small trips to the mountains and the beach, Brian traveled to Haiti for a mission trip and to Phoenix for a football game, school has started, and the girls are knee-deep in their after school activities!

On July 31st, we drove down to LA for my sister's birthday. We took her and Gabe out to dinner, but on our way to her house, we trekked around Los Angeles to see a few sights.

Sarah at the Chinese Theater

Santa Monica Beach

Before the end of summer, Sarah and her friends wanted a day at the beach. I was happy to be the chauffeur/chaperone, and Katie was happy to come along! We went to Zuma Beach in Malibu, and it was perfect! The water was not too cold, the beach was huge and not too crowded and the sun was warm!

Sarah and her friends Emma and Morgan

During the first week of August, Brian went to Haiti on a Living Water mission trip with a group from our old church in Cypress. They drilled and installed a clean water well that will serve a community of over 2,000 people! Brian was thankful to be able to go on this trip and serve, and I know he also enjoyed spending a week with some of his favorite men from CFCC.

LWI well dedication

Cap-Haitien

Bob, Brian, and Will toasting coconuts

School started on August 17th. Sarah was so nervous about starting a new school, but Katie was excited about getting back to school and seeing her friends again. Katie and Sarah are both having a great school year so far. We've settled right into our weekly routines and things are going smoothly!

First Day of School

Brian had a guys weekend with his Tech buddies. They all met up in Phoenix for the Texas Tech v. Arizona State football game. Tech had a disappointing loss, but Brian and the boys still had a great weekend together. 

Sarah joined a cheer team over the summer and they have been practicing several times a week since June. The weekly football games started in August and we have been spending our Saturdays watching her do her thing! She absolutely loves it! 

 

Katie is still taking her piano lesson and she started a hip hop dance class, which she is enjoying so far. She's also doing Cotillion this year with her best little friend, Julia. They've had one meeting so far and they learned the Cha-Cha, practiced posture and conversation techniques, and played a little dancing game. It was really cute to watch them learn all about manners and etiquette. She had a great time dressing up with Julia!

Last weekend, we went camping in Sequoia National Park. We arrived after dark on Friday, but it didn't take long to get our tent set up and make our beds. We came prepared for the chilly nights with wool blankets and long underwear, and we slept great! Saturday morning was chilly! After bacon and eggs for breakfast, we went on the Congress Trail hike in the Giant Forest. They weren't kidding when they said Giant!!!

After lunch, we went on a tour of Crystal Cave, a marble cave in Sequoia. It was pretty neat. I've never been in a marble cave before and it was beautiful! 

We spent the rest of Saturday afternoon at the campsite. The girls played frisbee and threw the football around. Brian built a campfire and I read my book. We had hotdogs for dinner and s'mores for dessert (of course!!) Then Katie entertained us with a scary story that she made up. It was a great camping trip. We might have to do it again!

An Awesome Place!

We just got back from our vacation to Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe, and I can say that both of those places are truly Awesome! I could never get tired of such amazing scenery. Here are the highlights of our trip:

Day 1- we arrived at Yosemite NP through the south entrance near Wawona. Unfortunately, Mariposa Grove is closed for restoration through next summer, so we were not able to see the Giant Sequoias there. Instead, the guide at the visitor's center directed us to a great little swimming spot under a swinging bridge nearby. It was a beautiful introduction to Yosemite. We also toured the Pioneer Yosemite History Center before driving up through the park to our hotel, the Yosemite View Lodge.

Day 2- we started in the morning with a short hike to McGurk Meadow. The wildflowers were beautiful and the bees were buzzing! It was an eerie feeling walking through the meadow with the sound of constant buzzing in your ears. After that, we drove up Glacier Point road and stopped at Washburn Point and Glacier Point for some amazing views of Yosemite Valley. Then we (minus Sarah who stayed in the car) did a 2 mile hike to Taft Point, which was incredible and scary. You could walk right up to the edge of a cliff! The views along Glacier Point were the highlight of the trip for Brian.

Day 3- our first day in the Valley. We hiked the Mist Trail up to Vernal Falls, which was the most difficult hike we did in Yosemite. It was quite steep! But worth it! Sarah went all the way up to the falls and got wet! After that, we were pretty wiped out, so we took the shuttle over to the Ahwahnee Hotel and relaxed with some cocktails on the porch while the girls played on the lawn.

Day 4- another fun day in the Valley. We started with a hike to Mirror Lake, which was almost dried up. Then, after a picnic lunch, we rented a raft and spent the next 2 1/2 hours leisurely rafting down a 3-mile stretch of the Merced River. This was probably my favorite activity. The views of the valley from the river were really cool! We also found a little rope swing that the girls had fun with- swinging out and dropping into the river. The water was very cold though, so they popped right out and back into the raft! Before heading back to the hotel, Brian and I hiked the short path to Lower Yosemite Falls.

Day 5- our last day in Yosemite, we drove up to Tuolumne Meadows. We hiked to Soda Springs and had a picnic lunch along the creek. I had planned on spending some time swimming in Tenaya Lake, but the water was too cold! It sure was beautiful though! After lunch, we exited Yosemite through Tioga Pass and drove to Lake Tahoe. We met our longtime family friend Rhonda Keen and her husband Jeff for dinner in South Lake Tahoe. It's been a long long time since I've seen her, so it was really nice to spend an evening with her.

Day 6- we rented a boat and spent about 4 hours on the lake. We also rented a tube, which the girls really enjoyed, after they got over their fear of the cold deep water!! It is so clear, you can see about 80+ feet down into the water!! After a day on the lake, we were wiped, so we got a pizza and took it back to the hotel and called it a night!

Day 7- super fun beach day! Rhonda and Jeff said that if we only had one beach day, we needed to go to Sand Harbor, so we did...and it was incredible. Again, the scenery is so beautiful! The water was still cold, but slightly warmer in the shallow beach area than the middle of the lake. After a while, you could get used to it and swim around in the water a bit. (I never did though!) We rented a paddle board, which Sarah loved. The water was so calm, so it was easy for her to stand up. Brian took the girls out to a good swimming spot while I relaxed and read my book on the beach! In the evening, we went to a free concert on the beach and watched the sunset. It was a great end to a wonderful vacation!

*Another highlight of our trip was the license plate game. After 5 days in Yosemite, we had seen 47 of the 50 states' license plates. The only ones we lacked were Vermont, Hawaii, and Alaska. We didn't see any new ones in Tahoe. That is the most successful license plate game we've ever had!