The Dingers in California!

Warning: HUGE BLOG!
Now for round 2!

We went back to California with the Olesens. We left on Saturday night and made our way to wondrous Winnemucca, Nevada where we spent the night. The next day we made our way to Walnut Creek, CA (where Jake is from). We of course had to drive through the Sierra Nevadas, and of course there was puke in the car! YIKES! Tori decided that the roads were a little too windy for her and gave her breakfast to her booster seat.
So of course there was tons of traffic getting back into California too! Minus the smell of puke, the girls were great for me on an 11 hour car ride! We were excited for the washing machine that awaited us at Jake's parent's house! We were all very glad to be out of the car too! We had a fabulous dinner at the Olesen home (as usual) and stuffed to the bone. We then loaded the car one last time and made our way to Alameda.
I love Alameda. It has a fabulous small city feel and it is so quiet. It is also so marvelously cool all of the time...or at least we thought.

Our first morning we decided to take the kids on the Bay walk. Yeah, my sister is that close to the bay that it is a 15 minute walk and you are there! It was unusually hot on the walk. Lora commented that it usually isn't that hot, and I didn't think anything of it until on our way back home. Amazing pics, huh?!We continued our walk along the ponds that run through Alameda neighborhoods. We stopped at some parks and Tori actually played in the sand...and as you can see LOVED it. The last time we were in California (just a year ago) she wouldn't set her foot in the stuff! She is still afraid of the jungle gyms, but I bet this time next year she will be all over that too! She loves to swing in the big girl swing too! Oscar showed me his amazing jumping and climbing skills. He is such a monkey and really has no fear! I LOVE that picture of Liv. I caught her off guard, because she usually gives me a silly face when I am trying to take a picture of her (she really is hilarious!).Oscar loves Brooke so much. I tried with all of my might to get a good picture of Brooke and him together, but no such luck. Brookie chilled with us in the shade while the kids played in the park. This is when we thought to ourselves...it is only 11 and it is this hot already?! What is up with that? On our way back I was dripping sweat down my back! (I know that is graphic, but this hardly happens in Alameda!)Well, my Dad just happens to call during his lunch break and comments on the fact that it is going to be 92*. I said, "Oh Dad, we are in Alameda now, not in Meridian." and he said, "I know, it is actually only 77* in Meridian today!" WHAT??? So apparently, I came to Alameda again during their 3 day heat wave. Day 1 was sweltering because we were not prepared. We didn't leave the windows open at the right time. It took us all of our energy to keep our eyes open. We let all of the kids run around in their undies and diapers in the house to stay cool! If only Lora and I could have done that! And to top it off we decided to make a delicious cake in the OVEN! We were nuts! Tori loved jumping on the trampoline though. This might be an investment that we make in the near future. She was on that thing anytime the patio doors were open!So basically for 3 days we melted in the Alameda heat and the only reprieve was an air conditioned car ride and trips to the grocery store! Ha ha ha! At night Lora and I watched girly movies and shows (sorry Jake! I didn't mean to steal away your wife every night...I just miss hanging out with her!) and we hung out with the kiddos during the day. Tori loved all of Livy's toys. She had a blast with the princess vanity and this remote control My Little Pony scooter. She loved Fredo (a nice kitty!) and there was always a constant "Uh-cle" whenever Uncle Jake was around. Isn't Oscar so handsome?! Oh that kid is going to be a heart breaker! Lora made her famous chocolate chip cookies (on a much cooler regular Alameda day) and captured the girls eating together on the patio bench with their princesses. Tori loves Aurora, although she has never seen Sleeping Beauty and Livers had Belle. (I am trying not to call Livy Livers anymore because I apparently got a lot of weird looks in parking lots calling the cutest girl Livers!) Tori and Liv's love and hate relationship continued in California. When it was good, they held hands, sang songs and shared tutus. When it was bad, well, we just won't go there!

Jason came to join us in beautiful Alameda after a week of slight disaster in Meridian. Apparently there was a huge wind storm that blew over our beautiful curly willow tree in our backyard (luckily onto the maple tree to the side of it and not onto the house!) and a whole bunch of shingles from our roof. Jason was a bit stressed with the removal of the tree and then finding someone to take care of the roof al while working full time! Yikes. But Jason was welcomed with open arms and excited screams from Oscar.

Our first morning we went to the park with the munchkins and Lora and I managed to get the one and only picture of us together! Oscar loved pushing Brooke on the swings, while Liv and Tori shoveled their way to China in the sand. It is so much fun to see our kids together! I wish that we could do this more than once or twice a year!

Oscar LOVES Brooke. I think that he would have kept her if he could. He was very proud to put her on his shoulder! Uncle Jason also read to the girls to get them ready for the night!

What says Princess more than a makeover?! Livy Lou made me over! My hair was fabulous! I love all of her little faces, so make sure that you click on the picture to make it bigger.

Brookie photo shoot in the blue egg chair! SO CUTE!

Mmmm! Nothing says California than In-N-Out! Mmmm...Oscar got to have some fries for the first time in a long time, so we documented. The bird...well, Tori wanted a picture of the birds that were attacking all of the left over fries that people discarded. It was quite the different little bird.

Saturday we took a field trip to Walnut Creek again! We always get good food there and we get to swim! Oscar can dive! Tori didn't like the water all that much this year, but she did look fashionable in the goggles and stayed comfy on a whole chair of warm towels. We of course all crowded into the hot tub because the other part of the pool is not heated and it was soooo cold!

It was baby Brookie's first pool experience and oh doesn't she look so cute in her little suit. Lora bought the Princess mobile at CVS pharmacy for $2! Lora caught all of these amazing pictures of Brookie enjoying the pool with all of us! Brooke's last move in the pool, dunking her face in the water. After a few tears and a warm towel, she was fine. Ha ha ha.

Here is my favorite. Do you see those eyes! All I did to the picture was add in shadow! She is gorgeous (and ghostly white!)

Well, we went home on Sunday after we went to church. Jake gave a talk on the Beatitudes and got called as the early morning seminary teacher! I would have loved him as a teacher! We almost left pink blanket in Alameda, but a quick trip back to the house and we retrieved it! That would have been a disaster! The ride home went well (no puke!), the girls really are quite amazing in the car and they even napped well. We pulled into the driveway before midnight too! What a trip. Can't wait until we get together again!