Beach Day

Saturday was g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. so we decided to take advantage of the day and head to the beach. First thing in the morning we went to the track. McKay ran another 1 1/2 -2 miles while Jordan ran 5 miles. Then we made lunch and headed to our favorite beach in Santa Cruz, Twin Lakes State Beach. It was a little cool when we got there but it warmed up. McKay was 'really really happy all going beach' and couldn't wait to get there.

Apparently, peanut butter and jelly tastes even better on the beach (if that is possible) because after every bite of his sandwich, McKay turned to me with a big grin and said 'good peanut butter n jelly sandwich Mommy'. I Love it! McKay knows how to spell his name and loved having Jordan write it in the sand. When we ask him what it says he'll either say 'me!' or 'Kay!' When we went back to our blanket he kept saying 'me go?'

McKay also enjoyed searching for sea shells and actually found quite a few. This is the first time he has taken an interest in sea shells and I think it is because he re-discovered his very first book, a touch and feel book, that has sea shells in it.

When it was time to go, McKay frantically kept saying, 'no ready no ready' so we had to bargain, one more bucket, one more dump with your dump truck etc. Today he wanted to go back to the beach again. Fun memories!

Here I am at 37 weeks. May is just around the corner!

Hike n Hike

Thursday night, Jordan and a bunch of guys from our ward met at a park and played football. After McKay picked up all the trash around us and put it in the garbage, I realized what he was doing on the sidelines. He was copying the guys as they'd squat and then jump up, run, and throw the ball when they said 'hike'.

Jordan didn't think he'd gotten that great of a work out (meaning his shirt wasn't totally drenched!) but he was sore for a few days after playing football. McKay had a lot of fun watching and mimicking the guys and is getting really good at throwing, catching, and kicking balls.

Saturday we went to Portola Redwoods State Park. This was the first time we've used the hiking backpack this summer (how'd that happen?!?) and Jordan was pleased with all the cinching up (follow the link to the last time he wore the backpack - about 9 months ago) he had to do to get it to fit him again. The picture on the top right is mushrooms growing on/in the tree and the bottom left is Tiptoe Falls. We'll have to go see the falls again in the winter when it is more than a trickle! I am always amazed at just how tall the redwoods really are!

This is on the Sequoia Nature Trail. The portion of the tree behind Jordan was the largest tree in the park, though still not as big as the trees in Big Basin; it was burned & killed by a campers fire.

Tiptoe Falls

These trees go on for-ev-er!

It was a perfect day to be in the mountains and we all enjoyed hiking for a few hours. There are so many trails and beautiful things to see. We have one more hike planned before we go camping and hiking in Yosemite for Labor Day.

Play Play Play

Monday, July 6th was the last day of the 4th of July sales at the Outlets in Gilroy so we spent the day there shopping. There were lots of really good sales so I actually got some Christmas shopping done too. :) We had lunch at In-N-Out - Um um good!

Tuesday morning we walked to the park and spent the afternoon at home so McKay could actually take a nap. Chantelle was able to add tons of music to her mp3 player.

Wednesday was the hottest day of the week (around 80 degrees) so we decided to go to the beach after McKay woke up from his nap. It was a beautiful evening and we all had a great time. We were even able to find free parking at Twin Lakes State Beach, our favorite beach so far.

McKay was so fun to watch. He loves the beach. He'd run from the water up to a specific spot on the dry sand on the beach, stand there for a few seconds smiling and then take off running back down to the water. Back and forth. Endless entertainment!

There is something so relaxing and calming about the ocean. We enjoyed eating our 'dinner' as we watched the sun set. So beautiful!

Thursday morning we went to Santana Row. We had fun window shopping (Gucci, Chico's, Footcandy etc) and enjoying another taste of Europe. There is housing upstairs and stores & restaurants downstairs as well as a beautiful hotel. There is a 'Chess' area with the huge pieces pictured above as well as other little chess tables on the perimeter.

One of the many fountains at Santana Row. We always stop at the fountains to please a little boy. :)

Thursday night Chantelle watched McKay while Jordan and I played racquetball at a health club we got a day pass to. We haven't played raquetball since we were in AZ for Thanksgiving in 2007 so it was a lot of fun. Jordan has been exercising a lot so he wasn't too sore but I felt like I could feel every muscle in my body every time I moved for several days after that.

Friday evening we went to dinner at Boston Market and then went to Stanford University in Palo Alto to show Chantelle around. The architecture is amazing! It is such a beautiful campus.

Saturday morning we got up early and went to Jordan's company breakfast. We were close to the airport so I took Chantelle over so she could fly out at 9 am. I miss having someone to eat lunch with and talk to during the day. We really enjoyed having 'C' with us!

Seacliff Beach

McKay likes to wear his sunglasses but they are still a little big for his face. He does his best to keep them on.

Check out that grin! This kid loves going to the beach. I brought all his sand toys as well as a few other containers and a spoon for playing in the sand. What did he play with the most? The spoon!

When we got out of the car McKay said 'yay!' Seacliff is a state beach and the parking by the beach was full so we had to park up the hill from the beach and he couldn't even see where we were. He just knew he was happy to be out of the car and we were going to have fun.

McKay enjoyed 'finding' his feet buried in the sand after the water went back out. It also helped pass the time between waves - he was excited for the next wave to come!

The water was pretty cold but McKay loved being in it, especially out in the waves with Jordan. He was shivering but when we asked him if he was cold he'd say 'no, more more more'. He shivered when the wave hit them and then he'd say 'yay!' We can't help but smile every time McKay says 'yay!'

We had not even left the parking lot yet when McKay was asleep. He cried and cried when we had to say 'bye bye' to the ocean. It was a perfect day at the beach. We'll be back!

Another Visit

This past weekend, Jordan's parents came from Idaho to visit us. They got here Friday February 27 and left Tuesday morning, March 3. Sounds like a long visit, but it was only 3 1/2 days. ;) Unfortunately, McKay woke up Saturday morning with a fever of 102 and a rash. We just thought we'd be healthy! Maybe next time.

Lucky for them, they came during another storm! So, we went to San Francisco the day there was the least chance of rain and it was a beautiful day. We didn't even wear jackets part of the day, and that is saying something for San Francisco. We started out at the huge farmers market they have every Saturday morning. Lots to see, smell, hear (street musicians) and taste. The atmosphere was quite enjoyable.

I think I enjoy Pier 39 more each time we visit. McKay loved watching the sea lions, who were very entertaining this time. They were barking and making a lot of noise. McKay was pretty good at mimicking their barks. Of course I was too slow to catch him on video doing it. :( When we were home looking at the pictures on the computer, one of the sea lions came up he started barking again. The tulips & daffodils were so beautiful!

Here we are at Ghirardelli Square. Man that chocolate is good! Each time we went through the door into the store, where they give out the samples, the person with McKay got 2 squares. He didn't want his but it didn't get wasted!

We parked the car in cheap parking (only $8 for the day!) by the farmers market and bought bus tickets for the day, which also worked on the street cars. After we got our chocolate fix, we found the bus that took us to Chinatown. Ever since we moved here we've been hearing from Jordan's parents about this wonderful restaurant in San Francisco called Cathay's House. We were all tired from walking up and down those streets and ready to eat. Unfortunately, all of us were disappointed; the food wasn't as good as remembered. So, we are still in search of a good chinese restaurant. I think it is safe to say we ALL slept well that night!

Monday, we went to Big Basin. Gotta see the old-growth redwoods! Those trees are amazing! McKay and I stayed in the car since it was a cold and rainy day... believe me, I had to fight to get to stay in with him! :) He enjoyed going from one door to the other in the back seat, trying out the locks and rolling down the window.

No visit would be complete without a trip to the Mystery Spot. As Kathy said, 'the pictures don't do it justice.'

Try as he might, Kent couldn't explain it!

Poor McKay is rubbing his head from when I adjusted him on my hip and he didn't go straight up... he went straight into my chin! I tried to set him down to give my arms a rest but he couldn't stand up and was anxious to get out of there. Poor kid. He is such a good sport.

Kent & Kathy are standing on a tee. According to the level our guide happen to have in her pocket, Kathy's side is slightly higher than the side Kent is standing on.

Explain that one!

We really enjoyed having visitors again. Our calendars are free again... no more scheduled visits. Yes, that is an invitation!

What a Weekend!

While we were waiting for Mom, Dad & Chris to get here, McKay enjoyed climbing on the Blu-Ray/DVD player box (our TV is too old...) and kicking his legs against the box. Simple, pure enjoyment.

We enjoyed a delicious Chocolate Lush birthday cake. Thanks to my brothers leaving and coming home from their missions in February, I have gotten to have my family here for my birthday quite a bit the last few years. Jordan's first day back to work was my birthday so it wasn't until everyone got here that it really felt like my birthday. I received several phone calls, e-mails and cards that helped make my day more special. Thank you everyone!

I got spoiled!

McKay enjoyed singing songs with everyone and made sure everyone was doing all the actions. 'Can't Caatch Meee!'

My Dad's sister Nancy happened to be in town on Thursday with her husband Jim for his work. She was able to come visit us and then we all met Jordan for lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. It was so nice to visit with her and we all enjoyed lunch. Afterward we decided we needed to go show Mom, Dad, and Chris (Elder McCleve technically) the redwoods. It was dark by the time we got to Big Basin but we decided to stop anyway, especially since we accidentally went the back way getting there and all NEEDED to get out of the van, if you know what I mean. Even in the dark those trees are amazing!

We went to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz on Friday while Jordan stayed home with sick little McKay. We got a little wet but it was well worth the visit. The board we are standing on is level (they happen to have a level there so you can check it). Chris is 6', Dad is 5' 10" (when he isn't cold) and Mom & I are the same height.

Jordan surprised me with a dozen red roses for Valentines day from 'my boys'. They are so fragrant and I am thoroughly enjoying them. I really do have the best husband!

Saturday was our Day in San Francisco. We had a lot of fun showing them around. Of course we only scratched the surface, but they got a good taste of the city. We started out by going to Alcatraz.

Here we are going into the 'Cellhouse' to listen to the audio tour. The wind from the bay was cold (and we picked the best possible day to visit San Francisco... the driest anyway!) so it was nice that most of what we saw was inside and out of the cold air.

We all enjoyed learning about what happened at Alcatraz and wonder if the current system is making men 'honest'. Just looking at those cells makes you appreciate your freedom! Love the blue eyes!

Dad measured the van before we left so we would not get stuck somewhere trying to park. 6'6" would clear. Clearance for this garage was 6'8" but we were all ducking until we parked.
For Christmas Mom & Dad got a GPS, affectionately named Judy. On a lot of our other trips, we used Mapquest or our own knowledge instead of Judy. But she sure came in handy in San Francisco, especially after dark. Judy Judy Judy!

Chris took this picture (pay him if you want to make a copy) when we stopped at the intersection of Green & Montgomery. Yes, we had to take them to the opening shot on Monk. :) This isn't the shot of course but what a view!

McKay loves when we watch the Andy Griffith show so of course we had to watch one Sunday night while my family was here. He 'whistles' right along with us and even dances to the music. Of course everything was toned down with such an audience but I think they got the idea. Here he is mimicking Barney Fife practicing his karate chops in one of the episodes where he is learning Judo.

After McKay's prayers he made the rounds and everyone got hugs and kisses. Good thing they got some love that night because the next morning when he got up, he was not feeling well and I think they might have gotten knuckles or a 'five' but definitely no kisses!

It was a bummer that we were all feeling sick and even passed some of it on to my Mom. Of all weeks to be sick! Oh well. Between that and all the rain we got, we still had a wonderful time. Dad made us lots of homemade yogurt (we're going to have to get a yogurt maker I think) and we found out homemade frozen yogurt is delicious. Mom did all my dishes for me while they were here and we didn't make half the meals for them I wanted to. The time just flew and I was not ready for them to go when the time came. Elder McCleve needed to get home to be released and get on with life though and I feel lucky to have gotten to see him & my parents. Hopefully the next visit will be during the summer and we will all be healthy!

Mystery Spot & Sunsets at the Beach

Yesterday was a beautiful day with the high around 80 degrees so we decided it would be a crime to let it go to waste. We had heard about The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz and had seen lots of bumper stickers (now we know it is because they hand them out like candy at the end of the tour) so we decided we'd go check it out. It is tucked up in the Santa Cruz mountains and the drive to get there was beautiful. We were both very skeptical about it but after having been there, we have decided it was well worth the time and money.

It is a mystery 'spot' where there is some force that makes strange things happen. Sounds crazy, I know but just take a look at the pictures and see what you think.

We are standing on two 2x4s that are level (the guide just happened to have a level handy to check it). I am standing outside the mystery spot and Jordan is standing inside the mystery spot. Notice how tall I am in comparison to Jordan; about to his nose.

Now I am in the mystery spot and he is outside it. Now I only come up to his collar. Obviously, I prefer the first picture.

It may not look like it, but I am standing up straight. The building started on top of the hill and slid down till it hit the center of the mystery spot and stopped.

We are standing up straight on top of the table. McKay wasn't too sure about being up there. Even though he wasn't walking (honestly I don't think he could have) he was having a hard time getting his mind to adjust.

Once again, standing up straight.

Jordan standing up straight on the ladder. Pretty crazy huh?! Click here if to read more about The Mystery Spot.

After we ate a late lunch at the Santa Cruz Diner (we're not fans) we went to the beach. We found a beautiful beach and watched the sunset. We love sunsets; really it is only one 'sunset' but it looks so different from minute to minute we saw many sunsets at the beach. McKay LOVED running and playing in the sand and had a blast throwing little fist fulls of wet sand. Notice he isn't looking at the camera in hardly any of the pictures. I think he probably wouldn't have looked if we had both been standing on our heads, he was SO focused on what he was doing. Watching McKay have so much fun as well as enjoying the beautiful sunset made us go home feeling like we had spent a week away relaxing somewhere. Okay, maybe not a week but at least we felt like we had a rejuvenating weekend!