Where has the summer gone?

I guess I failed in my attempt to update about each kid at the end of the school year. I guess I will forget that idea for now and just try to catch up with some of the fun summer things we did.  The biggest thing was taking the kids to Angora Lake in the Tahoe basin for a week.  Man did they have a blast. Since I hadn't been there in 5 years myself, I had forgotten how happy I am in the mountains, the smell of the pines, the cabin, everything!  It was a treat to spend a week with MorMor and Auntie Diana, since we don't usually spend that long with them.  The kids definitely got to know their auntie better.  The only bummer was that Robb couldn't get off work to go, so we left him at home in SLO doing minor house repairs.  He was amazing, he did all kinds of stuff, just in time to conicidentally put our house on the market!  That's right, we are giving in.  This 2 bedroom condo has been wonderful to us for the last 6.5 years, but with the way things have turned out, we are just paying too much money for a too small place and the bank offered us an option to shortsale, so we are going forward hoping that works out.

Mana was in heaven the minute we stepped out of the truck, and headed straight to the lake.

Kawai has vague memories from being 4 years old, and she was so happy to be back!



Anu went with the flow. Since his sisters were happy, he was too.  We didn't realize how much he likes water until he practically dove in off the rocks.



Alani was also in heaven, and her fear of the bears breaking into our van in the parking lot vanished as soon as she stepped foot in the lake.  thank goodness!  Because the whole drive up to Tahoe she was asking me to turn around and go back  home.  But the first day we were there she said this is the best place she's ever been.

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Kawai and Mana were so excited to befriend some really sweet teenagers at the resort and were having a blast rowing around the lake with them and getting to ride in their kayaks as well. Kawai and Mana both got rowing lessons from Mormor and by the end of the week, both were pretty confident at rowing the inflatable boats.  It was neat to see how independent it made them feel.



Mission Inn Riverside

We had a great opportunity last week to stay at the Mission Inn for a work conference.  Robb did such a great job entertaining the kids while I was in the meetings.  They had a blast exploring the historic passageways and Cinderella doors and pathways and staircases, and moving clocks, and THE POOL.  We managed to have the pool to ourselves the majority of the time, and the hottub as well. It was a saltwater pool, so we floated nicely. 

 

Anu testing out the temperature of the hottub before taking the plunge.

Kawai and Anu loved doing MotorBoat in the pool together.

Mana and Alani loved hanging on to their daddy.

The view from our window. Well, not exactly.  It was a view from an upper courtyard. There are snow-capped peaks in the distance.

Mana was so entranced by the fairy-tale-like architecture.  She was a little scared of the "ghosts" when we were creeping around at night.

Anu has learned how to pose.

Little Goose, posing her best.

I don't know how Robb managed to take this photo, since I was not around.  He must have quickly run around the corner before Anu started crying.

Anu was actually wearing shoes other than his cowboy boots!  Amazing!

The girls would be happy just living here at the Mission Inn. Actually I would be too. I really missed it as we drove away. It was so fun living there for 4 nights and having a sort of communal feeling with the other archaeologists and architectural historians around the state.  We were next door to our good friend Paula and just down the way from Tom, and a few doors up from CMAC.