Vacation Recap P 6 - Monterey

 I married a man who's parents live in Monterey. It is a hardship I know. Walks along the bay, wonderful dinners in great eateries, beauty everywhere.........

 You get the picture.

 Here is my sweetness with his mommy

 Carmel bay

 Sister and Brother in law watching the wildlife

Papa and Chase. This is a dinner for Momma's 81st birthday party.

Vacation Recap P I forget - Nana's House

 I got to see this sweet lady. Nana is 95 years old and just as funny and sweet as ever.

 I had to take pictures of the kitchen. So many memories of breakfast being cooked and fires in this stove on a cold winter day

 After Nana's I went to see DeeDee and her new house. I've known DeeDee since kindergarten and she was my maid of honor at my wedding. I love this lady!!! I pulled into her driveway and look who was here to greet me. My thought- Only at DeeDee's.

 She also has a very handsome roaster. His feathers were colbalt blue.

One last picture of Nana's backyard. I can't tell you how many times I ran back and forth on this pathway as a little girl.

Vacation recap P 5 Pinecrest Lake

 We went to Sonora Wednesday night and Thursday my sisters and I took all our kiddos to Pinecrest Lake. I love it up here. The last time we were here Leah and I walked around the lake

 Here is Leah with her baby Gracie Lou.

 Avery, Riley and Grace (under the hat) laying out in the sun

 The boys walking back from fishing

 Little Mermaid on a rock

 Momma's on the lookout and for good reason

 The monkeys decided it would be fun to do the log run

It was a great day.

Vacation Recap P 4 Surprise

 On our last night with our parents my youngest sister Megan and her boys drove up from Sonora to surprise our parents. This was so awesome and Mom and Dad were completely shocked. This was something we had planned before I left.

 The kids played in the back yard and we went out to pizza and laughed

And we enjoyed the skies- just beautiful.

Vacation Recap P 3 Lake Tahoe

 This has to be one of the most beautiful places on the earth. The third day we decided to get in the car and drive to Lake Tahoe. We had lunch and then found a beach to explore

 Dad and Mom found a place to sit and just take it all in

See what I mean?

So we have a rule.... the girls are not allowed to go in past their knees when we are dealing with the ocean or big lakes. They had plenty of fun

 This is at Emerald Bay. The girls and mom are reading about the history and the tea house. The bay is green from the plantlife under the surface of the water

 This about sums it all up. Dad being a character and Mom giving thanks.

 I forgot what this was called, but it is where Truckee River comes into the Lake

 Really pretty spot that has a little marina

 We walked around this area for a bit and witnessed a pretty bad bike accident in front of the DAM CAFE

 The cyclist was on the trail that borders the marina and hauling when he came upon the road, didn't know it was there and laid the bike down on its side on the street, missed being hit by a car and then stood up taking his bike to the benches in front of the cafe. Angels watching out for him.

You could see the fish in the water from the bridge. Awesome.

Next post- Surprise!

Our Miracle Man

Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord! Thank you Mommy! Thank you Aunt Mel! Thank you everyone for your prayers.

Dad is in remission. He is continuing to heal, trying to be patient with the time it takes to heal. This is a favorite picture I took at Lake Tahoe. We are all so thankful for the time we have together.

Next post Lake Tahoe.

Vacation recap P 2 Train ride

 The day after we arrived at the parents we went on a train ride from Virginia City to Carson City. We took the first train out because it was HOT and the morning was quite pleasant.

 Virginia City is beautiful and historic. This was a mining town with lots of active mines. You can walk down the streets and feel like you are back in the past.

 The trains of yesterdays

 They were putting a new whistle on the train. Made in San Fransico and driven up by the crafter of the whistle. Pretty cool

 We walked around the yard while they were working on the train

 The seats were leather and rattan and you could move the seatback from front to back to change the direction you were looking

 A map showing the diffent routes the railroad took back in the day

 We had the train to ourselves and one of the conducters came back and gave us our own private tour.

 Sweet smiling faces

 At the end of the ride we ended up in Carson City and maet some shady characters

 Both of the girls enjoyed the ride and actually did put their little toys away for a portion of it. Maybe after I yelled at them to do so... Maybe. Are you kidding me?

 After the train ride we went to IHOP and got a large yummy breakfast. Then it was back home and naps for all.

Wonderful memories     Wonderful day

Vacation Recap P.1 My Parents

 

The girls and I left June 6th and drove to Nevada. We stopped the first night in Vegas. No Vegas strip for us. We met my quilting/flickr friend Nichol and her family for dinner. Such a treat.

The next day we drove another 6.5 hours to Stagecoach NV to my parents house. They were sitting on the swing waiting for us as we pulled up.

 

 The views and sunsets are amazing. It was so peaceful. Mom and I would take a walk around the loop- about 2.5 miles. The first two times we saw a band of batchelors- 4 wild horses. Thrilling. Really.

 This was taking my last morning there. I got up early and took a five mile walk with my camera to see what I could see and was blessed to see this lonely only. He was very thin and looked young.

 The girls enjoyed spending time with Grandma and Grandpa. They still are talking about Grandmas bacon she made them each morning. Spoiled creatures.

 Right outside the kitchen table was four babies in the birdhouse that were being fed by their mom and dad on a regular basis. very fun to watch.

 My parents have really transformed the backyard into something really special and the mountain views from all angles were again- amazing 

 This is Chloe. The newest Ives member. She is still a puppy and Riley wanted to put her in her suitcase so badly.

 This is Sophie. Dad got her for mom, but she is dad's dog all the way. Sweet Sophie wants to be with dad all the time. She is a love.

This is Linus. He is Mom's dog. Will bury his way under her while she sits in her chair. He is a mama's boy for sure.

Tomorrow I will tell you about our train ride.

Bye for now.