Road Trip to Southern Oregon: Day 5

Left the lake in the morning, and headed to Ashland for our first break. Checked out the Ashland science museum "ScienceWorks", where we ate lunch. We all loved the giant bubble room, and Dan and Josie had a good time flying their paper airplane in the flight exhibit. Evie tracked down every germ in the facility and made sure to stick it in her mouth for good measure :).

Before leaving Ashland, we grabbed food for our camping dinner at Market of Choice (I just love that name!) and made our way to Castle Crags for another night of camping near Shasta. We opted for a campsite up the hill from the freeway this time, and it was definitely an improvement. There was still some daylight left in the day after we arrived and set up camp, so we took a walk around to check things out.

Day 5:

This photo is Evie in a nutshell 

Fun with funny mirrors at the science museum

Dan investigates the geodesic dome nursery (2 of his favorite things!) outside the science museum

Josie climbing the "spider web" outside the science museum

 Back at Castle Crags

Posing in front of the campground amphitheater screen 

Road Trip to Southern Oregon: Day 4

Went to the lake again (but forgot the camera). Josie and Dan got a chance to try out Angie's paddle board. Auggie went for a little ride, too! Celebrated Gary's birthday with cake and candles back at the house.

Day 4:

Pool party

Sunrise from the cabin 

Dan = horse 

Poor Dan...

Road Trip to Southern Oregon: Day 3

Relaxing at the house and checking out the lake.

Day 3:

Chllin' at Lake of the Woods resort

Evie LOVES being in the water, despite the wind and choppy waves

Getting warm after wading in the lake 

Back in the water again, jumping over the waves

Hanna and Georgia playing on the rock beach 

The girls decide to bury Evie - the first of many "games" with Evie

Exploring downed logs on our hike near the lake

Josie tries to carry Daddy in the back pack

Angie teaches the girls how to get Auggie to do tricks

Girls playing outside the cabin

Road Trip to Southern Oregon: Day 2

Still making our way north. Packed up our campsite at Castle Crags State Park and drove to Ashland during Evie's morning nap. Met up with Leah and her family there, walked in the park, went to the farmer's market and ate delicious peaches and thai food. Yum! Seemed to only snag pictures of the campsite that day... so you'll just have to imagine the other stuff.

Day 2:

Reading books in the morning inside the tent

Yea camping! Oddly, fires were allowed here, despite the wildfires raging all across the western states this summer.

Cowgirl Josie

Josie loves drawing using her car backpack fold-down tray

Evie's ready to hit the road!

Passing Mount Shasta - where Dan once summited with our friend Adam

Road Trip to Southern Oregon: Day 1

Destination: Southern Oregon's Lake of the Woods- met up with  Lisa's design school friends, their kids and doggy "Auggie" at rental cabin

# of stops:

4 on the way up (lunch in Sacramento, dinner at Redding Trader Joe's, camping at Castle Crags SP, and Ashland Farmer's Market)

4 on the way back (Ashland Science Center, camping at Castle Crags SP, Turtle Bay Park in Redding, dinner in Sacramento)

Josie's highlights: got to sleep on a top bunk, made a fairy house with rocks and bark, played at the lake beach, hitched a ride on a paddle board, rode Daddy like a horse while Hanna and Georgia also piled on, classic Disney storybook

Evie's highlights: playing in the water, petting Auggie, following the "big girls" around, eating rocks at the beach

Day 1:

Josie entertains Gma over lunch

Screaming for fun at Papa & Gma's house

Napping in the car- yea!

Not napping in the car... oh well

Haircuts

Before...

After!
(don't have a good pic of Evie's trim, but she got one too)
Thanks, Zizi for helping to cut Josie's hair!

Robot Costume Turned Log

Fairy outfit

During Josie's "fairy week" with Grandma, one of their projects was making a fairy skirt and shoes:

Evie's 1st Birthday

We had a family party to celebrate Evie's first birthday. The year went by so quickly... and now our "Carrot" (remember when Josie called her Carrot?) is walking and talking and quite a person in her own right. She never fails to communicate what she wants, either in pseudo-words or by screaming. She certainly doesn't shy away from using volume to get across her message! She's practically running around the house, climbing on anything she can get her legs onto, and chatting up a storm.

A few of Evie's new words:

"Ah buy-eeee" = a bite, or I want to eat/drink that

"Bye bye" = self explanatory

"Hi Duh Dee" = Hi Josie

"Nye Nye" = Good night, or sometimes when she's finished with a book

"Bat" = Bath

A few of her favorite things:

• Strawberries

• Blueberries

• Zucchini

• Cody and dogs in general

• Shoes

• Anything Josie is holding or playing with

• Water play

Josie helps assemble the Strawberry & Cream cake (Evie LOVES strawberries!)

Birthday girl in her party dress (and bib)

Katie and Charlotte 

Josie and Colin at the kids' table

Make a wish! 

That's cake in her hair, not gel...

Opening cards and gifts

Obon Festival

Oakland's Buddhist Church held their Obon Festival (honoring our ancestors) this weekend. We often read Josie a book called Dance, Dance, Amy Chan about a girl who spends time with her Japanese grandparents, practices the Bon Odori dances and gets to dance at the festival, so we thought it would be fun for Josie to see it live. It was a great community event, with octogenarians and babies, Japanese and hakujin (white people), bbq bentos and udon, and a real spectrum of dancers out on the street- some in elaborate kimono dress and others with jeans and a t-shirt. 

Josie didn't want to miss the dancing and wanted to get a prime viewing spot in front of the church/temple.

A tag with the name of an ancestor hangs from each lantern.