Folsom Zoo

Last Saturday we decided to beat the heat with an early morning family trip to the Folsom Zoo. I had heard from friends that this was a good outing for little ones because the zoo is fairly small and can be covered in about an hour or so. An added bonus was the little train that runs the exterior of the zoo which both of our boys really liked! The Folsom Zoo is an animal sanctuary that takes in and rehabilitates animals that have been injured or mistreated and has quite a few different animals than the Sacramento Zoo that we usually visit. We saw bears, a mountain lion, and bobcats just to name a few... Jack is at a fun age these days- he really enjoys checking out new places and as a result we've had quite a few outings this summer. It is fun for us to watch him take in new experiences!

"Look!" This was repeated many times!!
Our #1 stroller driver...still working on the steering though!

Wow- 2 bear sightings in one week!

Jack the bear

We finished up our fun day with a ride on the train- Jack's favorite part was the train whistle!

A Weekend at the Lake

Last Saturday we loaded up the boys and all their gear (our car was embarassingly stuffed for a weekend trip- such is life with 2 little kiddos!) and headed up to Donner Lake to enjoy a long weekend with Evan's family. It was so nice to escape the Sacramento heat and enjoy the beautiful lake and mountains! Donner is a great place to visit with young kids- there is plenty to do to keep everyone busy. We visited the beach both days, took Jack paddleboating, grilled great meals out on the deck, and Jack even tried his hand at fishing for the first time. We also ended the weekend with a whole lot of excitement when we spotted a bear right outside our kitchen window after dinner! Surprisingly, Jack was not too afraid and kept asking to be lifted up so that he could have a chance to see the bear outside the window (I was not as brave!). Here are the pictures from our trip:

This is the cute house where we stayed- right across the street from the lake


The view from the deck

Evan and Jack head off after dinner to give fishing a try

Jack quickly decides that climbing on the rocks is a little more entertaining!

The next morning the boys headed out to fish again...Jack practices tossing pebbles in the lake

Looking for more pebbles

I like this silhouette of Jack and the lake

Jon and Jack patiently waiting for a bite- with Evan's help they were eventually successful- twice!

What's summer without a snowcone on a hot day?

Jack and Christa working on a sandcastle together

Jon is supervising their work!

Jon and Jack on the giant raft (Jack really thought he was a big kid out there!)

Maui

We had a great trip to Hawaii! It really doesn't get much better than 10 days of rest and relaxation on Maui (or as much R&R as a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old allow!). The boys both did reasonably well on the flights and we all enjoyed the time to just relax and have fun as a family. Here are the highlights from our trip:

Celebrating the 4th of July with Aunty Julie (the night before we flew to Maui)

Ice cream by the pool?! Jack might never leave!!!

Building sandcastles was daily entertainment

The condos we stayed at had a baby pool (or "little circle pool" as Jack re-named it) that was perfect for the boys (and mom)!

More sandcastle action

Miles enjoying the ocean view

Jack digs with his favorite yellow scoop (the one that had to come home with us in the suitcase)

Miles and Grandma

I love this picture of Kathryn and Grandpa!

Enjoying dinner out in Lahaina

Silly Jack!

Catching the sunset during dinner at Lahaina Fish Co.

Our family

Evan, Kathryn and I snorkeled here at Honolua Bay- it was beautiful!

We took the boys to this lavender farm- it was fun for Jack to run around and the scenery was gorgeous!

Taking a juice break at the lavender farm

The penguins and koi fish are fed each morning at the Hyatt- we thought this would be something fun for Jack to check out.

He loved it!

Enjoying the beautiful grounds at the Hyatt.

Jack really got a kick out of all the live music- here he is dancing at the Hula Grill while we were out to dinner. Now that we're home he still enjoys performing his "Hawaii dance" on command!

HOT, HOT, HOT!

It has been HOT in our area for the past few days! So, we've been doing our best to keep the boys cool, yet entertained. Lucky for Jack, this spell of scorching weather has coincided with his first set of swim lessons. Every night we head off to his 30 minute lesson while Evan stays home with Miles. Jack has really loved both the swimming and the time with just Mom. He is becoming quite the fish! Here he is demonstrating his new skills to Grandma:

First, the jump...(I think we need to work on our form!)

Then, the splash!

Miles thinks tummy time without any clothes is pretty fun!

But, the cold teething ring...not so much!