You know you're spent if:

Brynne (2) spills Jonah's (8) Sunkist orange soda all over the floor and all you do is stand there and stare at it for at least 10 seconds.

Spring-Sunshiney-School

We have been enjoying some very fine spring weather the last few days, so the kids and I decided to do school outside yesterday! They loved it and it felt so good to be warm in the sunshine. On a sidenote: we went to the homeschool curriculum store earlier that day and picked up a new math book for Ava and on an impulse I bought a unit study on the Fruits of the Spirit. I was hoping that this would encourage more loving and less fighting, if you know what I mean. About five minutes after doing our first lesson on love, Ava went inside to get herself some more ice cubes and brought some for Jonah, too. She said she just thought he might like some. I rejoiced by praising her up and down, giving her some big slurpy kisses and all the while thinking "Thank you Jesus! It's sinking in!"

It Does a Body Good

Hey! Who gave the toddler a milk jug?!

We Heart San Francisco!

We were given a Chevron trip to San Fran (thanks Will & Heather!), so Jon and I dropped Brynne off with a friend, hopped on a plane with the two older rugrats and did some major sightseeing. What a beautiful city! To say we had a great time is putting it mildly. The hotel was beautiful and grand (the kids just wanted to swim in the pool--forget the sightseeing!), the city is easy to navigate (we didn't have to rent a car), and the travelers were troopers (especially since we walked 5+ miles each day).

Can't you see the excitement on his face...?

Arriving in the San Francisco Airport and catching the "Airtrain" (Jonah enjoyed that pun)

What fun is childhood unless you can jump on the bed in a fancy hotel??

Cable Cars?

The kids and I studied the cable cars and the Golden Gate Bridge before we visited and they were very excited to see them in person!

Maybe Ava is having second thoughts...

We made it on the cable car without a hitch!

While Jon went on a tour of Alcatraz the kids and I did some exploring on our own. The Golden Gate is in the background (click on photo to enlarge)

Ghiradelli Square

I'm thinking Ava is anticipating all the chocolate she thinks she is going to eat...

Jonah and Ava dreaming of Willie Wonka

Fisherman's Wharf

Exploring the pier

and the pirates.

Turtles and Crabs

We watched them make the turtles outside Bourin...

Ava got a little friend to play with...

And then she ate him...not very nice!

I just wanted a picture of some fresh crabs...

The cable car on the turntable--you can see the Golden Gate bridge in the background.

We hopped off at Lombard Street

To make the trek down the Crookedest Street. I have a vague memory from childhood of going down this street with my family. I am pretty sure my dad was driving the big van and pulling the trailer...

We made it to the bottom and decided not to climb back up, but to go on to the Coit Tower from there.

Coit Tower

There she is!

The inside was covered in beautiful murals all about California

The plaque inside the tower--it was the first Western telegraph station in 1858.

The view of Alcatraz and part of the Wharf from the tower.

Coit Tower

You can kinda see the city behind me!

Another picture by Ava

This was on the corner of the sidewalk--kinda funny in today's world.

Golden Gate Park

Outside the museum of natural history by a strange looking sphinx. I am sure there is some significance to the strange-head on this Sphinx that perhaps we ought to know, but heh, we're Americans.

A monument that looked really important so we took a picture in front of it.

Here Jon is highlighting the beauty of the lilies