Forever Young: School's Out - Beginning of Summer!

At the end of May, literally right after the kids finished their last day of school, we took a trip to CA. We first went to Lake Tahoe for the Young Family Reunion. The weather was a little chilly for the end of May but we still had a lot of fun. We had so much fun playing lots of games, going in the hot tub, going on walks, going to the lake and playing in the water, playing video games, going out back and kicking the ball and playing catch, Grandma Young had some fun activities for the kids as usual and we did lots of visiting and ate lots of great food. We then went to my parents for a few days and we went to go see the movie Aladdin, walked around Cameron Park Lake and went fishing, went out to Mongolian BBQ, had more hot tub time, enjoyed my parents backyard, celebrated Sam's b-day and played more games and visited lots.

This was taken a few days before our trip to CA but I just had to share it. I just love that face;)

On our way to CA, we stopped at a rest stop in the Salt Flats and found that the Salt Flats were covered in a few inches of water. There were people out walking in it and it looked too fun to pass up. The kids ventured out and I took too many pictures but it was soooo cool.

When Noel is happy, she dances. I love it!

Sam is a goofball when he is happy;) I love it!

Evelyn following along with Noel's dancing.

Anywhere the water touched them, they turned white, their clothes, their skin, their hair. It was crazy salty!

You can see where the salty water splashed up onto this cutie...

...and this handsome dude.

We saw a Buffalo statue on the back of a trailer bed.

Taking a walk after arriving at Lake Tahoe.

Gary's step sister, Glenda, came to the reunion. It was a delight to get to know her more and spend time with her. She just loved spending time with the kids. Evelyn had fun with her in the hot tub.

The kids got to decorate their own shirts with Grandma.

Evelyn got a little tired on this particular day. She literally dove into the corner of the couch and didn't move for about an hour.

Brian and I took the kids on a walk while preparations were being made back at the cabin for the kids to become spies in a secret mission where clues would be hidden throughout the house.

Here are the kiddos after their spy mission.

Playing with some silly features on my phone camera.

Morgan and I took the kids down to the lake.

Playing in the hot tub.

Final pictures before we all said our goodbyes.

Brian and Tobias.

Gary and Glenda.

Then off to my parents.

Eating at Mongolian BBQ with my parents.

We had the traditional donuts.

Noel and Sam slept out on the trampoline the first night we were there. We were so proud of them. This was very new for them and something that Sam was pretty nervous about. Noel too, but not as much as Sam. They made it through the entire night and they LOVED it! They actually decided they would do it again the next night and left their stuff out on the trampoline and played outside ALL DAY LONG.

Evelyn liked playing in a new water feature in Grandma and Grandpa Watkins backyard.

The kids playing with Grandpa's air soft rifle.

Grandma and Evelyn relaxing in the hot tub.

Noel tried out the air soft gun as well.

We celebrated Sam's 8th birthday with my parents since it was just about a week away. Here's his cake I made.

We went to Cameron Park Lake which is a fun tradition we have when we go to CA to visit my parents. Can you find the turtle in the picture below?

A cute little gosling.

Morgan ran around the lake a few times to get in some exercise while my mom and I walked around the lake with the kids.

Walking with Grandma.

More turtles.

There were tons of bass and trout in the lake. The kids loved watching them swim around.

Grandpa Watkins joined us and brought fishing gear for the kids. Sam caught a few bass and kept one to eat at home, it was a pretty decent size.

Evelyn wanted to touch the fish.

Noel fishing.

Grandma and Grandpa Watkins with Miss Evelyn who refused to look at the camera.

Noel caught a cute little bass.

Morgan and Sam cooking up Sam's bass.

Sad story. I will try to make it short. You know how Noel and Sam were going to sleep on the trampoline a second night in a row? Well, after getting snuggled in their sleeping bags that second night, we hear Sam start screaming and crying and saying, "Ow! Ow! Ow!" over and over again. You can hear the terror in his voice as well as Noel's who is screaming, "What?! What?!" not knowing what was wrong. My mom and I ran outside and couldn't get Sam to calm down but from what we heard between him screaming and crying, he was stung or bit by something that was in his shirt. We brought him inside, laid him down to check out where he was bit or stung while my dad and Morgan went out to the trampoline searching their blankets and sleeping bags for any sign of a bug that could've done that, to see what we were working with. They did find something call a Snake Fly but we are unsure if that is what got him. Poor guy. Obviously they didn't sleep out on the trampoline that night and are pretty scared to ever again. Sam is a pretty skiddish kid and this really didn't help. He is so traumatized by that experience that he often complains that he feels bugs on him and every night he is so fearful their are bugs in his bed.

Here is where the bite or sting happened. He had a weird reaction to it and it looked a lot like hives in that area where the bug got him.

Sam got legos from Grandma and Grandpa for his birthday and the next morning he was up early putting the set together and finished soon after. That kid is amazing with legos.

Hanging out on Grandma and Grandpa's new porch swing.

I love these kiddos.

Evelyn and Noel were swinging together for some time and before you knew it, Evelyn was out.

On a whim, we decided to leave Friday instead of Saturday and drive two thirds of the way, and stay in Ely, NV so we could go to Lehman Caves in Baker, NV the next day. The kids loved staying in the hotel.