Knott's Berry Farm

We went on our last field trip of this school year this week and it was a blast!  I had not been to Knott's Berry Farm for over 20 years! The boys had a great time and Josiah even went on some bigger, badder roller coasters. Nathan on the other hand stuck to the conservative rides.  We would definitely return to Knott's in the future. It was definitely worth it.
 

The boys had so much fun on these swings.

The best part was hanging out with all our friends...we actually stuck to the group the whole time! So much fun.

Jon even took a day off!

The train ride was a lot of fun. Here's Jojo with his little friend.

I love Snoopy!

Nathan and his bestie. These two are so cute together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day Weekend

Now that Jon has a "regular" job we just can't get up and go whenever we want to.....we have to plan it all and then of course make sure he can get a day or two off. The boys are having a hard time getting used to this because before Jon was usually home during the summer. Even though he was usually studying in his bat cave, at least he was home and had a more flexible schedule. So since he had a long weekend this past weekend we headed to one of our favorite spots in California.......San Diego!

Our San Diego Zoo/Safari Park passes will expire in June so we thought we'd take advantage of the passes before we can't use them anymore.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the zoo:

On Tuesday we went to the Safari Park to explore their latest exhibit....Tiger Trail.

The Tiger Trail did not disappoint! The tigers were amazing.

Another favorite..........Lorikeet Landing

We saw these two cubs in January when they were just a few weeks old........they're getting big!!

Whitacre Park

Yesterday we joined a few people from our Sunday school group for a hike at Whitacre Park. I had never even heard of this hiking trail but it was a great hike plus the weather was absolutely gorgeous. I do have to admit that the first part is all up hill but it was doable. Plus the boys weren't even really complaining about it. The hike has an amazing view of the San Fernando Valley and it mostly all shaded.

We really enjoyed getting to know some new friends.

I was so surprised how green everything was considering what a dry season we've had. 

 

 

At the end of the hike we found a shady spot and enjoyed a nice picnic.

Descanso Gardens

When Jon and I were first married we lived in the beautiful city of Montrose. Not too far from there is Descanso Gardens; a beautiful place to visit year round. I think I've been there in every season but my favorite is when the tulips are in bloom.

Since it's spring break this week, I thought we'd take a day off on Tuesday and head there. I was hoping the tulips were still in bloom but since it was such a warm winter here in Southern California, the tulips were all gone by mid-March! I was a little bit disappointed but the roses didn't disappoint and made up for the loss of the tulips. The day today was absolutely beautiful and the boys behaved so well!!!

We also got in for free since the third Tuesday of every month admission is free! YAY!

The boys got to ride the train! Don't they looks so happy?

The rose garden is amazing and the second you step into it you are filled with the beautiful fragrances!

Joe Davies Heritage Airpark

 During our time in Lancaster the boys got to go check out an airplane graveyard. Even though I didn't get to go I have to admit that from looking at the pictures it looks like a cool place! The boys even got to meet a Veteran pilot who flew in Vietnam. They bought a couple of small scale jets that the pilot flew and had him sign them. Unfortunately, they didn't think of getting a picture taken with him.

Jojo was in charge of taking pictures. I may have a little photographer.

The boys love "Papa" Keith.......my friend's dad. 

One of the best parts about this place is that it's totally free! They usually have a pilot who answers questions and gives you information about the planes. Lancaster is a bit of a drive but if one is an aircraft enthusiast it is worth the drive.

Visit Natalie's profile on Pinterest.

Fun Weekend

 I can't believe I haven't been here for so long! The latter part of January and all of February our Jojo was so sick. He was dealing with some awful asthma that progressed so quickly that he ended up on a nebulizer machine.......no fun! Then Nathan got sick and ended up with an ear infection.....like always! Then in March, daddy got sick. So, we have been hanging around home a lot!

Well last weekend we headed to our friends out in Lancaster (about 1 hour away from us). We got to hang out with one of my closest friends and her family. I've known Andie for a real long time.....since she was about 11. Even though I am 8 years older than her, she is a mature young lady and I have learned a lot from her!!! We get to stay with Andie's parents in their spacious home. Her parents are also dear friends of ours. They are a huge encouragement to our lives!!!

Here's Andie on her 18th birthday party!

Andie has 4 girls and my boys love hanging out with them. The week before the weekend they kept asking.......when are we going to see "the girls" EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

I love watching them grow up together.

Here's her youngest.....such a cutie pie. Jojo LOVES her.

Movie night.......we got our fill of Frozen......I have been singing Frozen songs all week!

We also went bowling. It was the girls first time.

Nathan is my competitive one and wasn't too happy with his scores.

When we would return from Russia during the summer time visiting these friends was  always a priority. Having to say good-bye was always so hard and sad.........but thankfully we can now see each other more often and not have that sinking feeling that it will be another year before seeing them again.

Forneris Farms

In our ongoing efforts to get out on Saturdays, we headed to Forneris Farms the weekend before Halloween so that daddy could enjoy a pumpkin patch too. Forneris Farms is located right across the street from where I used to work. They have amazing produce and probably the best ever strawberries! I love that they're local and have been around for over 40 years.

The last time we were here, Jojo was 2 years old...........

and now he's 10 years old..........

The ladies at the grocery stores were right.........time flies!

It was another gorgeous day! Actually it was quite warm.....I still can't believe it was the end of October and we were so hot!!

We basically just went to take pictures and hang out but Jon and the boys did go on the train because I had promised the boys. I guess they have an amazing corn maze. I'm thinking next year Jon and I will have to go out on a date and try out the maze!!

Lombardi Ranch

We joined our homeschool group on a tour of Lombardi Ranch a couple of weeks ago. It was really quite educational and the boys really enjoyed hanging out with the new friends they are making. The last time we visited Lombardi Ranch was almost 10 years ago when Jojo was a wee little baby. We had just received bad news regarding some blood counts and were going to be referred to Children's Hospital of Los Angeles to see an oncologist. I remember how scared we were as parents and how sad I was that day. We met my sister and her family there and decided not to share the news with them right then. I do have pictures of that day but not digital pictures......old school prints!

Fast forward almost 10 years and here's Jojo.....

our healthy 10 year old who was getting tired of me taking pictures of him!

Our homeschool group.

The boys had a lot of fun exploring the farm.

There were also lots of photo-ops!