Pre-move.

Okay, have GOT to get these August and September photos posted!!

One day, Russ set our microscope and webcam up so that Brook could take video and pictures of her rock collection, bug collection, feather collection, etc. under the microscope.
SO COOL!

Missing these warm days already...

Grammie and Grampy sent light up toys!!  They were so cool they had to be brought to Albuquerque with us and are still regularly played with.

Before leaving CA we had to hit the tidepools, so we headed out to Moss Beach just north of Half Moon Bay.

Such a cool, creepy forest!

Ah, love my boys.

Even if they are zombies.

Look at all that kelp!!!

There were hermit crabs everywhere!

And lots of anemones!

And these things that would squirt water like crazy if you squished them.

After scouring the tidepools for awhile, the kids needed to do some climbing...and rolling.
They were absolutely covered in dirt after rolling down the side of this hill.

We hiked back the trail to go see the seals--you can see them there in the middle, sunning on the rock.
There were small herds of them scattered among the rocks.
Brook and I counted just shy of 50 of them out and about.

The gorgeous coastline.

Before heading to Albuquerque (actually, before we even KNEW we were headed to ABQ), the kids and I made a trip to Washington.
This was the first time braving the 15 hour drive alone with the kids.  We broke it up into two days and camped half way at a dispersed campground (aka - free campground) called Corral Springs.
It was pretty awesome--5 or 6 campsites, in the middle of the forest, no one else around.

Sam was happy to be out of the car and Minecrafting.

Brook wasted no time in covering herself in dirt.
Actually, she was going bullet shell collecting--she found well over 50 of them.  And as a bonus she found (and yes, collected) the cans they were shooting.

Balancing!

Our campsite.
It worked out great.  We were all tuckered and in bed around 8:30.  Kids played their Leapsters and I read my Kindle until we all dozed off around 9.
Then we were up and at 'em about 7:30 and on our way to WA.

Bubba had saved the boxes and styrofoam for the kids.

Sam liked being enclosed in the boxes.

 While Brooklyn enjoyed filling hers with water and having a pool party for her My Little Ponies and Barbies.

...which later turned into a human water party.

Love photos of my babes sleeping.  They are so peaceful.
Brooklyn was up late this night, working on her projects there on her desk to the left.

My handsome Tarzan.
With his Tom and Jerry shirt that he wanted to wear Every.Day.

Grammie and Grampy took us to Smallwood's Harvest up near Leavenworth.
Sam passed out on the way there and wasn't happy about getting out.

Until he saw toys.

Ah, love learning those real world skills.
"Me first.  No ME first."

 

Where's Grampy?

 

Sam was convinced that there were cows behind this door (it was a food stand, I believe).  He asked me to go open it because he was afraid the cows would get out if he did it.  I assured him they would not.
Alas, it was locked and we will never know if there were or were not cows behind that door. :)

This was a very fun place to check out and peruse.

They had all sorts of farm animals for you to feed and pet.

Way fun!

A couple more photos from our Washington trip.
Of COURSE there was a lot of trampoline-ing!
And doing it nearly-naked was apparently the best way to do it, I'm told.

It was so fun to be home and catch up with West a bit.  And it was even better when he didn't have to work (he worked nights) and came and gamed all night with the kids!
Sam and I lasted until about 11.
I was curious how late Brook would stay up.  I kept checking on her and finally at 4:45am I heard her snuggling into her bed.
She was so excited the next day to show me what they did and had the best time with West.

Good memories (which she still talks about today).

Our trip to Washington got cut very short when we made the decision to move from Livermore to Albuquerque.  We only had about 9 days to get home, pack, and move.  No pressure.
I didn't take hardly any photos, but was so glad I got this one of the kids destroying the pinata (which was filled with bird seed!).
Love this photo!

Alrighty, now on to this week's adventures.