Yosemite

Prepare for some photos---alot of photos:) The splendor of God's land...oh, it was beautiful!!! OK, so, at the last minute, we decided to take a trip to Yosemite. We loaded up with clothes, snacks, books, and Narnia--book on CD. Here we go...

The drive was beautiful--but 4 hrs long!

I just couldn't help starring at these...blue sky, green hills, and windmills, tons of them!!

We found a place called Evergreen Lodge---great place:) It was setup with kids in mind! The girls enjoyed the sand area with kettles and cups while David and I played some ping pong in the dark---it was lots of fun!

...and cool teepees made from tree barks!

...sadly, we just missed Smores hour at the fire:(

The Lodge was just 8miles from the entrance...very convenient:)

The creeks and waterfalls were full---it's spring!!

We made many stops on our drive through Yosemite. Many photo opportunities:)

...we walked through some fields

Yosemite Falls.....I think

Half Dome

...we played in some snow

...we climbed some rocks

..we even hiked up hill for a mile to see a waterfall!! wow--what a hike

the girls were troopers about it though:)

...and the sights-just beautiful!

aahhh....Vernal falls:)

...OK, I'll stop now. It was just a great trip:)

Spring

For those of you who don't know, we homeschool Faith and last week we learned about Spring:) Yesterday, the girls went outside-it was beautiful- and Faith decided to bring spring into the house. She picked flowers and put them in water. One cup for the bathroom, one for her room, and one for the dining room table!

And, today being the first day of spring, it was great to wake up and see flowers as we brushed our teeth and then while we ate our breakfast:) It was a great reminder of the beauty around us and it was great to see her applying what she learned!!

Speaking of learning, I realized that I never posted pics of our new place here in CA. And, what better a place to start than with our school room? I have had some fun decorating this room, making it fun and inviting! We have the alphabet, numbers, colors, calendars, pictures, and so much on the walls! It is a happy room for us:)

The built in shelves and desk are great for storing all of my supplies and stuff!!! The two windows overlook the side yard and we can see the park and hear the creek:) It is great to have school in this room because so much natural light pours in and keeps it perky!!!!

The guest room was the first room that I painted at this house---every wall was white!!! It's purple because that is my mom's favorite color-and this was to be her room. This room also has built-in's that will be great when they are filled! This room is still a work in progress and one day it may be finished. But rather than wait for that, I will show you now.

The living room is where we spend most of our time:) So, that was the second (and last) room that I painted. It has been rearranged several times now, and finally, I think I like it:) Except, it could use some more lighting and wall hangings, but anyway....

It is an odd shape--a long rectangle, which makes it hard to arrange the furniture. Especially placing the furniture around the 2 doorways, windows, fireplace, and entry door. This next photo is the other end of the room. It is still a work in progress-as is the rest of the house!

Anyway, those are some pics of our new home for your veiwing pleasure:)

Soon, our rose garden will be in bloom and I'll post some exterior shots!!! TaTa...

Field Trip!

Destination Muir Woods, just north of SanFrancisco. Muir Woods is a redwood forest--full of redwoods and sequoia trees. The girls recieved junior ranger books--ie. a learning book-- to complete along the journey. Therefore, it totally counted as a school day---yeah!!
The weather was sunny and warm. The birds were chirping and the creek was flowing. Beautiful day!


You can't even see the top of this tree!

The Coastal Redwoods have been on earth for more than 150 million years! The oldest tree here was 1000years old---crazy, right? The oldest known tree is 2200years old.

The trees that stand alone in the forest sprouted from a single seed that is smaller than a dime!

The trees that grow close together (below) in circles sprouted from burls on the roots. These groups are also called a family circle.

Faith is learning photography quite well--she took our picture here:)

Redwoods can drink up to 500gallons of water a day! This creek provides that water for most of the trees. Fog and rain are the other water sources for these beasts!

You can see that some of the trees have been hollowed out from fires. Apparently fires are important for natural forests! Fires burn the dead leaves and stuff on the forest floor which makes the soil rich and full of food for the plants. The bark of the redwoods can be up to a foot thick and protects them from the fires. Inside the bark is tannin, a chemical, that makes the trees red, as well as protects them from insects and rot!

The girls worked hard on their ranger books but also enjoyed the forest!

We did a lot of walking, listening, and looking--especially up!

The girls had fun in the forest-- more than I would have thought for two princesses! Here they are "climbing" a huge rock!

It was a perfect photo op!

David had fun trying to count the rings on this fallen tree to determine its age while Dalaina was in awe of how soft the tree was under the bark!

Overall, it was an educational, fun, and just amazing afternoon!!! The size of the trees is just crazy:)