Yosemite National Park

Yosemite

Last weekend we drove up to Yosemite for a few days of outdoor fun and relaxation. We drove up on Friday morning with Annik(german exchange) to show her the biggest trees she probably will ever see. I was a little embarassed of our desert drive, having to go through desolate no-where to get there. Annik will think america is desert, I told her there really are habitable places to live in this country. However, early on I did disclose to her that everything in California is fake. From the faces she sees to the trees that were artifically planted 40-60 years ago. Anyways.... we got there and did a small hike to see the giant Sequoia trees and then headed to the condo we rented for the 3 days we were planning to be up there. When we got to the condo we found out that it was NOT the condo pictured on the internet. It had blue shag carpet from 1968, along with all of the appropriate furnishings from that era... right down to the briquet BBQ (when I had planned on gas). Anyways we took it in stride and had a nice night celebrating Emilys 7th birthday. The next day we went to the valley floor and wandered around for a while then inflated our rafts and rafted down the river for a few hours. Around 4:00 smoke started rolling in making visiblity bad and breathing tough. We pulled out and went back to our condo around 6:00 anticipating our BBQ beef briskit that had been slow cooking to tenderness in the crock pot all day. When we got there, we were met by a man with 6 glo sticks who told us there was a fire 7 miles away and the power had been burnt-out. The briskit was half cooked and we had no briquets. People were packing their things and leaving like crazy. After cold showers (i guess the water heater wasnt gas) and a call to the sheriff informing us the fire was 40 miles away, we decided to wait it out. After a stuffy smoky night, we awoke to a clear morning. We cooked breakfast on a commandeered gas grill and headed down to the valley floor for biking. We hiked to the falls and rode bikes all day... sure enough 4:00 smoke rolled in. There was no power in the park and the only meal you could buy was $40 a plate. So... we packed up the car and headed home. In Annik's favor... it would'nt be true exposure to california without experiencing some sort of fire... and we had an earthquake this week so now she can go back with a good grasp of our lifestyle.

p.s. We finally saw a bear in Yosemite.

Quote of the Day

Heidi came down from her room all upset, distraught and a little confused and said..."Ashley said a place name hell... and I'm gonna go there.?"

Boy Scout Camp

Reed's favorite rock.



We finally picked up Reed's pictures he took at his week long scout camp. He had a lot of fun and while he was gone we realized that he really doesn't start all of the fights. So far he has been able to complete 5 merit badges this summer. We switched his troop because he was accomplishing nothing in his other troop. He is now in a "high adventure" troop and is having lots of fun.

Commando Reed.

HE ACTUALLY WON SOMETHING!!!!!!

A month or two ago Dan entered some pictures of his fish tank into a silly "sand and gravel" contest. (I think he did it more on a whim to show someone who is actually interested in fish tanks, his tanks.) Today in the mail he recieved a check for $200.00!!!! Who would have ever guessed? So, now if he goes out and buys a lotto ticket does that make our odds go up or down?

Hey Baby..... What's Your Sign?

We have been star gazing the past few nights from our balcony. The moon is full and Jupiter and its moons can be seen very well in the telescope. We even were able to slightly see the red storm on Jupiter.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my 36th. Some Birthdays are fantastic, some are "good", and some are just like any other day. This one fit in the "good" category. It started with having to get up early to get Reed off to scout camp.. I don't like getting up. So when I got him out the door I went back to bed. Then we all went to lunch at Nordstrom and I ordered my favorite salad and they were out of the "secret, special salad dressing" so I had to have ranch. Then I went to have my nails done at the salon with Annik, Dan's mom and the girls. That was good. Dan came in the salon and surprised me with flowers and had the entire vietnamese staff singing "hoppy burday" to me. Then I came home and opened my present. I got a Cusineart food processor. I never thought I needed one until I had to start cooking all of this zuchinni. I love it! The evening ended with a BBQ at the park for Annik's travel group she came with.. All in all a "good" birthday.

Fresh from the other side of the World....

On Saturday our Foreign Exchange Student arrived. Her name is Annik and she is very polite and sweet. She is giving us insights into Germany and we are showing her every reason why she never wants to live in america. The girls absolutely adore her... and I think she is quite fond of them too. They pester her for hours-on-end and she never complains. Heidi asked if she brought her swimsuit and she said she brought a bikini. Doing her part to teach Annik the correct english Heidi responded by telling her "zuchinni is food". We are showing her how american families, fight, make messes and overeat! I am sure she will leave with a lasting impression.