My family, led by my sister Angie, takes a trip to the Fort Bragg area every year for a big campout. As you may remember, Suzanne is not that enthusiastic about camping, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway. Here's a family picture on Glass Beach. Carter was trying to smile as wide as he could. We've spoken to him since then about how you smile in photos and you'll get to see some better ones later.
Glass Beach has a neat history. Years ago, the city of Fort Bragg used this ugly little beach as a city dump (Please suspend your outrage, they've learned their lesson and stopped that practice a long time ago). Everything was broken down or washed away, except the glass, which was broken and rolled by the waves. The ocean waves acted as a natural stone polisher, so now there are smooth pebbles of glass from pea size to quarter size. You're not supposed to take any home, but everyone does anyway. How's that for recycling? They dumped their trash in the ocean, now we go pick it up and take it home as a keepsake.
McKay in the red lifejacket, Carter in blue, playing in the ocean at Sanddollar Beach. We've seen too many kids get rolled farther out than they wanted by the waves, so we always put our boys in PFD's when we hit the ocean beach. Carter got much bolder than I wanted, going up to his chest in the water. I imagined him floating out to sea in a riptide, so they didn't get to play as long as they wanted. Angie joked that I was "playing lifeguard". Or maybe that was Leigh... Anyway, the next day their older cousin Colton posted on facebook that "a riptide almost took my life" so I felt justified. They all had fun, and Colton learned a valuable lesson: never underestimate the power of the ocean.
The boys with their personal lifeguard (already suited up in a lifejacket... Just in case!)
That was the end of our trip to Fort Bragg, but not the last trip to the ocean this summer. Suzanne's mom and sister came over from Idaho and Las Vegas, respectively, and Suzanne and the boys took off to Eureka for some more beach fun.
They had fun seeing the sights too. I hear Carter got excited when he saw the famous Carter House Inn.
On the trail to Agate Beach. McKay swinging from the railing.
Checking out the Giant Redwoods.
My dad and I drove over from Redding to spend the last two days with my family, and it's thanks to him we were able to get some great family photos, like these next two standing inside a burned out Giant Redwood.
I used to show pictures like this to people I'd meet in Spain. They always made comments like "The things they can do with computers these days! You look like little elves." Their jaws would hit the floor when I'd tell them the trees really are that big. I'm still amazed.
My little family on a beach down in Trinidad - go to the stubby lighthouse and follow the 220 steps all the way to the bottom. The boys had a great time - McKay was distance jumping over a small stream and Carter climbed rocks to follow Papa.
We also went to one of my childhood memories, the Eureka Zoo. That place has changed! There's a botanical garden next door, with a wishing well, hence the next picture.
The boys had fun in the zoo, Papa got them to go into the petting zoo with him.
McKay on a tractor in the zoo's "Barnyard"
Carter on a horse in the Barnyard.
Down the street there's the park where they filmed "Return of the Jedi". It looks a lot different than I remember, but that was twenty years ago. They boys had a lot of fun there, but then, they have fun everywhere.
The most amazing part of the trip in my opinion was driving up to Klamath where the whale was lost under the bridge. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see a wild whale that close. We watched her as she swam in slow circles west of the bridge, hoping she'd find her way back to the ocean. We were very sad to see in the news that she passed away a few days ago.
We also went to one of my childhood memories, the Eureka Zoo. That place has changed! There's a botanical garden next door, with a wishing well, hence the next picture.
The boys had fun in the zoo, Papa got them to go into the petting zoo with him.
McKay on a tractor in the zoo's "Barnyard"Carter on a horse in the Barnyard.Down the street there's the park where they filmed "Return of the Jedi". It looks a lot different than I remember, but that was twenty years ago. They boys had a lot of fun there, but then, they have fun everywhere. The most amazing part of the trip in my opinion was driving up to Klamath where the whale was lost under the bridge. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see a wild whale that close. We watched her as she swam in slow circles west of the bridge, hoping she'd find her way back to the ocean. We were very sad to see in the news that she passed away a few days ago.
We have been getting the boys more involved in household chores. McKay has this strange desire to watch the Food Network at all hours, so we have an inexplicable urge to cook elaborate dishes for dinner each night. A few nights ago I asked Carter if he wanted to dredge the chicken, fully expecting him to say no. I was surprised to hear him say he wanted to help, but really more surprised by what a good job he did. (And when it was done he ATE it - Mr. Picky Eater himself...) 
You know how when Mothers' Day rolls around and kids ask "Why isn't there a Kids' Day?" and the standard answer is "Everyday is Kids' Day." Kind of true. Today is Mothers' Day and we spent the afternoon taking the kids to the park and working on a recipe that Carter found in April's issue of "The Friend": Bunny Buns. I let the boys do as much as was safe and they were really excited to decorate their bunny buns, even though all we had were Valentine's Day sprinkles.
The globs at the bottom are tails, I think. I like McKay's best because it has red eyes and fangs. I wonder if that was on purpose. Anyway, as Carter said, "They are delicious!" Light and sweet with a hint of orange and a sugar glaze. The ears could have been longer.
Hope you all enjoy the pictures!
