Our our way to the Tanner family reunion in California, we were also lucky enough to be able to make a stop to see Mark & Nettie! The kids were so excited to see cousins they hadn't seen in a long time. We pulled in late Friday afternoon and the kids sure didn't waste any play time!
It was so fun to get to see them again, and their beautiful home and yard. Their backyard is pretty much a kids' paradise- they loved the trampoline, chickens, bikes, and all sorts of cool toys. Mark & Nettie had gotten all the supplies to do hot dogs and s'mores over the outdoor fire pit. It ended up being a pretty hot day, but it was still great- I think the kids especially loved the watermelon- I lost track of how many pieces everyone had!
It was so fun to sit outside visiting, laughing, watching the kids play, and enjoying the weather (It was still pretty cool when we left South Dakota!). We've missed seeing and spending time with everyone, and I love that no matter how long it's been, the kids just pick right back up from where they left off and are best of friends.
Matthew and Michael were instant buddies- they had so much fun together the whole time we were there. Both of the them are pretty tough little guys- so they made up all sorts of games to play together, usually involving weapons or powers.
Saturday morning, Nettie made us a fabulous crepes breakfast complete with all the fixings and even some hot chocolate. I'm pretty sure my kids wanted to stay forever!
After we had breakfast and got everyone ready, we decided to head off to some local orchards to pick cherries. There were quite a few places- some were crazy busy! We finally found a really nice little orchard that had fantastic cherries for a great price and it was a lot less crowded. I am not a cherry fan- although I try, I just really don't like cherries! But I'll admit, I even tried a few of these ones and they were pretty good.
It's a good thing no one wore their best clothes, because that cherry juice did NOT come off. It was hard to decide what was a brighter shade of red- the cherry juice or my kids' faces from the hot California sun. It was definitely a hot day, but so much fun!
Courtney was a little trooper hanging out in the baby carrier. I specifically got a carrier that was made of a mesh material so it wouldn't be so hot, and it was a good choice! She was a little fussy during the trip- can't say I blame her- being a 6 week old baby after a 27 hour road trip and I'd probably be a little cranky too! She really was pretty good though. I just loved having vacation time to really get to hold and enjoy her!
When we got back from cherry picking, we (changed clothes) had lunch, finished getting everything packed up, and enjoyed a little more play time with cousins before it was time to say goodbye. We're so grateful for the Howells- we just love their sweet family! None of the kids wanted to say goodbye, and we would have loved to stay for a week! Luckily, we got to say goodbye knowing that we would meet up again in just a couple months for the Stevens family reunion. We're so grateful for wonderful family!
