What a Week it Was Installment #4: Lake Piute

After a nostalgic trip to Orange County beaches, we spent a beautiful day at Charif's sister Sam's hilltop home out and away from the hustle and bustle. After a morning hike all around the hilltops looking at the lake and poppies, we had a picnic lunch then we swung from a rope under a canopy of oak trees. What a great time! I especially loved watching Freddy and Isaac play their guitars on the deck overlooking the beautiful valley of oaks at Sam's house.

It is an amazing blessing to think that our children want to make sacrifices in order to spend time together, and with us. The week in March that Isaac was down from Alaska and Annie was down from Burney was very special. We celebrated Sofia's 3rd birthday and saw lots of family and said good-bye one by one once again. We began to plan a trip to Hume Lake in the summertime and even though we parted, we knew it wouldn't be long before we were together again. God is so good!

What a Week it Was: Little Corona Installment #3

What a ball we had with Hal and Brandy and Parker, Olen and Marcy, Ben and his family, friends Rob and Janet, and our whole family! After bannanas on a stick at Balboa Island, we moved to Little Corona and after splashing in the tide pools and climbing over the big rocks, we built a huge fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Then we had an old fashioned "sing!" with all the old choruses that their Dad had led throughout their growing up years. Freddy and Isaac handed out the words to "Corona Del Mar" and taught us all the 12 or so verses and chorus. It was a great time and we laughed and laughed and sang as loud as we could as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon.