San Francisco: Day Two (2nd Half)

Well, if you're still reading this I know you must be my mom or you are suffering insomnia! Either way, here is more for your viewing pleasure!

We stopped off at the Cable Car Museum (hang on there - I know it's getting exciting!) I had told Kevin before going that I didn't need to go to the Museum. But, it was free after all and it ended up being pretty interesting.

This is actually the cable that the trolley cars grab on to in order to be pulled up the hills of San Francisco. There are 4 lines- each labeled above.

This is a closer view of one of the cables.

They are in constant motion. In order for the cable cars to stop, they let go of the line and to go they have to grab back on. Pretty loud in there too.

Just down the hill we found China Town. I had read in my handy-dandy tourist book that there was a Fortune Cookie Factory to visit. We walked and walked and couldn't find this factory. I was imagining a factory, when in fact it was a small little store back in a dark alley way that was a bit wider than an arm span. There were 3 little ladies next to a very hot machine that was turning out these flat pancake-like cookies. They would then fold them on a metal rod and cool them in a pan. They charged 50 cents for each photo. Glad my first one was good enough!

More sights from China Town...

The thing that most surprised me in San Francisco is that you literally walk across the street and you go from China Town to Banana Republic and Gucci stores!

After a rest in the room, we headed out to dinner and ended the night with a couple of drinks at the bar of a Jazz club. They had great music and we were practicing up for our wine tour early the next morning!

Not the greatest quality picture- due to lighting, not the drinks :) We got a good laugh about the white straight-laced suited piano player. He just didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the band!

 Are you still there Mom? Thanks for reading this!

San Francisco: Day Two (First Half)

According to the title, this could get long!

We started our 2nd day at Alcatraz. This was one of the things I was really looking forward to doing on this trip and it turned out to be a favorite of my weekend. The history of Alcatraz is very interesting (but not interesting enough to make you read about right now!).

The city view from the ferry

View of Alcatraz from the ferry

The entrance to Alcatraz. The Indians took over after it closed as a prison. Their welcome is still painted on the entrance.

Where the inmates received their uniforms.

Where they showered (bet you were hoping to see that!)

An inmate's cell

Some notorious inmates

The cell of an inmate who may have escaped Alcatraz. 

The 5 inmates who escaped made replica faces to fool the guards. This was one of them.

The kitchen- the knives were painted on so they would know which (if any) were missing.

Took these for the kids. Kevin thinks I was crazy for smiling in the cell!

What once was a house to the worst criminals is now a safe haven for nesting birds.

After Alcatraz, we had lunch at a little cart off the road (no- I am not joking) at Fisherman's Wharf. We had Clam Chowder and Fish and Chips. When you see the crates of crabs below you might see why I was a little nervous about our lunch, but it really was very good and nobody was sick later in the day!

The seals at Pier 39. Fun to watch, but smelly!

San Francisco: Day One

We flew out early in the morning. I was awakened by my oldest at 4 am who needed an extra hug before I left. He has a way of tugging at my heart!

The flight was fantastic- I read almost an entire book that I'd been waiting a year to read (Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks). This was my 2nd time flying without the kids since I've had kids. It's a luxury to fly alone! It also doesn't hurt to travel with a "summit level" seasoned air traveler who gets the roomy seats and free tv either.

It was my first time in the city, so Kevin took me around to show me the sights.

We stayed at the Wyndham Parc 55 in Union Square. It was a great location and great hotel right next to the trolley stops and convenient shops and restaurants. These pigeons were always just outside our hotel. 

We had passes to ride the trolleys and buses. We did ride them, but sometimes it was hard to find space, so we walked a ton!

The end of the line- they still have to get out and turn it around manually. 

Lombard Street- the crookedest street in America?

Ghirardelli Square- Free Chocolate- Mmmm

The Street Performers and such-

• The "Jesus Loves You" guy was just outside our hotel the whole weekend 
• The second "Bush" guy hid behind branches and scared people as they walked by (We were told he makes $50,000 a year from this.)
• The last was a performer at Fisherman's Wharf. The boys hate this picture! 

A hill we climbed late in the day. If you look closely in the 2nd photo you'll see our reflection waiting for the trolley to help us to the top of that hill!

Did you miss me?

You may be wondering why the lack of blogging lately, it's because of this:

Over the last 14 days of May, I've been in California for 10 of them. First, 5 days of trolley-ing the hills of San Francisco with my hubby and then 5 days of basking in the sun of Southern California with the whole family. So, for now, I will leave you with this last image from Laguna Beach and a promise to update with some fun recaps of our trips over the next few days.

Kindie Graduation

We have a graduate in the house tonight! Big Brother graduated from Kindergarten this morning. Where did the year go? How can he be a 1st grader tonight? I won't go on a sobbing tangent about how I can't imagine him going to a full-day of school in August and seeing his teacher more than me. I won't do that now- I'll wait until his first day of 1st grade!

A Weekend Away

Thanks to my amazing Mom, who played endless amounts of Sorry Sliders while cooped up inside (rain) with 2 little energetic boys for 5 days, Kevin and I got away to SAN FRANCISCO to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary.  It was a wonderful trip, both relaxing and exhausting at the same time!

More pictures to come, eventually, but for now, these will have to do.

Love In Action: Service Day

Last year our church started a new tradition called Love In Action. Something like 1500 people donated their time to service projects in our community, including working on schools, rec centers, neighbors house projects, trash pick up along roads, serving meals to firefighters and police, and more.

We joined them this year and chose to work at Big Brother's School. Just a couple of days before the service day, our yard looked like this! Seriously, how is there snow in the middle of May?

We were a little nervous if weather would hold out to do our projects. Despite rain all weekend, it finally slowed and (though still cold) we had an open window of time to work. 40 people were at the school to do various projects. Our principal was there, working alongside our church members, to build fences, prepare gardens (for future scientific studies), paint the blacktop where the kids have recess, move boulders, spread mulch and gravel and lay tarp. Below are some highlights of our day.

Big Brother sweeping the blacktop to prepare to paint.

Painting the area where his own class lines up each day.

Daddy is in there helping dig 2 foot holes for the fence posts.

Little Brother helped line garden beds with rocks, spread mulch, and move cardboard for the plant beds.

The Master Plan

Daddy moving fence posts. 

Three of the garden beds ready for planting this weekend.

All in all, I was surprised at the amount of work that needed to be done and how much was accomplished. It was a huge job, still more to be done, but so rewarding. I wasn't sure how it would go with the boys, but honestly, they didn't complain once. They worked so hard and I was so proud of them. It was really special for them to work at the school and be able to know they were part of something special. Throughout their time in Elementary School, I know there will be times when they remember helping to prepare these gardens and help their school.