Trees, Water, Friends and Food

 We have been enjoying the end of summer around here.

This weekend we woke some friends up early and asked if they would like a last minute trip to the redwoods and coast with us!

 One hour later we were on the road with 2 vans and 6 kids and lots of energy!

We did a boys car and a girls car---I think we had the much quieter deal in the girls car!

Caleb, Hannah and their friends, Emily, Josiah, Aaron, and Madison had lots of fun roaming the downed trees in the redwoods.

 We made a quick run through the Smith River to visit some friends camping out on the other side.  We are also working on some tentative plans to put on a couples adoptive parents seminar with a couple of them, so were able to get all the men in the same place at one time.

 Caleb and Josiah were good buddies all day, though we had to remind them both that Caleb was bigger and older, so could do some things that Josiah should not try.

 Caleb was getting the skim boarding down.

And Hannah seriously dances anywhere!

 Love this picture of the dad's and their kids!

 David found a starfish trapped in the river during low tide.  The kids enjoyed that!

 Then there were the driftwood log rafts.  They soon learned that too many kids on a thin log just meant sinking!

 Here are Hannah and Madison, just before they capsized.  They decided that was enough FUN!

 Aaron was content for the longest time with Caleb's battleship.

 Caleb finally figured out the log rafts.


We did miss pictures of the driftwood forts, but since that did not end well with it collapsing on Caleb's head and Emily's shoulder, I guess we do not need pictures to memorialize that.

Then the next day we canned a couple of dozen pints of salsa and prepared 6 dozen ears of corn for freezing!

Not too many slow days around here.