menlo park

last week we drove up north to see my dad and family.  we had a wonderful time and were so busy having fun that i didn't have time to post my pictures as the days went by.  we are now back and i'm enjoying the warm images and the memories they bring me of our family togetherness.  this first picture was taken on the familiar road trip up the 101 which is always a lovely drive looking out at the bucolic landscape.

we ate out for lunch several times and i like this picture i took of grandson and grandpa's hands working together with these wooden magnetic shapes.

griffen and his cute little self went with us almost everywhere.

we visited this pretty park where we strolled along the path as ezra rode on his bike and then played on the playground a while.

we all played monopoly together.

it was the most rousing game of monopoly i've ever played!  

i think it had a lot to do with sitting around as a family with 3 children in the mix.

ezra enjoyed his first game of monopoly so much - he even got boardwalk!

my brother and luke came for a few days and the cousins had a nice day at sharon park.  they rode bikes around the lake many times, had a picnic lunch, and...

they searched for big sticks

to go fishing with.

we all gathered to celebrate my dad's birthday.
this was the vegan chocolate cake from whole foods that theresa got.
mmmmm......  so so good.

i crocheted him a pair of granny-square (let's call them grampy-square) slippers.

after the birthday dinner and cake there was a light saber battle.

i think ezra had the advantage when i reminded them that he was four and they are 6 and 10.

they played,

while i played...

on our last day we did the stanford dish walk.

this was one of the great views looking over stanford from the top of a steep hill we had just hiked.

you can see the dish to the right of my dad's head in this picture. 

there were great views all around and the steady incline made for an invigorating workout.  

ezra did so well on his balance bike and even rode most of the way down on his own.

it was a beautiful end to a beautiful trip.  

we had a lovely time all together after being gone for so long.