Gilroy Gardens

Yesterday we went to Gilroy Gardens (formerly Bonfante Gardens) with Grandma Lynnie and Papa Tom. It was so much fun! This theme park is perfect for our aged kids. They could ride almost every ride, some even by themselves. It took Jacob a few rides to warm up, but once we rode the train, he was ready for more. I think Jacob would have rode the train all day, he loved it! Ryan loved all the rides and did great all day! He was so cute raising his arms up on one of the kiddie roller coasters! It was a super hot day, but we kept lots of drinks and ice cream going! A huge thank you to Grandma and Papa for going with us and having lots of fun!!

Let's roll!

"Look, it's just like the merry-go-round on Mary Poppins!" (according to Jacob)

Where is that darn train?


Papa and Megan



Lunch time!
(Please don't judge me for putting their food directly on the table - it was SO hot and they were cranky and ready for lunch!)



Daddy and Megan cooling off in the water park!

Daddy and Jacob

Go Dylan!

Grandma and Jakey on the "roller coaster"

Look mom, no hands! (Daddy and Ryan)

Start your engines!

I want the pink car!

This car was too hot for Dylan - it was burning his arms - ouch!

Future Firemen!

Tahoe beach day!

Instead of a summer vacation this year, we've decided to just do a few fun family days together instead of a week long trip somewhere. So this past Tuesday, we met up with my sister and her family for a beach day in Lake Tahoe! We met up at D.L. Bliss campground (our family favorite Tahoe spot) and hit the beach! We normally would be camping at Bliss, but we figured the little kids were still a bit too young for camping, but definitely next year. After a quiet ride up the mountain, we made it to the lake. At first, Megan and Ryan were not digging the sand on their feet, but after a little while, they got more comfortable with it. Dylan and Jacob loved it from the get go! The weather was absolutely perfect! It was in the low 80's and not a cloud in the sky. A fabulous Tahoe summer day. We packed our lunch, snacks and plenty of drinks. Oh, and of course a hundred sand toys! The kids did awesome all day... minimal cyring and whining, which always makes for a better day! The kids loved playing in the sand with their cousins Olivia, Matty, Nathan and Derek. Overall, it was one of the best days we've had in a really long time! Lots of fun, sun and relaxation! We stayed until about 4:00 and then headed home. Ryan was asleep in the car before we even got out of the campground and the other 3 were not far behind! When we got home that night, Jacob said "mommy, can we go camping? I want to go back to the lake." It was so cute! All the kids had fun, but Jacob really had a great day. He loved playing in the sand and water with his cousins. It's such an awesome thing to watch your kids having the time of their life, just being a kid. It's great that our kids are getting older and we're able to do more things like this as a family. It really makes us excited for the years to come... lots of camping trips, hiking, biking and just having fun! Here are a few photos from the day ...

Thanks to the Nelson clan for sharing the beach day with us! As always, it was a fun and great day! We love you guys and can't wait until next summer! Look out Bliss ... here we come!!