Camping!

We (finally, FINALLY) were able to get away for a weekend.  For the first time since... well, since before we started our kitchen renovation on our condo a year ago.  [Full Disclosure: we did take a trip to Chicago for the holidays, but as much as I love those trips there is nothing like going somewhere where you don't get reception and cleanliness is not an option.]  We went through Yosemite (and took the roundabout way to see the sites and the many falls).  We had so much snow and late this year that the Yosemite campgrounds aren't even open yet.  That means the waterfalls were spectacular!  We camped past Yosemite and then spent our time exploring Mono Lake and Bodie Ghost Town.  So fun!

This was Roscoe's second camping trip (not counting when I was pregnant with him), but he wasn't walking last summer, so this was a whole new world for him and he loved it.  He played with rocks and sticks and snow and chased his new dog friend "Nick" around in circles.  The only teeny tiny issue we had was that he didn't really get the whole sleep-in-a-tent thing and, well, he just DIDN'T SLEEP.  At first it was cute because he thought we were playing a game so he would look back and forth at us ("sleeping") and then lay down and pretend to sleep (complete with fake snores) only to peek and look back and forth with a smile to see what we were going to do next...  Not so cute after several hours and especially not cute when the over-tiredness took over and he wailed most of the night in pure frustration that he couldn't asleep.  We only lasted one night and drove home after dinner the second day only to find that when we arrived home in the middle of the night our house keys had gone MIA and Ray had to break in.  Alas.  We survived and have lots of great memories of our sleep-deprived family adventure.

Bodie Ghost Town was so way cool:
"Bodie is an original mining town from the late 1800's. What's left today stands in a state of 'arrested decay.' In 1859 William (a.k.a. Waterman) S. Bodey discovered gold near what is now called Bodie Bluff. A mill was established in 1861 and the town began to grow. It started with about 20 miners and grew to an estimated 10,000 people by 1880! By then, the town of Bodie bustled with families, robbers, miners, store owners, gunfighters, prostitutes and people from every country in the world. At one time there was reported to be 65 saloons in town. Among the saloons were numerous brothels and 'houses of ill repute', gambling halls and opium dens - an entertainment outlet for everyone.
On a daily basis miners would emerge from the mills and head for the bars and the red light district to spend their earnings. The mixture of money, gold and alcohol would often prove fatal. Newspapers report that towns people would ask in the mornings "Have a man for breakfast?" Meaning 'Did anyone get killed last night?' (www.bodie.com)

After the gold dried up and a massive fire destroyed much of the town in the 1930s, Bodie was abandoned and remains today exactly as it was left.  Down to the tablecloths left on the tables and curtains on the windows.  I really loved getting a glimpse into what life was like for the people living there.

Here are a few of my common folk pictures of our trip and then I will let the professional take over:

Some of the amazing views out my window as we drove:

 The off-road trail we started on to get to Bodie:

Road Block (pile of snow on a narrow trail next to a cliff = dangerous):

 The off-off-road trail Ray found for us to get around the snow:

My boys:

This is hard to see, but notice on the left a crazy man Ray putting his head under the snow-melt (freezing cold) waterfall. Yes, we pulled over for this purpose.  And the verdict is that it was "invigorating" and he wishes he could do it again.  Also, notice the man in front of us cleaning puke out of his baby seat.  Poor man.  

The boys cleaning out the car and washing it (Roscoe likes to point the hose and make a spraying sound):

Rest break:

And the professional photos:

Best Way to Start the Day...

Seeing our baby girl!  (That's right, folks, Roscoe is going to have a baby sister!)

She had the hiccups, she was cuddling up to the placenta and crossing her ankles like such a little lady.  Then she was rolling around and making the techs work for a good angle.

And she is already ridiculously cute, if I do say so myself:

Best Three Years of My Life

 

Thank you, my love, for being all that you are 

and for sharing you with me.

*all photos by (the amazing) d'artisti photography*

All About Roo

My brain is not functioning well enough to think of words, but I have lots of photos to share!

Roscoe's favorite place to wait for DadAAA:

Babysitting Cousin Diwa:

Not feeling very well (the only time we get a good snuggle in!):

Before and After.  What happens when you use your food bowl as a hat while it still has food in it:

Yes, that's right folks.  He has enough hair to get bedhead even.  This is a big step:

Rediscovering his toys that have been in storage for almost a year:

And the shoe obsession continues (wearing one pair of Daddy's shoes while pushing another pair in his stroller):

His buddy Jack (his babysitter's son who is 7 months younger than him):

Waking up refreshed at the sitter's (I LOVE that she sends me pictures!):