Highlights of our most recent travels

We escaped not days before the first Idaho winter storms dropped 2 feet of snow; one week before
Thanksgiving. Onward to California.  To see and spend time with beloved family. 
And to prolong Fall colors and warm Autumn sunlight.  California did not disappoint!

All the family came through as well :-)

We are native "Northern" Californians, so none of this beaches and movie stars business if you please.
We come from Almond country. Rice Country. Olive country.  Where we grew up is home of
Lundberg Rice, Knudsen's Juice, Sierra Nevada Brewery, Chico Bag, Klean Kanteen
The farthest south we ever venture is to visit Granny and Great Grandpa in the green coastal
verdure of Watsonville.  Strawberry country.  Apple country.  Lettuce, Garlic, and Olallieberries.
And lemons... don't forget Granny's lemons.

They make the BEST Lemonade!

"Put your Footer down!"  Bryce would tell Great Grandpa over and over again.
That meant Grandpa was to close up his reclining chair... or open it.  Whichever suited
the tiny Boss's whim. Bryce sure appreciated Great Grandpa's cooperation.
I think they were mutually satisfied with the arrangement :-)

Great Grandpa has a pool table in his basement. It's always been a novelty, but these
days dad has some new up-and-coming competition !

Some serious (though smiling) gamers in this family. 

Carolina is hearing about Granny's brothers and sisters.
Granny was one of seven also.

Clay in the Persimmon tree.  Always in a tree, that boy.

We did set foot on beach once... at Capitola, and lunch with Aunt June and Uncle Robert
(We sure love you guys!  Thanks for coming over to see us!)

Our dad has to work sometimes - even when we're at the beach.

It's rough.

And during Thanksgiving weekend we got to know our latest Uncle a bit better.
Uncle Shane is now a bona fide favorite!

And another favorite, Uncle Daniel!

And Uncle Char threatening to blog me.
But he doesn't blog so... I blog YOU Charlie. Take THAT -haHA!

My "baby" sister, seventh in order Mattie Grace...
and my baby, seventh in order also... Aloria Mercy
And it tickles me to no end that our Grace and Mercy resemble each other - quite a lot!

My sisters and a few of the nieces.  Wow.  It's getting harder to deny that we're grown women.

Mother O' mine.

At Grama and Grampa's house running the same land I ran at their age;
though I don't confess to whether or not I also, terrorized the poor chickens :-)

What a privilege to spend yet a little more time with my grandmothers!
AJ's grandma Marie, and my grandmothers Bethlene and Arlene - my namesakes.

There's more where this came from.  Lil' ham-it-ups!

I caught this sight one morning at Gramsie's.  My girls.

Another big going's-on... Aloria got a trim.
Momma is sad sad sad to say good-bye to chestnut colored hair...

..alas....hello little blondie!

I find it awfully hard to narrow down our adventures to these "few" pictures, but it's already taken me hours
(late at night) to upload this many.  Just a taste of last months adventures! 
Oh how we soaked in every single bit of time with family, and I was delighted to see so much of my sisters.
It's pretty amazing that AJ can take his work with him anywhere - that's what makes it possible
for us to extend our travels indefinitely.  It's a little hard to explain why he isn't along for every family drop-in
or visit, but our travels are just that... travels.  Dad still has to work during the week!  Someone has to
"pay the big bucks" as we like to say. :-)

I guess the rest of the pictures will have to be printed on actual photo paper and put into an album.
Another late night job that will require hours, but at least I can put that one off for a while.

Tonight I take my weary bones to bed and dream of all these wonderful faces - people I love dearly!