Memorial Day, Shasta and Castle Crags

We spent a most glorious Memorial Day Weekend with our dear friends the Montezes and Barholomews.  I love these people and these mountains.  Seriously, California is amazingly beautiful.  I always thought California was the beach.  Dave who is a Sierra's guru picked Castle Crag for our weekend adventure, up near Shasta.  It was beautiful.  Day one we checked out a waterfall and played in the Sacramento River.  After we'd hiked back up we were hanging out in the shade of a gazebo and someone jokingly suggested we have a testimony meeting.  Adam B. promptly said, "I don't have a testimony, can we go now?"  It was hilarious.  Maybe you had to be there, but that line was hilarious.:

 Shasta presided over everything.  Hard to tell from this picture but it totally dominates:

 Tucker and Diane were the first to brave the water:

 Matt and Rob braved it eventually:

 Anders and Sophia leaving their mark:

 The Bartholomews brought jump ropes and Shannon schooled us in double dutch:

 Dinner was dutch oven and smores and cobbler.  All good.  Then it was "scary story" time, which was hilarious.  Most hilarious of all was Abby retelling a joke in her mom's voice and perfectly encapsulating Diane's brilliance.  It was one of my favorite things of all time. 

 In the morning we tried out the pie irons:

 We drove down to Shasta caverns.  You have to take a boat across the lake and then a bus to the cavern.  It was super cool.  

 We drove to Castle Crags to picnic by the river.  So beautiful.

 View of the Crags from the trail:

 Frisbee Football:

 Abby, Lucy, and Matt.  Who says teenagers are a pain?  These guys are the best. 

 Drove then hiked up to a Shasta/Crag overlook.  Unreal.  Hard to tell but this looked like some fake school picture backdrop.  It was so perfect. 

 The next morning after cleaning up camp we headed up to Shasta.  Lots of mountaineers.  Impressive.  Diane and I hiked in the slushy snow for a bit.  Then Rob and Kent rode bikes down.  

 We caravanned to Burney Falls, which was AMAZING!  It was so hot.  Then down by the falls it was so cool and nice.  And after we got ice cream, which is the best way to cap off a camping trip:

 Again, Clara's feet give proof that it was a great weekend:

Piano Recital 2016

This year it was just Anders and Clara.  They rocked it. 

Overnight at the Museum with the Girl Scouts

Our troop did a sleepover (some of us did a late night) at the children's museum.  It was awesome.  The girls had the whole place to themselves.  Their were fun games and activities based around the monster fish exhibit.  A game of carnivores vs. herbivores, a food chain sling shot, and unlimited creative access to tools and materials to make their own monster fish.  A great time was had by all.