The past week we have been gone on vacation to California. We had an opportunity to go down for a birthday party for Tammy and Marc Lariz (Jim's boss's daughter and son-in-law). We decided to go to the party and show the kids where Daddy works. The first two nights we spent in Lakehead, just north of Redding, while Jim did some work on his boss's lake house. This was a working vacation for Jim; we played, he worked. While we were there the kids got to go in the hot tub which was fun for them although the temperature outside was in the mid 90s.
In the evening the deer came around. The first night there were six deer just outside the balcony in the back of the house. It was pretty dark but they came around again the next day before it got dark. The kids were able to throw some carrots to them which the deer seemed to like a lot.
The cement here is right by the steps leading up to the deck. That's the closest this deer came.
After giving the deer several carrots, Erin was actually able to go pretty close to the deer.
He still is checking us out at this point. Not sure whether to trust us or not.
We stopped by the Shasta Dam on our way to San Jose. It is a pretty amazing sight and the weather was just beautiful. 
They are still letting water out of the dam at a pretty good rate. They want to keep the rivers full.
The river is full.
Shasta Lake is only 40% full though. The water when it is full is up to the tree line.
From here we we went to San Jose and the kids got to see where Jim works. I was able to see some of the projects that Jim has told me about, the huge castle he built in the play yard was amazing!
Erin also enjoyed playing on the trikes and filling up at the play gas station. She was a little big for the trike but she had fun anyway.
The kids had a fun time catching frogs at the storage yard also. One of them was a frog that had sticky feet. You wouldn't catch me doing this, but it did make a good picture. They caught three all together.
On Saturday we went to Adrian and Gloria's house for Tammy and Marc's birthday party. There were blowup water slides and a pool for the kids also. Erin was able to ride a horse also.
Erin and Tammy's daughter, Brook.
Adrian (L) and Gloria (R)
Erin sitting on Apache.
On Monday, we took the kids to Great America. It is an amusement park that we took James and Kristen to every summer when we lived in San Jose. They kids had fun and so did we.
Jim and Erin on the Drop Zone. It brings you up 25 stories high and then drops you in a free fall. I have yet to try this one, but I do the roller coasters and Jim won't do those.
Jonathan driving a car.
Erin driving her own car also.
Erin and Gail on the Flying Eagle ride.
On Tuesday, we drove back to Portland all in one day. It was a great trip and I am so glad we took it. I hope it will be memorable for the kids. Just think, the whole way to San Jose and then back again is only about half way to Puebla, Mexico. That trip is next year though.
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