My boys told me I can't call it "San Fran"

While Abraham was living it up in Seattle, the rest of us headed in a more southerly direction, to San Francisco. It's a great drive, excluding much of Nevada, of course. :)  We stopped for a look at the Salt Flats on our way out of Utah.  We were so surprised to find them mostly covered with water!  Apparently this is normal in the Fall/Winter (we've only been there in the Summer before).  So we didn't do any car racing (ha ha) but we stood on the shores and gazed out at the alien landscape.

The light was beautiful

Ky pretended to be a hang glider

Small girl in front of big . . . world

We drove by way of Reno and then through the mountains to Lake Tahoe, where we stopped for a few minutes.  It's beautiful.  There were some changing leaves in the mountains there, and the water was really clear.

Junie enjoying the pebbly sand

Another lovely spot where we stopped for a picnic---in the mountains just over the California border

We stayed a few days in San Francisco and then went to a couple State Parks where we could see Redwoods.  It was a lovely mix of scenery and activity.  We (though we missed Abey) had such a good time!  A few highlights:

Japanese Garden at Golden Gate Park---I still remember this as my favorite thing in San Francisco when I went there the summer before 2nd grade.  I loved the moon bridge, and how everything was green.  This time it was smaller, but just as pretty, as I remembered it.

Views of the city from a glass elevator in our hotel---endlessly fascinating.  Whenever there was no one else in the elevator with us, we rode up and down several times. :)

Hot fudge sundae

Ky tries to pet a birdie---perhaps Sid?---but without success

Daisy was delighted with the cable cars (as were the others)

Boat ride under the Golden Gate Bridge.  It was chilly and windy at first, and the wind blew our hair (but we are grateful she has any hair to blow)

On the other side of the bay, the sun came out and warmed us up

Sebby got to drive the boat!

And he cuddled Junie, of course

There were birds everywhere, so of course Malachi pretended to be a birdie much of the time

Pretty light by the water

Riding the carousel---cat and ostrich (Daisy rode a frog)

Golden Gate Park Playground.  Seb and Ky loved riding pieces of cardboard down these cement slides.

The beach.  There were lots of dogs here.  I think it was a dog party.  (No, really.)  Oddly, there are no dogs in this shot.

We love the redwoods!  They are so awe-inspiring.  Sam and I have seen them before, but the kids haven't, and it was so fun to see their delight.

Great place for a picnic

Beautiful green mountain overlook

Abe's trip

Recently our family was (as my Aunt put it when she was urging us to come join them) "torn asunder" for a week or so---but for the best of reasons, as my Mom invited Abraham to be her traveling companion on a trip to visit her sister in Seattle.  It wasn't Abe's first time in Seattle; we visited there six+ years ago when I was expecting Sebastian, and Kay and Harold were the best hosts imaginable.  So we knew Abe would have the time of his life with Grandma---and to add to it all, he got to fly on a plane for the first time!

Abraham in Harold's Model T---then (2005) and now

Feeding the seagulls at Ivar's (then and now)

Monorail

Space Needle

They saw all the best Seattle sights, visited spots both well-known and less-known, and enjoyed themselves in inimitable Hancock style.  Abe loved his trip and we were so happy he got to go!  Thank you, Mom and Kay and Harold!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

We've been off gallivanting about the country (about which, more to follow), but now we are back just in time for our annual visit to the Red Barn/Pumpkin Farm.  Because I always take pictures of our visits, this has become a good time for me to look back and think about what has happened in the previous year and how much everyone has changed.  It's so amazing.  Daisy was a practically just a bald baby last year, and before that KY was just a baby!  Why do these people change so fast?  Perhaps baby Junie will refrain from following the trend, and still be a baby next year.  We will see.

A not-entirely-willing trio of huggers.  Do they all have the same color of eyes?

They climb.  Perhaps Daisy, mindful of her smaller appendages, will remain behind?  She does not.

Oh, we love her.  She is a tiny bit sick and bleary, but still smiling, of course.

Malachi saying, "Heeeere weeee go!

I can't resist close-ups of soft little cheeks.  So biteable!

Girl with blue truck.  How picturesque.

Driving it (which is what she wanted earlier)

Carrying my own little pumpkin

Everyone has to choose a pumpkin they can carry themselves.  Malachi was very pleased and protective of his.  He hugged it so sweetly as he walked.

Strong Abey could handle a big one this year!

Even Daisy could hold hers (as long as there were some helping hands and quick reflexes hovering nearby)

This is like one of those artsy family portraits you see everywhere these days, where the family is out on the Siberian steppes somewhere, holding balloons and staring off in different directions while sitting on a mid-century-modern couch and wearing carefully non-matched clothing.

Here Daisy is making dismayed whimpering sounds and whispering "dooo heaby!"