Lake Tahoe

The last leg of our trip to California was spent at Lake Tahoe for the first ever Barth family reunion.  We had such a great time visiting Lake Tahoe for the first time.  One of our favorite activities was biking through the forest and along some of the beaches.

We spent some time at the beach and even managed to get Aaron to wade into the water a little bit.

 We played a lot of cards.

We enjoyed seeing cousins and sharing our favorite beverages.

It was so fun for Brigham to get to spend time with his grandparents, great grandpa, and cousins.  He loved getting so much attention and always having someone to hold him or play with him.  He also continued to enjoy his plastic utensils and had a plastic spoon in his hand or mouth for much of the time.

 We had so much fun and are so grateful to all those who made the first Barth reunion such a success.  We hope there are many more to come.

Pinecrest

We spent four days at the Barth family cabin in Pinecrest.  It is so beautiful up there and the summer weather is perfect.  The cabin has a great porch that looks out at the lake, so we spent most of our cabin time on the front porch lounging, reading, playing games, eating, and people-watching.

Aaron and I enjoyed kayaking.  Brigham enjoyed getting in the lake and eating rocks and pine needles.

The boys both enjoyed reading their books on the beach.

Aaron and I enjoyed hiking around the lake, while Brigham enjoyed napping.

 

Brigham enjoyed watching his older cousins and trying to play with them.  We had a great 4th of July with family and loved spending time up at the cabin.

San Fran

We spent a great day in San Francisco doing some of my favorite touristy things.  My favorite spot of the day was a new one and one I've wanted to visit for awhile--The Walt Disney Family Museum.  The museum is all about Walt Disney's life and work and it was quite fascinating.  The first part of the museum is a bit slow, but once you take the elevators upstairs and get to the room that is all about Steamboat Willie and Mickey Mouse it becomes really interesting.   I think my favorite part (although it is hard to choose) was the miniature model of Disneyland when it opened.  It was so cool to see what was there, what is still there, what has been replaced, and what has been moved.

 Our next stop was the wharf to enjoy some clam chowder and sourdough.

 Then the chocolate factory to enjoy a hot fudge Sundae.

Brigham's favorite part of the day was the plastic spoon we gave him at the wharf (pictured above).  As we walked down the street along the wharf he would try to stand up (as much as he could) in his stroller and would wave the spoon around in the air while babbling really loudly and excitedly, like he had just discovered the greatest invention in the world.  He got quite a few looks and smiles from people passing on the street, and we couldn't stop laughing at him.  Little did we know how easy it was to entertain him.  Why do I buy him toys?  Apparently all he wants is a plastic spoon.

Great Grandma T

The next leg of our trip included a visit with my grandma in Los Altos.  This was the first time that Brigham got to meet his great grandma Thompson.  As you can see, he was pretty excited.  She kept telling us he is the happiest baby she has ever seen, and asking us if he ever cries.  I think he did cry once at her house, but other than that he really was a happy camper as usual.

Visiting my grandma's house makes me feel like a bit of a superstar.  There are pictures, paintings, and drawings of my family in every room.  Even baby pictures of me in her bathroom.  She has kept her house pretty much the same from when I was a young child, so a visit to her house brings back some good childhood memories.  One of our favorite places to take pictures has always been this bench around the tree in the front of her house, so I had to get a shot of the little man on it.