I think the family traveling from Hawaii (they stopped in Salt Lake on their way from Europe to Hawaii, so they'd been ALL over the place) was a bit worn out so we decided to go bowling.
Although we hadn't seen LaVor's brother and his family since our visit to Colorado last year, the boys were able to pick up right where they left off with their cousins. I think The Lime wants a big brother because he was glued to his cousin, Jacob, the entire time they were here. And Doodlebug took a liking to his cousin who also happens to be his twin (just 10 years older).
After bowling, we came back to our house and chatted for a bit before we headed to the outlets so they could use their gift cards before heading back to Switzerland. It was also extremely convenient that one of their favorite Mexican restaurants from when they lived here was just a hop, skip, and a jump from the outlets. Since they can't get Mexican food in Switzerland, they stocked up while in California.
By the time dinner was over, we were hitting 8:00 and everyone was getting tired. Since they had a 2 hour drive back to the bay area, we said our goodbyes and planned on getting together the following day.
LaVor's cousin was having a baby shower on Saturday and a majority of the extended family would be there. LaVor and the boys drove down and met up with his brother's family & parents. I think I overdid it with the nachos, mozzarella sticks, and Mexican food the day before so I decided to stay home where I slept off the yuckiness. They were gone all day but arrived just in time for me to head off to work.
We woke up Sunday with plans of meeting up with everyone one last time before people started heading home. We weren't planning on going to an A's game but were thrilled when LaVor's mom said that's where we were headed. We got ready as quick as we could and headed to Livermore in a flash. Unfortunately, driving through Tracy is never quick (especially when there's a motorcycle on fire) so we ended up missing the first couple innings. But it all turned out great and we had SO much fun!
The Lime REALLY wanted to get some players' signatures so we snuck down to the infield seats (and got yelled at) right before the game finished. On our way there, we ran into Stomper so we had to grab a photo with him. We also had an employee ask us if we were going to go onto the field. Huh? He said after every Sunday game, they allow kids to run the bases.
The Lime was only able to get Matt Joyce's autograph but we told him it was fine because that gave us a reason to come back.
We took the employee up on his offer and got in line as fast as we could for the chance to run the bases. The staff had you moving quickly but it was still a fun experience with the kids.
We had several hours to spare before we needed to head to the airport so we took a detour to Alameda for some bagels and beach time.
As we were leaving, I told LaVor I really wanted to find a field of sunflowers somewhere (not necessarily in Alameda) to take pictures of. We literally turned a corner and a home had a patch of sunflowers in their front yard. Ah! It made me so happy.
We had to visit La Piñata for one last Mexican dinner and we made it out just in time to get them to the airport. It was a weird/chaotic departure from our car so we didn't get to hug them or say goodbye but we did wave and wished them luck.
After one more bathroom break and a quick photo with Grammy & Papa, we were on the road back home. It was a quick three days but also wonderful to see everyone and catch up.
The following Sunday, we had some friends from Southern California invite us to their cabin in Lake Tahoe. We missed an opportunity to see them when we were at Disneyland so we didn't hesitate when they asked us if we wanted to join them.
The last time we saw them was when The Lime was about 2 so we were really excited to introduce them to Doodlebug (because Christmas cards can only do so much). Carol was kind enough to buy some toys for the boys and they had lunch ready to go as soon as we got there (yummy hamburgers!).
I actually met Carol on some message board that I joined WAY back in the early 2000s. The first time we met Joel and her was when they came to our wedding reception. We then met up with them for dinner when we were in Southern California for our honeymoon and then we got together in about 2012. But we've maintained contact over the years so it's nice to be able to see them in person every once in a while.
It took no time at all for the boys to jump in the lake. Surprisingly, it was not that cold. Well, for them. I hesitated for a long time getting in and only stayed for a short while. I much preferred sitting on the beach, chatting with Carol.
For the next several hours, the boys took turns going in the lake and playing in the sand. They could have stayed there all day but the clouds were coming in and I didn't think thunder and lightning would be as much fun to play in.
We took a few photos before saying goodbye and we promised each other it wouldn't be another 5 years before we got together.
The weekend after that happened to be our 11th anniversary AND the A's were in town. It wasn't a hard decision to make that we needed to head back to Oakland, just like we did 11 years ago, for a fun-filled day. Except, I left the camera charger in the car so there are no pictures of us at the game. It was really hot (but not as hot as the following weekend!), the boys had fun in the updated Stomper Zone, I managed to convince an usher to let us move from the bleachers to the shade, and The Lime didn't get any new autographs. Two baseball games in two weeks meant we were pretty happy.
I asked LaVor to take us up to the temple so we could re-enact our wedding photos...just kidding :) But it was fun to be in the same spot we were just a few years ago, celebrating our family where it all began.
Because it's what we do, we stopped at La Piñata on our way home and then sat in traffic through Tracy (this time a big rig ran into a tree). Like most Saturday nights, we made it home just in time for me to go to work.
And just like that, our summer came to an end.
