What a week! First off, farewell to Emilie! I already miss you! This isn't the best picture I could find of us but it was the one that made me laugh the most. And if you can't laugh with your BFFs who CAN you laugh with?
On to less depressing news. Collin and I spent the week in Yosemite. We stayed just outside the park at Bass Lake. It took 14 hours to drive there. We got there just before sundown but were able to get a few pictures and write our names in the sand.
Day 2: Our first full day we were all really tired and getting over the long drive from the day before so we spent the day on the Bass Lake beach.
Me and my sister, Jenn.
Day 3: Monday we headed over to Nelder's Grove to check out the huge Sequoia trees. The pine cones were nearly as big as my head.
All the grandkids were forced together at the base of one of the Sequoia tress. Maybe one day we'll contribute one... Hopefully a girl. Poor Misty.
This is the top of the tree the kids were all standing next to.
My mom, me, and Jenn in the burnt out center of a Sequoia tree.
The whole family! We aren't leaning. I set the camera on a log.
Yosemite Falls.
Day 4: The stream below Bridalveil Fall.
Soaking wet in front of Vernal Falls.
Awhanee Hotel. Lucille Ball stayed here once!
Day 5: Fire burnt right through the center of this Sequoia. It's called the Clothespin Tree.
The center of this Sequoia was cut large enough for a car to drive through but it caused too much damage for cars to drive through constantly so now all you can do is walk under it.
Clutzy mom. One second she was walking next to me and the next she was flat on her face. She survived.
In the background to the left is Half Dome. Collin hiked it the next day.
Day 6: Collin and my brother Allen were the only two tough enough to take on the Half Dome. It was 14 miles, the last 900 feet were straight up the side of the dome. They had to pull themselves up these cables. Most people do this hike in 12-14 hours but these guys did it in 8 hours! 
That night we had a bonfire by the lake and made s'mores. We presented Allen and Collin with shirts that said "I Made it to the Top."
While we waited for the fire to die down enough to roast the marshmallows the kids all skipped rocks.
This is me, Collin, and my cute little nephew Carter.
On to less depressing news. Collin and I spent the week in Yosemite. We stayed just outside the park at Bass Lake. It took 14 hours to drive there. We got there just before sundown but were able to get a few pictures and write our names in the sand.
Day 2: Our first full day we were all really tired and getting over the long drive from the day before so we spent the day on the Bass Lake beach.
Me and my sister, Jenn.
Day 3: Monday we headed over to Nelder's Grove to check out the huge Sequoia trees. The pine cones were nearly as big as my head.
All the grandkids were forced together at the base of one of the Sequoia tress. Maybe one day we'll contribute one... Hopefully a girl. Poor Misty.
This is the top of the tree the kids were all standing next to.
My mom, me, and Jenn in the burnt out center of a Sequoia tree.
The whole family! We aren't leaning. I set the camera on a log.
Yosemite Falls.
Day 4: The stream below Bridalveil Fall.
Soaking wet in front of Vernal Falls.
Awhanee Hotel. Lucille Ball stayed here once!
Day 5: Fire burnt right through the center of this Sequoia. It's called the Clothespin Tree.
The center of this Sequoia was cut large enough for a car to drive through but it caused too much damage for cars to drive through constantly so now all you can do is walk under it.
Clutzy mom. One second she was walking next to me and the next she was flat on her face. She survived.
In the background to the left is Half Dome. Collin hiked it the next day.Day 6: Collin and my brother Allen were the only two tough enough to take on the Half Dome. It was 14 miles, the last 900 feet were straight up the side of the dome. They had to pull themselves up these cables. Most people do this hike in 12-14 hours but these guys did it in 8 hours! 
That night we had a bonfire by the lake and made s'mores. We presented Allen and Collin with shirts that said "I Made it to the Top." While we waited for the fire to die down enough to roast the marshmallows the kids all skipped rocks.
This is me, Collin, and my cute little nephew Carter. 
Roasting marshmallows.
Day 7: The next day we headed back to the lake. Misty made a snowman surfer with a little surfboard being eaten by a shark. What an imagination!
This place had some great BBQ. They had a banquet room in the back big enough to accommodate all 18 of us.
Buy a Civic. They last forever. The drive was so long we got to watch the odometer on our 1998 Honda Civic flip over to 110,000 miles on the way there...
and 111,000 on the way back.
Don't worry, I took these pictures. Collin wasn't driving 40 or 50 mph while using the camera. Contrary to popular belief we aren't THAT crazy. Just a little crazy.
Once Lucy realized I was out there she started galloping towards me.
Before I knew it they were all at my feet.
