Jeff had to work after almost a month of vacation so we left him behind (much to his dismay) and headed up north to see our good friends, the Carrs. It was Iris' second birthday and we couldn't bear to miss it!
I really, really, really love driving north...ordinarily. However, after so much travel in the last month, I decided to break up the trip into two pieces because I still wasn't feeling 100%. We left mid-morning and found ourselves in Fresno by late afternoon. We checked into the Holiday Inn and the kids enjoyed the Cartoon Network (a treat for the girls considering there is no cable at home!) while I kicked back with "Catching Fire," #2 of the Hunger Games Trilogy. ;) After a night of rest (and ardent page turning), we were ready to hit the trail once again. We took our time wandering through the agricultural areas on highway 99 and stopped at Bravo Farms to pick up some almond treats for our Swiss friends who showed us such kindness while we were there last month. I love driving this route this time of year because all of the almond and pistachio trees are starting to bloom and look so beautiful along the side of the road.
Finally, we arrived in Grass Valley and had a wonderful afternoon visiting with our friends Dick and Anita, whom we have not seen in almost a year. Dick and Anita have been like parents to me over the years and Dick still enjoys telling tales of my teenage exploits! Ahhhhh! I really love this family. Bob and Lisa were at a doctor appointment and they arrived home with the happy news that they are expecting baby number two!!! We are so excited for them and cannot wait to meet the little peanut sometime in October!
We had a great time planning and decorating for Iris' barnyard birthday party. Together Lisa and I made her a birthday cake in the shape of a cow! You better believe that halfway through we wanted to Skype our friend Nikki of Toute Sweet for a little advice!! However, Lisa saved it in the end and the cake turned out so awesome! So many people came out to celebrate Iris' momentous occasion.
Sunday came too quickly and we had to rush home for school on Monday. We miss our sweet Iris, but we are so happy and grateful to have had the opportunity to share her special day.
After spending 16 hours in the car traveling to and from NorCal, I have to say, I really, really love California. It is such a beautiful state and the landscape is so diverse. Switzerland is beautiful, France is charming, but California will always have my heart.
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