Visiting the Yadrick Family

After a long couple days of driving we finally got to the Yadrick's house in Concord, CA. For those that don't know, Dave is one of my best buds and we've actually done a great job of keeping in touch since we left the Academy. Lord knows guys are terrible at keeping in touch with one another, but for a host of good reasons, Dave and I continue to be fast friends. Ally and I can't wait for Dave and Elishia to move to DC (he's being transferrred to a liaison position here) and we had so much fun hanging out with them at their house in Cali.

The Yadrick family: Dave, Elishia, Hannah, Allysa, and Charlotte...

We got there on Wednesday night in time for dinner and cocktails, so we took it easy that night (yea right). Grayson didn't let Allyson sleep well, so naps were in order on Thursday. Dave and I went over to his base so he could play in a basketball game and I was actually able to get a solid workout in while I was on vacation (first time that week if you can believe that)! Once we got home we chased the kids into the car and drove up to Mount Diablo that overlooks the whole bay area. There were some awesome rock formations that the kids (and we) had fun climbing over, and the views were incredible on a beautiful warm day.

Hannah, with the most gi-normous acorn we had ever seen...

Alyssa on the left, Hannah on the right...it is hard to keep track at first...but not after a little while with them...personality coming out their ears...Dave is in some serious trouble.

He really wanted to "be a big kid" and walk around for awhile on the rocks. First time he had ever wanted to do that, but since that occasion he wants to talk everywhere. Mr. Independent.

Then after awhile...:)

It was on Thursday that we headed into San Francisco to see the sights. First at Fisherman's Wharf, Grayson got to stare at the sea lions sun bathing in the harbor...then we went through the little mall area attached to Pier 39 and got on the Merry-Go-Round (Carousel)...then onto the Palace of Fine Arts (Presidio).

Watching the sea lions...

Alyssa making faces...

That is alcatraz behind us...

Taking a break, eating some fresh caught seafood...Grayson always wants to push his own stroller...even into traffic...

At first he was fascinated by the street performers...but then back to pushing his own stroller (into traffic)...

He always had his eye on Charlotte ;) I think he makes the biggest learning curves after hanging out with kids just older than him...

Get after that Chirro boy...

Of course you need a trolley picture if you're in SF...although not the old school trolley...

The view coming into San Francisco...

The presidio

Grayson got to experience playing in a true neighborhood for the first time, and he immediately took a liking to any toy that he could ride on. He freaked out whenever it was time to head in for a break or for the night. He definitely got his exercies on this portion of the vacation.

Charlotte...such a ham...

I think he has "the stare" patented like Zoolander's magnum...

This is me, shoulders relaxed and content after a great break from real life.... Our flights got screwed coming home, but Grayson did awesome and life was good as a result ;). He was such a trooper on the planes throughout.

From the Gahan Clan to the Yadrick Clan

We decided to take the coastal highway 101 from northern Oregon (Tillamook) to the bay area of San Francisco for a scenic drive and it was gorgeous! We stopped at an aquarium in Newport OR, Grayson got to go on a couple of choo-choo trains at a random train museum and then we stopped for a night in Gold Beach OR just above the CA border. The next day we got up and kept driving south through redwood forests and winding cliff-side roads until we got to wine country in Sonoma Valley. I neglected to think about the fact that Allyson has trouble with bridges, so the cliff-side driving (with no guard rails) for miles and miles didn't really sit well with her.

At the aquarium in Newport. Grayson loved the otters and sea lions, of course, but they didn't sit still for very long while swimming and playing so no good pics.

Sunset in Gold Beach OR. It was very cool for this former coastie to see all the stations along the coastal routes. It was also hilarious to hear Grayson yell "Ocean" every time he got a glimpse of the water (which was only 150 times over those two driving days). For some reason it kept getting funnier! :)

Of course he got to swim that night in the hotel pool, but his lips were shivering! The hotel clerk said the pool was a warm 80 degrees, but there is no way that it was 80. Maybe 75. Have to give the little guy credit, he stuck it out even though he was COLD.

Redwood forest time! It was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I could have spent weeks hiking through those forests. Just like the Oregon cliffs, my eyes screamed "sci-fi" to the unbelieving brain. The forest we stopped to walk into was outside of Humboldt Bay, CA. The highway exit sign read "To the Avenue of the Giants". I've never seen anything like it.

This one was recently felled by a lightning storm...

On to a little bit of wine tasting! Grayson was full of energy and wanted to roam around at each of the vineyards...or maybe that's the way I imagined him to be as I stalled the day away...;)

West Coast Vacation 2011!!

Hey All! Well...every weekend in April has been mega-busy, but we were rewarded for all that hard work with an awesome experience on vacation this spring. On April 8, we started a vacation out to the west coast to see some family, friends and some sights along the way. We squeezed so much in (as usual), but it was worth every minute.

The picture above was taken about 100 yards from the front door of the house we rented on the Oregon coast in Cape Meares. My brother Scott and his wife Alia met us there and organized the stay for us and it was awesome to see them after so long and be amazed by the rugged coast line. They found a perfect spot where the front door opened up to the ocean and the back door walked out on to a fresh water lake. Unreal to say the least.

Of course we went a little heavy on the Oregon micro-brew and wine the first night so we were a little slow to start on Saturday. That should have been the day we went out for a hike. Instead we took it slow and rested after our full day of travel to get there and we just relaxed and enjoyed eachother's company. That night it started raining sidways with winds over 40 mpg (and temps just under 50) and it stayed that way until Monday morning when it was time to leave :( No worries though! We still tried to go outdoors and do some hiking in the poor weather (it was a blast for me and I would have done it all day if I had the choice). I think Grayson was handling it better than Allyson actually!

Unfortunately (or fortunately) there weren't many people to help us with pictures so we could get one big group shot...

The first pic is of Alia, Scott, Me and Dr. Leo Marvin (the 150 lb beast). That dog dwarfed Allyson, let alone Grayson, but he is a gentle giant in every way. He seemed very protective of Grayson right off the bat...very cool.

The group walking from the front door to the beach.

The freshwater lake and views in the back...

Scott and Gray

So the house came with canoes, kayaks, bikes, and anything else you could possibly want for a weekend adventure and we had to get Grayson out onto the water at some point. Scott and I rowed the canoe and we put Grayson on Allyson's lap in the middle and tooled around the lake for a bit. Grayson wanted to get up and move around, much to Allyson's chagrin ;)

For some reason little man really took to the dog cage that had been left by the owner. He loved going in and shutting the door and just hanging out, so we got a few pics of the cuteness.

Story: On the first night we were there we had kept Grayson up very late in order to try and get him on west coast time. He was a trooper, but finally hit the wall. We put him down and went downstairs to hang out. After awhile, we couldn't find Dr. Leo Marvin (the 150 lb dog we barely new). After it was clear he wasn't outside and not on our level I knew right where to go. Sure enough he was in our bedroom laying on the floor next to the pack and play with Grayson sleeping right there. The next morning Leo wouldn't stop licking Grayson's face and we knew we were dealing with a dog with natural protective instincts. :)

Grayson got a kick out of the horse back riding on the beach...

Size difference comparison!

The fun never stops!

Man I can't wait for spring to arrive with warmer weather and less germs! He does well for two weeks and then he does poorly for two...rinse and repeat...Saturday morning I got up to the smell of raw sewage and after changing him out of his PJs and throwing everything from the crib in the washer there was no way he was going back down to sleep. Later that morning he had just eaten the first solid meal in several days and he coughs a couple times and then vomits everything onto my shirt and into my lap. Straight to the tub for his second bath of the day...

The weird thing is that he can still find time to be in a jolly mood (once in awhile at least...)

Please ignore the vomit on his shirt in the following pictures. He had trouble keeping some stuff down today as well :)