Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Now, is that the real title of the song? Hmmm.......

Well, Greg was home from the road and we decided that we were not going to fly anywhere too far or drive across 2 states for our family vacation this year. We decided on staying in California and exploring it. I'm getting excited about it since it's so typical of us to not really get to know the state we live in because we're always thinking about what's "out there". Greg, being from Arizona, really wants to see the Sequoia Redwoods. After he brought that up, I realized it's been eons since I've visited them. The Avenue of the Giants, if I remember.

So, off we go doing research on the area. Luckily, I"m a member of AAA and just received the Via magazine. Lo and behold, it's Ferndale. The Victorian Village of Northern California!!! Wow, what amazing kismet. I look around and find some great B&B's; however, not much for kids. Hmmm...I think.....and then I do the "I Love Lucy" look....BINGO! A vacation home rental is the answer. I find this 3,000 sq. ft. farmhouse that has been converted to a home with modern amenities (http://www.vacationferndale.com/) . I"m getting excited now. It's about 1 mile from the main street of Ferndale which has one grocery store, one gas station, and one pharmacy with a lot of boutiques along the main street. It's about 2 miles from the Lost Coast and has farmland all around. Even better, the kids are welcomed!!! The backyard is huge and a private patio for BBQ's. The best part is that the land is also used to raise Arabian horses. My kids will think I'm the bomb!!! My in-laws have a quarter Arabian. They are horse lovers and ride a lot. My children love my in-laws horses and now we'll have them nearby. The Avenue of the Giants is only 30 minutes away. This is just heaven for me as well as my family. We are very excited!

You have to love California and it's diversity in land and people.

It's Too Darn Hot!!!

I've been away for awhile..........sorry! So busy as the school year starts to come to an end. Teacher appreciation week, field trips, etc. So fun and yet so busy.

So, our minivan read 100 degrees yesterday @ 3pm. What? It's really hot right now. We typically get that 3pm breeze here, but it was just a hot breeze. Out came the slippery slide for the boys. They stayed cool this way and no cooking. Not having it right now. Too hot!

Still hot now, but a bit cooler....I think. Not sure. We Bay Area-ites get so spoiled when the temperatures get extreme. We're wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.....but isn't that what we pay for? Oh well. Needless to say, most of us don't have a/c because we normally don't need it.

Well, off to take the boys to their swim lessons. Maybe it's BBQ time for dinner tonight.