Grandma comes to visit

Grandma Nancy came to visit us in September! We were so happy to have her come. She went on a marathon roadtrip with her sister Susan--they drove down together from Washington and stopped to visit their kids on the way. After seeing us, they headed over to Disneyland with the Spiess family, before heading back home the scenic road up the California and Oregan coastline. They got to our house on a Friday, and the next day we headed off for some fun. We ate lunch at Cooperstown.

I like the atmosphere there and it is fun to go somewhere that isn't a chain. Sareny, Keith and Finley were sharing a Big Unit!, and I shared my food with the kids as well. Poor Finley wasn't very happy when they put the big unit right in front of Sareny.

Three of the kids with their grandma Nancy.

Daddy and Finley

Then we drove out to the Dinosaur museum in Mesa. I think it might actually be called the Natural History Museum. We hadn't been there in years, and yet the kids still mentioned things they remembered and asked about going back, so it was nice to revisit.

Sareny's foot was a little bit smaller than a dinosaur's.

Our family in front of a dinosaur skeleton.

They had a hands on area where kids could touch actual fossils. And let's face it, adults just might be interested in touching too.

There were several giant puzzles that we enjoyed putting together.

Sareny wanted to be pushed in the stroller and wouldn't get out, so I told her I would take her picture and blog about it. So there she is.

And Sareny took this lovely self portrait with Finley.














We also enjoyed looking at the disgusting old jail cells they used to use, and panning for gold. Keith and I were having no luck panning with Isaac and Finley--if we really stretched our imagination, we could sort of see a few small flecks. Suddenly, Sareny and Susan were having tons of luck, finding big nuggets that Sareny said you could just pick up off the sand without even sifting. I was puzzled, since they had been panning right where we had just checked. Susan later admitted to me that she purchased a bag of little nuggets in the gift shop and dropped them in for Sareny to find. Clever idea, really. It's much more fun when you actually can find something! Anyway, we had a super fun visit with them before they headed off to Disneyland without us. That was kind of sad.