Summer Vacation in L.A.

I have finally posted pictures from our vacation in L.A. this summer! We have been out and about hiking whenever we have had the chance and I have spent very little time on the computer, which is how I think it should be in the summer.
We spent two weeks down in L.A. visiting my family and doing all kinds of fun things. We went to Universal Studios first.





Then we hit up the San Diego Zoo with my cousins Melanie and Camille. Daisy and Camille always have a fun time together and keep each other entertained.
Mel and the panda in the background. They were so cute!
The day we went to the San Diego zoo was Ruh's and my 4th anniversary. It was Mel's idea for us to take this pic.

Next we went to Seaworld.




Then we spent three days going to Disneyland and California Adventure. The day we were in California adventure was when the Chino Hills earthquake hit and all the rides were shut down for a while to be inspected. We didn't feel the initial earthquake since we were on Soaring Over California at the time. But we did feel an aftershock.


We also had a family bonfire at the beach. We were so happy that EVERYONE was able to come! With the size of my family it is really hard to get everyone together at the same time let alone at very short notice!



My cousin Eva-Karin and Garry. They will be getting married this December and I am a bridesmaid. That will make three weddings I have been in this year!



Melanie roasting her hot dog.

My cousin Katie and Auntie Max.
My cousin Mary Beth.
Mary Beth and her husband Daniel. Sorry you can only see his hand in this picture. He is a very handsome guy though. :)


My very wonderful and goofy Uncle Dave.
Ruh and Daisy.
I love this picture!
My Aunt Karin and Uncle Dave opened up there back yard for my 24th birthday party. We had a luau.
Uncle Dave usually has a garden in his back yard. He had dug up his plot and didn't know what to do with the pile of dirt. They were having a wedding shower in their backyard so he cleverly made it into a volcano. He put a tiki torch in the tip and named it Mt. Pu'u'O'o'. He lit it for my birthday party! I love Uncle Dave!
Soon to be married Eva-Karin and Garry.
Looking at the wedding reception site on Garry's blackberry.
My cousin Lauralyn.


Lauralyn and I bought this little guy for the luau. He now lives in Uncle Dave's pond.

We had a wonderful summer vacation. It was full of family and fun! We will be heading back down there in December for EK and Garry's wedding. We will ALL be there for Christmas. I told Ruh he has never experienced Christmas until he has had Christmas at my Gramma's. :)

Yosemite: Day 2

On our second day in Yosemite we spent most of the day in the high country in Tuolmne Meadows. We climbed all over Pothole Rock which actually looks very small from the meadow side but really winds quite a ways.















After we hiked around for a while we drove back down to the valley and spent a few more hours there before heading down to L.A. We stopped at the Merced River and Ruh and Daisy did some swimming. As we were leaving Yosemite Ruh was already making plans to return this next summer to do some camping and lots of hiking! I am already counting down the days! :)

Yosemite: Day 1

Going to Yosemite on our way down to L.A. was not part of our original plan. But I knew if my hubby could see and experience Yosemite he would be hooked just like me! So we worked out the numbers and made our plans. We stayed in Modesto the first night and the next morning headed into the west side of the park. There is nothing like driving into the valley. The road winds along the Merced River through a very narrow valley. When Bridalveil Falls bursts into view through the trees it steels your breath away. Then comes a glimpse of the smooth granite walls of mile-high El Capitan. We drove up to Glacier Point the first day to see Yosemite Valley from above. The height and the views are breathtaking from up there. What a rush to lean as far as you can over the railing to take in all the view! (Plus I am really working on getting over my fear of heights!)

This is the view from the side of the road going up to Glacier Point. El Capitan is the granite wall on the left side of the picture. Pictures cannot really show how majestically large El Capitan is.



At Glacier Point.



Here is Half Dome. My goal is to climb to the top, hopefully next summer when we camp in Yosemite! There is a cable ladder on one side that aids climbers to the top.

This was taken down in the valley. We went on a short hike to Lower Yosemite Falls.


This is the view of Half Dome from the valley floor.

We walked around the valley for a while and went to the visitor center. The temperature was in the high 90's but I hardly noticed I was so overwhelmed with all the beauty. I told Ruh we should just park it and live there the rest of our lives. I think everyone, at least once in their life, should be able to see Yosemite and take in all it's beauty.

Yosemite was formed by a vast glacier, and that vast glacier was merely a chisel in God's omnipotent hand.

Sorry it's taking me so long...

Sorry it's taking me so long to get vacation pictures and video up! I feel like I hit the ground running since when we arrived home! This coming Thursday we will be leaving for Montana for several days. We are going to visit Ruh's aunt and uncle and do a lot of hiking in Glacier National Park! So I will have even more pictures and video! I am going to work on California stuff today since I got all my house cleaning done yesterday! Woohoo! :)

Hi from sunny California! We had an AMAZING time in Yosemite and we wish we could have stayed longer. We are now in L.A. visiting all my wonderful family. We will be home in a couple weeks and I will have TONS of Yosemite and family pictures and video.

Mr. and Mrs. Willie Clark
July 5th, 2008

More pictures from the rehearsal and the wedding to come!! :)