Monterey: Friday, first day

So, yay, I just got home after visiting Catherine for almost a week.  It was a great visit, with a good mix of family visiting and seeing beautiful California scenery.  I don't think we'll run out of either of those things, no matter how many times I visit.  I flew out last Thursday afternoon, had a fairly uneventful flight (it's been a while since I've flown out of Dulles - it's an interesting mix of old 60s style and shiny new chrome and glass) and arrived in San Francisco around 7:30 West Coast time (super fancy new airport wing, BTW).  Catherine and Jack picked me up and we had a nice drive full of crazy machine gun catch up chatting.

Friday morning I woke up super early, since I was still on East Coast time, and surprised the kids.  Shannon, Mary Grace, and Connor were all sleeping next door in the boys' room.  We cuddled and read stories and Shannon filled me in on everything that had happened, with MG and Connor barely getting a word in edgewise.  Once everyone was up and fed, we decided to go get picnic food and take me on a drive to see some of the high points of Monterey.  We ate our picnic in a park (Lover's Point? at Monterey Beach? Catherine I need help!)  After we ate, fending off seagulls, we chased birds, climbed rocks, and attempted to take some group pictures.

 

Pretty beach

 

 Let's go, Juju!

Where the Borg stay when they're in town.  Gotta love Star Trek references.

 Beach

 

 Jack chasing seagulls

 

Jack!  Reminds me of this picture of Connor below.

 

Connor at 13 months, compared to Jack at 17 months.

 Attempts to take group picture.  Connor is not actually pushing Jack, even though it looks like it.

 Shannon's poses crack me up.

 Connor looking for squirrels.

 MG is excited!

 Sisters

 King of the world!

 

After a little more scenic driving, we headed over to Dennis the Menace Park.

 Jack in the sand

 Jack running through the tunnel, and the puddles.

 MG on the suspension bridge

 Connor looking down on us.  This is after I heard "Juju, Juju" but couldn't figure out where it was coming from!  Look up!

 MG the climber.

Shannon.  It's interesting to see Shannon following, since so often she seems to take the initiative and tell the others what to do, or at least try to.  Bossy big sister?  Of course, I don't know anything about that!

Clean up and bed time!  Crashing early on my first day.

Next: Point Lobos