Picture Palooza

I am way behind on posting pictures. I took a ton over the last week, so here goes.....


On Sunday Lisa and Scott went to Fresno to visit Scott's side of the family and Joe and I took a drive North to meet up with this fun Bloggy couple.

Our LID's are 2 days apart and there is a chance we will be in China at the same time. How cool is that? Thanks Cyndi and Dean for letting us come and hang out with you guys! We had fun!

They live in a picturesque little town and we had fun wandering around Old Town.



Can you tell it was a mining town? :)


On Monday night Joe and I picked the kids up early from Day Camp and went into the city. In rush hour traffic. Yeah, we're not that smart. It was crowded, but we still had a good time.

Joe and Cameron went to his(Joe's) favorite record store while Grace and I went to my favorite bath store

Gracie pretending to sleep in the window while we wait for Uncle Joe and Cameron. Doesn't she look like she's really sleeping? That's what she kept asking me "Aunt Shell, doesn't it look like I am really sleeping"? Yes Gracie. It does. :)

I had to hide outside the window and take this with my zoom because they don't allow photographs inside their store. They said it is because other stores try and steal the "recipes" they use to make their hand made soaps and bath bombs. Alrighty then!Cable car. They were all packed to the gills with people hanging off of them. I always wonder how many of those people ever fall off.
On Tuesday we went to the California Academy of Sciences Museum. We were supposed to meet up with Stacey and fam but it was totally insanely crowded and I only saw Stacey for 2 minutes before they decided to leave and come back another day. We stuck it out. It was crowded but we saw most everything we wanted to and had a good time.


The line to get in. They sold out at noon. Good thing we got there at 9:00 am!
Alligator exhibit
PenguinsNot sure what this little guy was doing. He(she?) was sure cute though.

Rain forest exhibit. It was this dome that you started out at the bottom and followed this ramp all the way around it to the top and then take the elevator down to the bottom where the aquarium was. This was by far my favorite exhibit except that it was hot and humid in there and towards the end I just wanted get out!

The outsideView from the inside
They had butterflies flying freely around inside and they would just land on you. Cool!Uncle Joe "caught" one too.
Pretty butterflies
Poison dart frogs
Mist inside the domeViews looking up towards the ceiling


Jelly fish in the aquarium exhibit outside the dome. The whole bottom floor was an aquarium
They had some interactive games where the kids answered questions by tapping on the screen.



This (fake) flower was set up with "smell-o-vision" so that when you put your nose up to it you could smell the scent it gave off in real life. Uncle Joe smelled it, then got grace to smell it, who said "EEwwwwww!", who then got Cameron to smell it, who almost gagged. Then he turned to me and said "Now you smell it, Aunt Michelle"! To which I answered "Uh, no thanks. I'll pass".
I was already feeling a bit woozy at this point due to the crowds and the heat and the unfortunate news I had received earlier.

The living roof. This was cool. I think it was Joe's favorite part of the museum.






Views of Golden Gate park from the living roof


Looking into the food court from the main level.







That's all I have the energy for right now. I have more from New Years that I will post later.

Today we have a funeral to attend(so sad) and Joe has to work tonight.