Happy Hollow & today

Backtracking to San Jose again.  Between doing a ton of fun activities and being slow at blogging, I am attempting to blog in the past and present simultaneously.

I can be as corny and cliche as it gets.  Honestly nothing makes me happier than watching my kids explore, experience and just have one heck of a good time.  Bonus if they can do it while getting along.

Shauna nursing baby Summer while keeping an eye on her other 5.  

Happy Hollow is a small amusement park located near downtown San Jose.  I went there a few times as a kid and it was fun to go with Shauna and her brood and just have a relaxing day playing with the kids.

Ethan is in the red shirt near the back of the roller coaster.  This was for sure his favorite ride.  It went really fast but didn't do anything crazy, he felt so big and brave riding this coaster.  The way this little ride section is set up Shauna and I could just hang out in the shade and watch the kids be so big and go from ride to ride all by themselves, so cute.

Lila is my most timid child and then Ethan.  Emry doesn't have a fearful bone in her body.  As soon as she was tall enough to ride roller coasters she wanted to go on the steepest, fastest, scariest one with the most twists, turns, loops and danger!  Preferably 10x in a row.

Emry with baby Summer in tow, Lila, Gwyneth, & in the front row, Raith, Georgia, Ethan and Reece.  Off camera are myself, Shauna and 2 yr. old Shane.

Ethan and his cousin Raith.

 Lila and Gwyneth.

 These pictures were taken at the Japanese gardens connected to Happy Hollow.  So beautiful.  I would play on that same bridge as a kid.

And in real time.  In honor of it being the 11th day of the 7th month,  7-11 is giving out free Slurpees to all.  

This is Southern California.  Going anywhere in your bathing suit is perfectly acceptable.

Dinner with Friends

Backtracking now to our 2 weeks in San Jose.  We met up with friends for dinner and where did we go?  Willow Street Wood Fired Pizza of course.  It's not enough that I worked there for 7 years (up until I was 6 months pregnant)  I have to eat there every time I go to San Jose because the food is just dee-licious!!!

 But even better than the food was the company.  I have known some of these people for over 20 years, not sure how that's possible, but it's true.

Glenn and his younger brother Mark.

Jen Williams, myself & Shauna Klippel (aka the model mom).  I met Jen about 15 years ago when she was at my Mothers Day Brunch table at church.  She was nursing a fat baby boy (Blake) and struck me right off as someone I wouldn't be friends with, completely opposite of me.  Good thing friendship doesn't depend on how similar you are to each other.  This girl has taught me so much and continues to inspire me.  She is fearless and talented, loving, brilliant, loyal and happy.  She has such an inner and outer strength that  is fascinating to behold in person. 

Mark, Glenn and Jen's man Ray Williams.

Marisa Wikstrom, Deborah Nelson and me.  I met Marisa when I was 13 at a church swim function.  While other girls were making fun of me for wearing a bathing suit that looked like something a 6 year old would wear (I probably did look about 6 when I was 13), Marisa stood up for me and I soon after, and I am not even sure when, became fast friends.  We even worked illegally together for one summer, but that's for another time.

Ray Williams, Sean Nelson (so much like Glenn it's eerie), Mr. Funny himself Troy Wikstrom and Glenn.

I believe they are doing the robot.  I know it doesn't look that funny, but trust me when I say it was.





                                                              The Gang



Did I mention after dinner we went and had massages at Jen and Ray's new massage parlor.  So awesome.

Until next time.

4th of July in Fresno

Day 4

A fun day at the park.  Ethan was in heaven with so many boys.


Ethan with Kalen Klippel and his cousins Dell, Karm & Ladreal

 Georgia and Summer Klippel

Ethan Wallwork and Kalen Klippel

Lila Wallwork and Gwyneth Klippel

Shauna Klippel, Marie Wallwork, Thira Wallwork

 Reece Klippel

Emry Wallwork loving baby Summer

 

Lots of fun was had, cold fruit eaten and sunblock and energy used.  I loved watching Ethan wrestle with his 'brothers'  and the girls run around without a care in the world.  Their childhood is pretty idyllic and it's so fun to be a part of.

The Tech Museum

Back from vacation.  This was the most fun we've had in a long time, and it was right in my own hometown.  Glenn needed to be in San Jose for 2 weeks so the kids & I decided to come along.  After all, there is nothing they love more than staying in a hotel.

Day 1 was spent traveling.  Day 2 swimming at Shauna Klippel & Co. The Tech Museum was at the top of Emry's list so it became Day 3.  

In this picture, the 3 Wallwork kids, 5 out of Shauna's 6 children, my nephew and Shauna's niece.  Does taking 10 children to a museum qualify as vacation?

Ethan typed in his name and a robot arm grabs block letters to spell it out.  This was a popular attraction.

 Gwyneth Klippel and Lila Wallwork walking in downtown San Jose.

A child took this picture.  A child who was in a hurry to go explore and obviously didn't care about getting a focused picture.

I try my best to look good in photos with Shauna.  She's a hard one to compete with as the camera loves her and she pretty much looks like a supermodel with the most amazing smile in every picture.  If I was smart I would have chosen a best friend who wasn't so good looking.

  Kalen Klippel and Ethan create a roller coaster before trying out their completed project in the simulator.

Cisco Systems.  Sponsor of the San Jose Tech Museum, and our vacation =)

 The cool thing to do in Silicon Valley is to take a photo with a bunch of microchips.  (Full disclosure:  I am not sure what microchips are and if this is even them.  I lived for 30 years in San Jose and I understand I am a disgrace to this city.  I am sure they are happy I am gone.)

 Apparently this is Ethan's idea of a good picture.  Lila getting bored with us taking so long to eat our lunch.

Kalen Klippel and Emry Wallwork.  I make sure to take plenty of pictures of these 2 together because they have so much in common, are cute, and you know........to have on hand if needs be for a future wedding.  

 Holding the newest addition to the Klippel family, baby Summer.

 After the Tech Museum I had planned on having dinner with Shauna and her family but there was a little bit of drama with my kids so I had to pack em' up and go back to the hotel.  Emry and I got Subway and the 2 little one's  shared a burger, fries and a shake at In n' Out.  The classy family we are we not only brought our Subway's to In n' Out, but we were dressed in a mix of clothes, bathing suits and pajamas. 

 Not cooking and going home where a maid has cleaned everything up.  That's a real vacation.