GRANDKIDS BY THE DOZEN

Today we had 23 people in our backyard, including a dozen grandchildren, to welcome the Moffits back to the good ol' USA for their one year of home assignment after serving five years in the Philippines.

Our party was, well, it was a totally awesome blast!

Grandchildren, sitting in chronological order, include (from youngest to oldest):

Number Twelve (still cooking)

Alexia (1)

Naomi (4)

Makiah (4)

Neo (4)

Hunter (6)

Devon (7)

Silas (9)

Rylie (9)

Ally (9)

Baylee (10)

Daisy (11)

Shown in the background are Belinda, Josh and my dad, Wendell.

TENNIS TIME

After Naomi's birthday party this morning and after naps and after dinner at Subway, the Moffits, the Weathersbys, and the three Hybiscusites, finished the day at another park in Wilsonville.

Josh and Belinda brought a couple of tennis rackets and hit the ball back and forth for awhile at a tennis court in the park. Once they were finished, Daisy asked if I would play tennis with her. No score keeping, of course. Even though I hadn't touched a tennis racket in nearly four decades, I agreed.

It was fun and I played without accumulating any injuries. In fact, I'm thinking about purchasing a couple of tennis rackets and some tennis balls myself.

Daisy serves while Silas, who chose to be a ball-chaser, looks on.

The game progresses.

Pure concentration.

Pure skill.

The competition was fierce, even though no score was kept.

If we had kept score, I think I would have won.

If we had kept score, I think Daisy thinks she would have won.

CELEBRATING NAOMI'S FOURTH

Last week Naomi turned four. Today we celebrated. Six grandchildren and a bunch of other children and adults converged upon a water park in Wilsonville and partied.

Until this week, the Moffit kids had never met Naomi and the Weathersby kids had never met Neo. Now they're all buddies.

Silas and Ally.

Neo and Daisy.

Birthday girl.

Devon.

Daisy.

Ally.

Neo fighting the waterfall before kneeling on the deck.

Daisy, in costume, tells a story to Neo and Naomi (who is hidden behind Neo in the photo).

The storyteller.

The audience.

Devon tries on the costume.

Silas tries on a wig.

Glamorous sisters.

Prettier than most girls.

Bethany's cake creation: a gumball machine.

Naomi, perched on John's lap, begins opening her gifts.

Naomi approves of her gifts.

She models her new anticipatory sweatshirt : "Big sister in charge".

Consuming cake and concluding a party.

OUR FINAL DAY IN THE CITY BY THE BAY

Our vacation plan from the beginning was to spend two days and one night in San Francisco. And that's what we did.

On Monday, yesterday, we visited Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown, then spent the night at the Chancellor Hotel. Then this morning we drove to Golden Gate Park and spent the day at the California Academy of Sciences.

After several hours at the museum, we returned to the Hotel La Rose in Santa Rosa. Tomorrow we go home. We are ready.

Our view of the Chancellor Hotel from the curb where Judy's car is parked as we get ready to head for Golden Gate Park.

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Debra and Judy at the fountain outside the California Academy of Sciences.



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Judy and I at the same fountain.



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Debra and I inside the rain forest dome.



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Our view of the Hotel La Rose as we enter it for the last time before returning tomorrow to the house on Hybiscus.

LORI'S DINER

After Judy, Debra and I finished our trolley car tour this morning, we drove downtown and checked into the Chancellor Hotel on Union Square.

After settling into our rooms, Judy in hers and Debra and I in ours, Debra and I walked around the streets looking for a place to have dinner. We found a great restaurant that took us back to the 1950's: Lori's Diner.

We ate a delicious dinner while listening to some great hits from the fifties, played on juke boxes. I opted for a burger and fries with a chocolate malt. And tomorrow we're going back there for breakfast before heading to Golden Gate Park for the day.

Decor included a 1959 Edsel.

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Judy studies the menu.


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I generously share my chocolate malt.



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Judy and Debra pose for a photo with the Chancellor Hotel shown across the street in the background (building with green canopy), but felt a bit uncomfortable standing in front of a car whose driver was sitting at the wheel while I was taking this picture.



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Closer view.

A DAY AWAY IN THE CITY BY THE BAY

Judy, Debra and I left Santa Rosa this morning for San Francisco. We took a trolley tour through town, starting and ending at Fisherman's Wharf, but spent most of the day in Chinatown.

Judy and Debra waiting for the tour bus to begin.

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Judy and I at the entrance to Chinatown.

Debra, Judy and I at the same spot.

Debra shopping in Chinatown.

Judy shopping in the upper level of a Chinatown store.

Debra and Judy rubbing Buddha's belly.

Responding to some Chinese goddess, or something, who apparently wants to high-five me.