So that special occasion I mentioned in my last post... well, I'll have to get to that in a minute.
I am going to have to start back a ways..
About 40 years ago actually.
My mom grew up in Minnesota with 5 sisters and 4 brothers. When she graduated high school she joined the Air Force to become a nurse and was sent to Travis Air Force Base in California. And when she got out of the Air Force, she decided to stay in California.
Fast forward to now.
Most of her family still live in Minnesota with a couple living in nearby states and 1 brother in California.
In her 40 years in California, her siblings have never all come out to visit...
..until now!
So we couldn't miss that of course!
All but 1 of her brothers came out for the visit.
I hadn't seen them since we visited Minnesota in 2007.
They are a fun bunch (and I love hearing their accents :) and I was looking forward to them meeting Alice and Jane.
The festivities began with a BBQ at my parents house.
I realized when we got back home that I didn't take almost any pictures that day, too busy visiting I guess!
Here is the only one, 5 sisters, 2 brothers and their wives. My mom and dad were busy on the pizza oven :)
The next day Stephen's mom came and watched the girls while the rest of us loaded up in a tour bus my dad rented for the day to show the family the beauties of the Napa Valley.
We started at Castello di Amorosa.
Uncle Mike had to head back home so here are the rest of the siblings.
The tour of the Castle is very interesting and totally worth it.
The best part, the wine tasting! A bad time to be pregnant! I did have a few sips though, so good!
We picnicked at V. Sattui and then a stop at Beringer.
A random picture that Stephen took.
Gotta take a picture at the sign.
Then we went to a beautiful old victorian in Napa called the Ackerman House.
My dad knows the owner who purchased the house when it was in really bad condition and completely restored it.
The owner also owns a winery so we did a tasting of her wine and had some cake as a little celebration of my 30th birthday and my mom's 60th.
The next day we went to Jack London State Historic Park, which may seem a little random, but my great-great-grandfather on my mom's side was Jack London's horse caretaker. A couple of my aunts even have books signed by Jack London that were handed down to them.
My mom's mom is actually from California, so I guess my mom just went back to her roots :)
They spotted a deer. "Hi, Bambi!"
Jack London's house, called the Wolf House.
Hope he didn't mind the kids playing on his grave site.
The site of the horse ranch.
There was even a picture of my great-great-grandfather there:
Then it was time to part ways, my aunts and uncle were off to other adventures while we were heading off to...
..DISNEYLAND!
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