And then there was peace ...

This weekend didn't start off quite as relaxing as we had wished it would be after this crazy week full of Kindergarten-adjustments, new classes, Pat traveling, busy schedules.

Saturday morning started with the Ls and Pat attending the new German School for three hours in the am, followed by L's first violin lesson later that day. We raced home to have supper and get the Ls to bed so Lillie could be rested enough for her 5:00 AM skating lesson with Papa on Sunday morning. 

After Pat came home from skating until 8:30 am we raced out of the house again to make it up to John Nicholas Trail in the Saratoga / Santa Cruz Mountains by 10:00 am to meet our new hiking buddies Sun-Inn and her super-hiker-kids Liam and Jada.

We (I mean PAT) speeded all the way up to the trail to make it on time and not let our friends wait too long. 

Happy that we were only 10 minutes late we started the hike with a nice uphill crawl at which point our "Super-Hiker" Lulu decided it was time to ride on Papa's back for the rest of the trip (that was about 5 minutes into the hike :)

After our tired bones made it up this little hill my knees were already shaking and I was way too warm in my long sweats and jacket. 

But once we arrived at the top of the hill ..... there was this beautiful, little lake. We just stared at it and the beautiful surroundings. 

... and then there was peace. 

Peace and quiet. 

Just the frogs were sining their morning songs and the ducks quacked along. 

I almost could feel my internal batteries recharging and the stress melting away. 

We spent a lovely morning hiking up in this wonderful trail, enjoying nature and the excitement of the little people over any-and-everything they could find.


Todays hands-on science lessons entailed : 

• Spotting and listening to frogs (there were hundreds of them!!!), 
• Getting a quick fishing lesson form a very friendly fisherman whom we met at the lake just as he had caught a little bass fish. The kids got to see and touch it and then watch it swim off to grow bigger and become a better meal :), 
• Picking fresh  Bay leaves, rubbing them in your hands and smell how strong their scent is when they are fresh of the tree, 
• Spotting poison oak and 
• Watching a spider walk over L's sandwich :)

Great fun with great, new friends. 

Here are a few more pics:

Bye Jada ... thank you for hiking with us. We'll see you soon again!

Group-Hug :)