Don Pedro Baby!

What's a Thompson summer without at least a couple of trips to the Don Pedro Swimming Lagoon? Rachel headed up from Fresno to play for the day and convinced Meredith and I to join her with our kids at the lake. It was a HOT day so spending it in the water was the perfect cure. The cousins splashed and played for hours taking the occasional break for a cookie.

A Trip to Pinecrest

Every summer I do my best to talk Mike into taking us to Pinecrest at least once. I love camping in Pinecrest. It's just not summer without their soft serve ice cream cones, a day at the lake, and a movie under the stars. We arrived early Friday afternoon and were able to squeeze in a few hours of lake time. I hung out on the beach with the kids while Mike took turns giving them rides on the kiak. We returned to camp to make "tin-foil dinners." The kids had fun mixing their own ingredients and watching them cook on the coals of the fire. After dinner we gathered around the fire to make s'mores. Sophia beat us all out by having 3! After that we headed over to the ampitheater and watched "Startrek". The next morning after breakfast we packed up camp and headed over to the lake to mark a place out for ourselves. It turned out to be a pretty cold day with lots of wind, so we decided on a hike instead. We set out not really knowing how far we'd make it before we'd have to turn around. But... the kids were troopers and made it all the way around the lake! It was a fun little adventure. It all worked out really well because they happened to be having a fishing derby that Saturday and were giving out free hot dogs and drinks. So we filled up our tummies before our hike, and afterward, cashed in on our free ice creams that we had won earlier at the derby. It was a great trip, just the thing to kick off the summer!

60 Years of Wedded Bliss!

June 13, 2009 we gathered to celebrate a momentous occasion: Grandmother and Grandpa's 60th Wedding Anniversary! So many hands worked together to bring this grand event to life. Brooke and Rachel created amazing decorations and party favors, Meredith served her famous strawberry and spinach salad, Noah ran the BBQ and kept us coming back for seconds, Laurie did an amazing job with the flowers, Jared W. was the D.J. for the evening, and of course Mom and Dad worked their magic behind the scenes! Many friends and family came to celebrate with us. The food was delicious, the weather was perfect, and the spirit of the evening was magical. We watched Grandmother and Grandpa look fondly at each other all evening as if it were their first year, and not the sixtieth. At the close of the evening as people were leaving, family videos from the 50's played on a large screen. One by one people gathered to watch all of those sweet moments come to life... again. Thank you Grandmother and Grandpa for taking the first step and creating a legacy of love and longevity for our family.

Early in the afternoon as busy hands worked to create a beautiful party, Grandmother tended to her garden with little Morgan by her side.

Their wedding cake...60 years in the making.

Happy 3rd Birthday Dominick!

May 31, 2009 - We gathered to celebrate Dominick's birthday. He loves the character "Diego" right now, so his party had a "Diego" theme. Auntie Brookie made hot dog roll-ups that looked like little maps, and even worked her cake magic to create Diego's face. When we sang to Dominick he was smiling from ear to ear. He was excited about every present that he opened up. After dinner the kids lined up to take their turn hitting the pinata. It was a great evening with perfect weather and lots of family. We love you Dominick, you're a special little guy and you bring a great light into our family!

Here is Brooke's awesome "Diego" cake. I can't believe the things that she can create with those hands of hers!