Grandpa's helpers and Grandma's garden

On our journey around the north state, we took the opportunity to spend a couple of days with Bill's dad and stepmom. Bill and Helen live in Red Bluff, Ca. where they stay very busy thinking of new ways to make their home even more beautiful than the last time we were there. I swear every time I see it I think, "there's nothing more they can possibly do to make this place more beautiful..." The next time we come back... they've added a new structure, deck, pergola, pond,... you name it, they have it. Their current project is an outdoor kitchen complete with a pizza oven! I can't wait to bake in that. No smoke detectors can sound outside. (Just for the record, I have NEVER burned a pizza, it's the method to my madness!) Grandpa graciously enlisted the help of two eager beavers as he set to work "fixing", I'm not sure exactly what he was doing

, the bar-b-que. The kids loved helping. Grandpa had Aaron and Olivia each build a prototype birdhouse for a kids camp that his Kiwanis club is doing this year. We even got to go to Wal-Mart so they could pick the paint they wanted.

No visit is complete without stopping at "Jolly Kone" for soft serve ice cream. It's difficult to keep it on the cone in 90+ degree heat!

The drill didn't quite make it through Aaron's. It got gummed up and started smoking!

Livi was very timid with the drill at first, but Grandpa made sure she got through it.

Livi and Aaron loved the golf cart. Both of them got to "drive" it and both of them crashed. Livi's I saw, right into a stone planter. Aaron's I heard about, into the fence!

It was great to beable to spend quality time with Grandpa and Nana. We don't take the time to be there as much as we should. It always seems to be a "stopping" point between Sacramento and Redding. It was nice to be with Bill and Helen and catch up. It's always nice to enjoy their pool and beautiful home. My favorite is Helen's gardens. Yes, I said gardens! Gorgeous!