We're Back!

We got back a little later last night than I would have liked, but we had a nice visit with Tim's parents and his brother's family, and we had a great time on our way home yesterday.

Tim's parents have a little waterfall and pond in their backyard and the kids got to play in it on Saturday. They thought it was great.

Tim's mom and his sister-in-law, Chalene, drove out to Murray Family Farms with us on our way home yesterday. The kids had so much fun with their cousins. They got to play with the animals in the petting zoo and find their way through the hay maze. Then we went on the hay ride through their orchards. Half way through the hay ride they stopped and let us pick a couple of peaches or nectarines or some blueberries. Everything was sooooo good! Fruit is definitely best fresh from the tree or vine, and our tour guide told us that everything was organic, they just weren't certified organic yet and so couldn't advertise it. After the hay ride we went berry picking....blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, boysenberries..... I didn't get a lot of pictures of that part because my hands were covered in berry juice. We brought home 4lbs of berries and a box of peaches, plums, and nectarines, as well as the crate of strawberries Tim bought at one of the fruit stands in town. I already made a batch of freezer jam last night and will be making a couple more today, and I think we might have Strawberry Shortcake for dinner tonight and blueberry muffins for breakfast tomorrow. Anybody have any other great berry recipes?

After the farm we got back on the road for home, I got a couple shots of the hundreds of wind mills on the way. We stopped for dinner at Peggy Sue's 50's Diner in Yermo. We actually stopped there the first time on our way out to CA. When you walk in the front door there's a giftshop to one side and a tiny little dining room to the other. We weren't even sure if we'd be able to eat there because there wasn't a table big enough, but beyond that first dining room is another one (that had enough room for us). When Camden finished eating that first time I took him for a walk and we found yet another dining room, and behind that was a Pizza Parlor, and outside of that is what they call Paradise Park with ponds and fountains with ducks, fish, and turtles and dinosaur statues. So, we decided to stop back by on the way home and try their pizza (which was quite good) and let the kids play in the park. The water looks a little yucky, but it's a good place to stop if you're traveling between NV and CA with kids.