Pollock Pines, California

*Time for another USA trip post. I can't believe it's coming up to a year since we went. The pressure is on to finish these trip posts before the year anniversary is here :-P

We left Utah on Monday 8th April to spend our last 3 days in Pollock Pines, California with Susanne and Brent Fox. Susanne Harrison (as she was then) served a mission for our church in Adelaide and was one of the beautiful sister missionaries who taught my mum about the church. Susanne and her companion, Sister Heather Allebes developed a very special friendship with my mum. 
Ever since I can remember my mum would talk about these lovely women and the impact they had on her life. Mum had previously been taught by some Elders but it wasn't until Susanne and Heather connected with mum that everything just fell into place for her and she felt it was the right time to accept the gospel and join the church. She admired and respected these women so much and as mum said, they became like her own sisters. 

Mum had been in touch on and off through the years with these ladies but it wasn't until just before our trip to the US that she reconnected with Susanne. She asked Susanne if we could possibly meet her in San Francisco or Sacramento or even stay with her for a night or 2. I felt a bit awkward initially but Susanne was enthusiastic about the idea and arranged time off work and went out of her way for us. We had originally planned to spend a night in San Francisco with her but Susanne injured her back so we stuck close to home in Pollock Pines. I did not mind at all. She felt terrible that we didn't get to San Francisco but none of us felt like we missed out on anything. In fact, our stay with Susanne was so invigorating and relaxing. It was just what we needed after the whirlwind schedule.

When Susanne met us at the airport we went into Sacramento to this gorgeous old Train museum. Will enjoyed it but I think Simeon & Pete had almost as much fun too. Pete seemed to really enjoy the tour. Will and I bailed on the tour and went upstairs to this great electric train display and spent ages up there watching this model train set and village come to life. After the museum it was really nice driving through the old part of Sacramento. It had a lovely feel to the place. Really clean, lots of nice looking places to eat etc. It's a shame we didn't have more time to just explore more of California. It seems like a fantastic state with lots of diverse environments and communities to explore. 

Susanne and Brent own a huge block of land with Pines sweeping the landscape. As we drove into the little town of Pollock Pines it was just gorgeous. Dense forests and houses nestled in amongst nature. It is such a gorgeous place. It was like we took a collective sigh and just relaxed in this amazing environment.

Her house was like an old school log cabin. Brent had built it and it had so much character. The inside was gorgeous with that lovely smell of wood. Of course it was huge, like most of the homes in the USA. We all had lovely rooms to sleep in and a great porta-cot set up for Will. 

We loved having time to just hang out and familiarise ourselves with the surroundings on that first day. Pete, Will and I went for a walk on the property and discovered some great machinery that Will enjoyed playing on. He loved the tractors and the big old truck that we saw on the property. 

 

Will looks so sleepy in these photos. He was such a trooper!

 

  

He also had a lot of fun playing with an old deflated basketball with Pete for ages and ages.

Unfortunately Brent was away logging so we didn't get to see him until our last night in Pollock Pines. He drove back home for 4 hours basically so he could say hi and then left again the next day. Hopefully next time we can spend more time with him and maybe even meet their 2 daughters, Heather and Tia. 

Tuesday evening Susanne hosted a dinner with a great group of people and we met one of her Aussie friends (Denise) who lives in Pollock Pines with her hubby. She still had a thick Aussie accent - the really occa kind and we loved her to bits. It's amazing how at ease you can feel at a dinner party with someone you only met a day ago, along with a bunch of other complete strangers! Of course Will was winning hearts left right and centre as he does so well.

Susanne made us all feel so comfortable and we really relaxed and enjoyed the time to get to know her. We loved hearing about her impressions of Australia as a young women in the 80's on her mission, especially as she was quite new to our church then herself. It was lovely to hear about her impressions of our mum and what a dynamo she was back then too. Not that we doubted it! I loved looking through her old photo albums. Susanne was and still is a bit of a knockout ;-)

On Wednesday we packed a picnic and Susanne drove us to Lake Tahoe. She had mentioned that she'd like to take us there and I had readily agreed when she described the place prior to our trip. I was not prepared for how epic this place was and the awe inspiring scenery we would encounter. The drive up to the Lake was gorgeous and only took about 1-2 hours tops. 

This shot was taken as the Lake first came into view

Although the mountains were snow topped and we encountered heaps of snow on the way there it was a brilliantly sunny and warm day. We couldn't have wished for better weather, especially in early Spring!

Boy my pregnant belly is looking obvious...actually I just look fat here!

This was the only photo we had altogether. Thank goodness for fellow tourists around to take this photo.

Isn't it just magical!!! Our trusty point and shoot camera still made the place look amazing.

We all loved climbing down a big hill to check out this waterfall

Pete and Sim were more adventurous and actually went off the beaten track.

We drove to a different area right on the lake and had lunch on one of the many jetties. Being out in the brilliant sunshine with the reflection of the lake, it was surprisingly toasty. As we discovered later that evening we all managed to get a bit sunburnt! I felt terrible for Will as I'm usually paranoid about protecting his delicate fair skin. He was ok though, just faintly red on the back of his neck and ears with sun-kissed cheeks.

As we were eating lunch we were all imagining how unreal it would be to spend a summer here on the lake. Fishing, water sports, hiking. Sounds like a perfect family holiday. I said to Pete it would be fun to do with a bunch of friends too. I really enjoyed day-dreaming about this with my belly happy and the sun shining down on us. 

After lunch we began making our way to the other side of the lake (Actually in the state of Nevada) but ended up stopping for a second lunch. Mainly Pete's idea! Our picnic of wraps, sandwiches and fruit weren't really his idea of a yummy lunch. On the way to the Lake we passed a little burger joint that Susanne had heard was really good. Pete was determined to see whether they were the best burgers (that was the claim on the sign). They were yummy, but not the best I've had. Especially when you consider the burgers in Tassie at 'Burger Got Soul', or even 'Grilled'. Everything in the US seems to come with a side of grease which I just didn't handle well at all. The fries were very interesting - we tried pesto fries. Sounded interesting in theory. In reality we tried 1 or 2 and then dumped the remainder...bit of a shame really. We loved our chocolate shakes though. That's something they do well in the USA. 

This part of the lake was had a playground and was covered in sand and then pebbles and rocks towards the waters edge. Not so easy on the feet.

Susanne had forewarned us that even in the middle of summer, Lake Tahoe was icy cold. She wasn't wrong. Yikes. My feet were numb within seconds!

We all still enjoyed dipping our feet in the clear icy water and squealching our toes in the pebbly goodness

We were all so happy being at the Lake. We didn't want to leave and stayed until the last possibly moment. Will was so tired by the end of the day though and he wasn't the only one!!

I can't remember if we did much in the evening when we returned to Susanne's but we were leaving the next day so we had packing and sorting to do. It was nice not having to get up early and rush off the next day. I don't think we left Susanne's until lunchtime. I know Peter, Sim and I crammed in a trip to Walmart sometime either the night before or that morning. I stocked up on make-up and other odds and ends and Pete bought a bunch of DVD's. We joked about buying the hand-gun that was so casually for sale on the shelf! Walmart is an interesting place. Like a really poor man's K-mart but great for grocery and personal items. Our suitcases were bursting at the seams which limited what we bought but we did pretty well overall!

Susanne drove us to Sacramento Airport and it was bittersweet saying goodbye. We had been so tired and a touch homesick when we arrived at her place but left feeling rejuvenated and actually wishing we'd had more time with her in her gorgeous part of the world.

Though Deepening trials...

I've been feeling conflicted about how I want to approach this post. When I began this blog I knew that I wanted to be candid about my life, very much like I am in person. With the explosion of social media it can be difficult to accurately convey what your life is truly like and one can come off as having a "perfect life." I am an avid blog reader and appreciate the bloggers that document the good and the bad. 

I'm not saying I have been deceiving the world, because I really am a happy person and I feel incredibly blessed in my life. I have so much to be grateful for and realise each and every day that I need to do more to help others who are not so fortunate and I have a long way to go in becoming a better person...

January has been like a hurricane. I have rejoiced as I witnessed wonderful friends welcome babies into the world and I my heart has ached as friends experienced absolute tragedy. An old friend of mine passed away suddenly last week and a lovely couple from mum and dad's church ward lost their beautiful baby girl. On top of this tragic news I have been struggling with the deteriorating health of my father. When we returned to Melbourne after Christmas dad very suddenly became unwell. Of course he wasn't in great health over Christmas, but his pain became so bad that he began having falls and he couldn't even get out of bed. He was admitted to hospital about a week ago and his meds were tripled to combat his pain. He was sent down to Hobart for another PET Scan to see what was happening with his cancer and the results showed that the cancer has basically doubled since his last scan in October 2013. 

We are at the point where there are very few treatment options and dad is consulting regularly with a palliative care doctor. We did learn that he is eligible for a trial drug therapy and there is a last ditch treatment of intense chemo that he can have...but at this stage that could very well kill him in his current condition. Mum and Simeon are pretty tender at the moment and Reub is concerned too in his own way. Reub is just incredibly hard to read and not outwardly expressive...I have faith that God works miracles but I'm just not sure whether we're going to get the miracle we are hoping for at this time. It is a bit of a wait and see game and we can only pray and press forward, trying to be as positive as we can. I'm really proud of mum, who has been a lot more patient and positive these past few weeks. Simeon has been a good support to her but I know she needs me there. I'm planning to take the boys there in the next couple of weeks and see how things are going. I have no doubt that cuddles with Will and Henry are like little miracles in themselves!

Pete and I also have some big decisions to make for our family. Possibilities of a new job exist in both Melbourne and Adelaide but we're also open to relocating to Tassie if we feel that's what we need to do. Mum and I speak almost every night and she is constantly saying "I wish you were in Tassie." I would live there in a heartbeat but it's not a simple matter of finding a job for Peter who works in a niche area of Engineering. He'd be happy to take a basic job for a couple of years but we have to think about his future and what is going to be best longterm for our family. We want to establish roots in an area and really just feel settled. We just feel torn as their are so many paths we can take and we just don't have a clear idea which road to take at this time. We know that with continual pondering, prayer and discussion we will come to a good decision. It's just so hard being in limbo. I am feeling quite unsettled and I'm also getting little sleep as Henry's sleeping and feeding has hit what I hear is a typical 4 month old regression stage. 

We are going to visit the Melbourne Temple on Saturday and are looking forward to the inevitable feelings of peace and closeness to our Heavenly Father that we experience in that beautiful place. It is a place for prayer, reflection and learning. It will be a long overdue visit for us. 

Our little old man

People constantly  tell me that Henry looks like a little old man, or that he has a very adult face. I tend to agree with them. He has one of those wise and alert faces. As my brother says, you can get lost in Henry's beautiful blue eyes...

I shamelessly stole this idea for baby progress photos from Pinterest and have noticed a lot of my mummy friends doing it. I wish I was more organised with this kind of thing for Will. 

Henry remains such a relaxed and happy little guy. He is such a talker and so expressive with his face and body. My friend watched him and Will for me the other day and said that she'd never known a baby to be so chilled out and happy. He hardly ever cries and was making her clucky...maybe you should have another one Nicki! ;-) 

He is getting stronger and manages to stay upright unassisted a little longer when I'm propping him up on the cushions for photos. He rolled over from his front to back on the day he turned exactly 4 months old...and he did this several times during tummy time. He rolls onto his side from his back but doesn't roll all the way over. He is a social butterfly and is generous with his smiles for people. I took him for a swim everyday last week in our crazy heatwave and he was so relaxed in the water. He's a water baby and was kicking and even using his arms like he wanted to swim on his own. I managed to catch a little on video which I'll post at another time. At his 4 month check he was doing well in his developmental milestones but is only in the 50th percentile for weight. He is just not a hungry baby...

Henry laughs easily and we are managing to catch a lot of it on video which is great. I look forward to the day I can watch home videos with my boys when they are a bit older. Will loves watching them now but I know how cool it is for myself to watch the few family videos my parents made when I was growing up. Will has loved being able to make his brother laugh by tickling his feet. Henry is very ticklish! 

I am just loving having a baby again. Being a mum seems to become more and more fulfilling and I'm trying to change some bad habits so I can be a better mum and wife...more on that another time. 

Summer Holiday Loving

Having almost 2 weeks in Tassie over Christmas was awesome. When we visit Tassie we usually fit in a lot of catch-ups and do a bit of travelling around the state to do so. 
I just wasn't up for it this year and with Henry being so little I didn't want to venture too far from home in Launie. I was sad we didn't see many people but we were happy that we spent so much time with my family.

Dad's health has deteriorated a lot in the last couple of months so we all spent a lot of time close to home. Dad's battle with cancer has been arduous for mum in particular but I can say with certainty that it has made us take stock of our relationships. My brothers - who haven't been overly social in the past are really savouring family time and I love that they are trying hard to be there for mum and dad. It's nice to feel a bond with my family members and I'm especially grateful that my brothers and I are getting closer. They are wonderful Uncles to my boys and I love them for that! Mum is struggling as only a wife can. I really feel for her but also get frustrated with her negativity at times. When we first got to Tassie she was pretty down in the dumps but it was great to see her spirits lift over Christmas and I hope she can remain positive and just value time with Dad. Mum has had so much hardship in her life already and I hate that we're not closer to support her. 

It's amazing the impact that children have on people. Will and Henry are such happy souls and light up the room with their joy. It just radiates from them and I'm so proud to be their mummy! I am overwhelmed at how much I have been blessed and hope I can cherish my family everyday...even when they test my patience at times. 

Dad spends a lot of time in his room trying to nap (he doesn't sleep too well these days) and leads a sedentary lifestyle overall. However, he is such an involved Grandad. His bond with Will is unshakable and I love that Will understands that he has to play differently with Grandad than his other family members. Dad is great at inventing games and expanding Will's already active imagination. When will woke up in the morning he often bypassed our room and took himself downstairs to wake up Nana and Grandad. Dad would play in his bed with Will by creating a fort with the blankets and it became "The Ice-Cave" because of the blue bedding and the light patterns that they could see while playing underneath it. I solemnly hope that in years to come Will will recall these precious memories and that they will build his character. 

After one afternoon where silly Nana had Will painting in his good T-shirt she found an old shirt for Will to wear. He loves painting at the moment.

Aunty Pat and Dad looking more and more alike. I'm so glad we could spend time with them again. We got to see them last year when we went to Cairns but Pete hadn't seen them since our honeymoon. 

Henry loves a bath and kicks around in there like crazy. He almost jumps out of his little bath seat so you have to watch him like a Hawk! I adore his curls - especially after a bath. 

I was so excited to catch up with my beautiful friend Lisa and her little family. Lisa gave birth to her second child, Charlie in July and I have been hanging out to meet her gorgeous little man! He and Henry had a good little chat together. It was so lovely to exchange Christmas gifts and enjoy morning tea together with our families. Will and Emme (Lisa's oldest) are good mates. When we left Will exclaimed "I like Emme, mummy. Go to Emme's house tomorrow!" I'm glad we snuck in another catch up at the City Park and Pete and Rich kept an eye on the older kids so Lis and I could nurse our hungry boys and just lounge on the lovely grass under a tree. Thanks guys! 

It's always nice to attend church in Launceston and catch up with all the lovely members I've known all my life. Will had a great time in Nursery and Pete and I were so impressed with the lovely Nursery leader and how structured it was. Will loved that he was given HEAPS of food, including a cupcake. He is really into cakes lately!

My Nana was thrilled to meet Henry for the first time. She is a happy and bright lady at the best of times but lights up even more around babies. It was so sweet to see Henry interacting with her as he does. I love this photo of them together. I am so privileged to have my Nana (who is 92) still around. She still lives on her own and looks after herself pretty well. She gets help from my parents and has someone clean once a fortnight but she is still quite self-sufficient. I hope for her sake she can live out her days in her own home. What a special lady she is.

We were surprised that the Garbage was collected on Christmas Day. Will's obsession with Garbage trucks is still going strong so he was thrilled to see the Garbage truck go up and down the street. We also had a bit of a chat to the Garbage Truck driver and wished him a Merry Christmas. If I'd know he was coming I would have given him a treat bag or something. I think he was chuffed that we chatted to him for a few minutes. Will also picked me a few dandelions while we were waiting for the truck.

One afternoon mum and I took Will and Henry out to Hillwood Berry Farm. I had heard a lot about the yummy berries there and was excited to pick them with Will. It was a very hot day and I was a bit uneasy as I couldn't find Will's hat in the car. He had sunscreen on but the Tassie sun is very fierce. After about 20 minutes of berry picking I got mum to take him into the shade so I could finish the berry piucking. We picked Raspberries and Strawberries. They were divine. The Strawberry's were enormous and both berries were full of flavour. 

Henry and I sat in the shade of the cafe with a lovely cool breeze and I nursed him while Will played in a splash pool the owners had set up for their own kids. It was such a friendly vibe there as the owners invited Will to use the pool with their kids to cool off. Will also enjoyed a bounce on the trampoline while my mum went to buy the berries and a raspberry ice-cream for us all. It was so good!

Henry and I enjoying the shade

This is Will on the way home. He'd had a very big day!

Will did get just a touch sunburnt (more like a light tan really) on the back of his neck and his legs and arms. He ended up with a little farmers tan. We stopped at another little farm on the way home and bought cherries as well. Berries and cherries are my favourite summer foods!

The next day Pete made his yummy pancakes and we had Simeon and Reuben join us for berry pancakes. They were so delicious we had them the next day aswell. The Natural yoghurt and drizzle of maple syrup was such a good combination. I'm craving them again now that I write this!

Our last Saturday in Tassie Pete and I took the boys to Inveresk Railway Museum. I was so impressed that it was completely free. They just suggest making a donation which I was more than happy to do. The museum was similar to Scienceworks in Melbourne, just on a much smaller scale. I was surprised that there was hardly anyone there but pleased that we didn't have to queue for any of the displays. Will loves trains and anything interaction so he had a great time. 

I love doing stuff like this as a family and look forward to more of these kind of outings in the future, especially as the boys get older and more interested in the details of these kind of places. 

We had such a wonderful time in Tassie and found it hard to leave!!