I’m headed to Merced, California with my sons on Wednesday. My grandmother lives there, and her children and great-grandchildren will all be there. I’m very much looking forward to seeing my family. I was last in Merced when I was pregnant with Grey. We’d come out to California for a wedding and took the extra few days to take the train in to Merced. I recall sleeping a lot. When I was a child, I lived there for about a year. We visited often when I was growing up.

I’m not really looking forward to two transcontinental redeyes in four days with a 4.5 year old and 21 month old, by myself. They’ll sleep, right? Of course they will. No doubt. Heaven help me.

Anyway, in preparation for this great gathering of great-grandkids (ok, there are only five of them, but I did my share), I have cleaned off my memory card. It’s a challenge taking pictures of these kids. Neither one is very interested in, you know, looking at the camera. And they move fast. But still! We have camping. We have the park. We have the town pool. We have the back yard. And we have our pastor with a donkey and a sheep. I like to keep you on your toes.

With no further ado, here they are