Bike Tour of University of the Pacific

We continued to explore local college campuses figuring that during COVID it may be a great opportunity to see the most of the campus without any people traffic.  So we once again latched our bikes to the car and set off for an adventure.  The secondary gain is that our boys are getting to see college campuses and have an idea of what they like/don't like about them.  UOP reminded Joy more of her undergraduate school, Hope College.

There is a Farley House on campus!

In front of the entrance and the famous Burns Tower landmark.

Bryce is enjoying his new bike.

 

Perler beed art

Bryce has taken Perler beeds to a new level:  3-D artwork!  He has been looking up tutorials on how to make each of the parts that can be put together to make larger and more complicated pieces of art to even possibly play with as they have some movable parts.

Bryce taught Brett how to put one of the 3-D models together.

Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars!

 

Joy's Science Classes Begin

Grace Co-op was unable to continue to meet in the form that it had been in last year, pre-COVID.  We decided to open up our backyard for Chemistry Lab for Garrett and his peers (Will, Claire, Elizabeth, Ellie, Hannah, Courtney, and Grace) and Integrated Chemistry and Physics Lab for Bryce and Griffin and their peers (Jeremiah, Alex, Josiah, Naveyah, Isabella).  Masks required.  Joy made a virtual option available as well which is being taken advantage of by Grace in Castro Valley and any of the kids who were not able to attend in person for whatever reason.  There are about 8 kids in each class.  Little did we know that air quality would come into play as the California fires continued to burn during the start of school.

Griffin blows up a balloon with CO2 from a chemical reaction.

Joy's outdoor science lab set up.

Our deer says:  "mask up."

Spelling Class with Dad-300 words the first week!

Reading a chemistry book with Kylo as a witness.

Picking stations to work on school.

Li'ra and Ani want to do school too?

Leia says it is too hot to do anything but lay down in the shade.

Baby Opossum trying to join our family?

Swimming with the Smiths.

Captain Birdman?

Reading the Hobbit to Qi'ra

Qi'ra thinks about jumping down on top of us.

 

Visiting Arnold and Big Trees

Grammy and Poppy invited us to use the Arnold cabin for the weekend and we were able to head up there Saturday morning after replacing Griffin's current bike which was breaking down.  So Brett went to the bike store and found the replacement needed.  After Griffin spent his money he had been saving for his first personal bike, we were off on our adventure.  We went first to the South Grove of Big Trees State Park and found a trail with a lot of ups and downs--gears needed!  The next day we watched our church service on-line and then took off to bike the Arnold Rim Trail which was quite steep both up and down and very narrow.  If Griffin had been on his old bike, we are pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to brake well enough to handle the steep trail.  Good timing.  We left his old bike on the curb with a FREE sign attached and it was gone by the time we returned home the next day.

 

Bryce and Griffin loving their hydration packs.

Relaxing and kayaking on White Pines Lake.

The boys slept soundly in the Great Room.

Recreating some old pictures in the present.

Amazing Sequoia Redwoods tower over the forest floor.

South Grove Big Trees bike ride adventure.

Setting aside our bikes for a 2 mile hike through the North Grove at Big Trees.

Five bikes:  three on the back and two on the top for the first time!