Random Reunion

 It all started when Joe H. had a conference in San Francisco.  Cheryl H. emailed us and asked if she and the kids could hang around for a couple weeks.  Naturally, we said of course anytime and every time you're here!!

So they were coming to visit! Yay!

And then Lynn and Weston, the local boys, said they weren't going to miss out on the fun... they wanted to come play with Cheryl and Joe and the kids...

So they were coming, too! Yay!

And then Dan and Karla had this cute baby boy to introduce to his many aunts, uncles, and cousins... and the Bay Area is at least a little closer than Oklahoma... They got tickets to fly!

So they were coming, too! Yay!

And so we were all here in Newark/Antioch having a grand old time...
When the phone rang...

And then Louis had some work testing to do in Milpitas; just for a day and a half... and wondered if he could stay at our place... Bring It On!!!

So he was coming too! YAY!

And somehow, for two days, six of the seven original Koberstein Kids were all together in one humble home! Oh the fun! The Games, the Music, the Museums, the Laughter, and the food we all shared! It was an awesome impromptu family reunion!

BUT WAIT!!!

Where is Gwen?

Apparently she didn't get the memo... So sad... We would have loved to complete the picture...

Can't wait to see all of the Kobersteins--including two RETURNED MISSIONARIES-- next summer at the actual Organized and Planned reunion...

Labor Day Kayaking

Last Monday, Labor Day, Jon and I went kayaking with the Antioch crew. Mom Koberstein was nice enough to watch the kids for a few hours while we went down to the Sacramento River and the Dow wet lands to explore.



It was my first experience kayaking and it was pretty fun... I didn't even fall in :) The most frustrating part was trying to get the kayaks to go strait in still water. They are designed to be on the river, with flowing water to help them along, so trying to keep them going one direction in still water is pretty much impossible.



We all took a trip down memory lane as we used one scouting project (the kayaks were actually made by Jon's scout troop) to go tour Jon's Eagle project (the docks in the wetlands).

San Diego

As Camille pointed out to me, I did skip over our Koberstein reunion on my blog, so here's a little back dating.

Jon and I enjoyed out SoCal trip. Our first stop was in Oceanside, with Matt and JoAnn. We loved being down there with them. After spending two days there, we caught up with the Koberstein family at Lake Jennings camp ground... but don't let the name fool you. There IS a lake there, but you can do nothing more that look at it. The favorite feature of the campground was the playground. All the kids spent a lot of time there and enjoyed it very much. The three two-year-olds had a great time playing in the gravel together. Tommy liked to try to outrun us into the street every time we turned around. Jon, while expressing his awe at Tommy's dangerous adventurousness, nicknamed him Speed Bump... and unfortunately, it stuck all too well amongst the older kids. So, Tommy was Speed Bump the entire week.



We all enjoyed Sea World on Saturday and Monday. Dawna got quite the shock getting soaked by "Shamu." She also loved the dolphins and the giant play place. My favorite was Ignito, the night time dolphin show that combined dolphin tricks and fireworks.





Other highlights of the trip included snorkeling at La Jolla cove, swimming at La Jolla shores, and wonderful books prepared by mom Koberstein. I can't express how much I appreciated Lynn and Weston's help after Jon left. They were there to carry kids, watch Dawna, swim and play in the sand with her... anything not involving diapers. Lynn caught this tiny little lizard and all the kids loved looking at it.

Actually, Cheryl even took on the potty challenge... she took particular care to take Dawna and Lydia to the bathroom together to inspire potty training! My in-laws are freakin' awesome. Can't wait till we can get together again!

Oh yeah, and when we got home, Lawrence FINALLY got his real crib set up. I LOVE his quilt made by grandma Koberstein... it all fit perfectly after seeing Sea World...although Dawna tried to take over his bed to begin with... she liked the whales too...