Family Vacation 2007

WARNING..... LOTS OF PICTURES!

Gisbert Family Vacation to Big Sur!!

You all know about the chaos and fiascos that usually accompany the big family vacation. Ours are no different.

Except this year.... it was different. No major mishaps, no injuries, no vehicle issues, nothing major. Other than this was probably the best trip we have ever had together.

There were some minor things like HORRRRRRRIBLE traffic on Friday. It took us 6 hours and 30 minutes to get to San Luis Obispo. Normally it would have only been a 4 hour drive. Not this time. By the time we got to the Valley, I was rolling down the window and screaming at the cars "I HATE TRAFFIC." The kids thought that was funny. But soon, the reality hit them that they were stuck in the backseat with no where to go. They soon followed the fine example of their mother and started screaming out the window their feelings of traffic.

In Agoura, this guy starts honking at us and pointing at the side of our trailer. Lenny looks out the side mirror to see our water heater panel dangle from, then fly off of the water heater. Bammm. It's gone. Sure hope it didn't hit the windshield behind us.

After arriving at Aunt Sandra's house, that is where the excitement and funny stories stop. It was blissfully nice from then on.

We went on lots of hikes. LOTS OF HIKES. If you happen to see me in person in the next few days, you can see it in the way I walk and move my arms. I am sore. Very good sore, but sore nonetheless.

I so love this picture. We were just finishing a very difficult hike that morning. On the way back to camp, the kids got a bit ahead of us. I grabbed the camera and snapped this pic. It looks like they are contemplating life together. But, looks can be deceiving. Chances are they are arguing over who gets to snooze in the hammock first.

Here is Lenny getting ready to enjoy Father's Day in our new hammock. Took a little while to get the hang of it! But he got in and fell asleep. Is this a great Father's Day image????
Jacob found the binoculars in the cabinet. I would love to say that he was bird watching but I would be lying. He was checking out the people in the site next to ours. Kind of creepy, eh???


There is this great swimming hole in the campground. Big Sur River runs throughout the campground. In some places, the water pools in big holes like this. Most of the river is wading level, but here you can jump in and actually swim. Well, you could. I wouldn't. Water is mighty cold. Remember the Seinfeld episode with George just getting out of the pool??? Yeah, it's that cold! That is Lenny swimming on the bottom of the river.

The moon through the trees. Actually looks very dark here. But the trees are so thick that if you are not in a clearing, you would think it was later that it really was. This pic was taken about 6 pm with more than 2 hours of daylight left.

Sarah lost a tooth while we were gone and amazingly, the tooth fairy still managed to find her. That tooth fairy rocks!

Dad and daughter. So sweet.

I really like this picture of us. I usually despise any photo of me. But this one, I like a lot. Except for the Madonna gap in my teeth. Thanks Dad for that trait! Anyway, I think this picture strikes me because I can clearly see how time does not stop for us. Everyone ages and gets older. I really see it here. Not complaining, just taking hold of it.

So I think the reason why I usually don't like any photos of myself is because they almost always look like this.....

On a most serious note... I am filled with an overwhelmingly strong sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the blessings in my life such as this wonderful family. For really nice vacations in a really nice trailer. For solitude, for quiet time with the three people I love the most on earth, for being able to get away from it all, and for such a magnificent display of God's creation in Big Sur.

Being in Big Sur leaves no doubt (not that there ever was) that God is real, that there is no Big Bang Theory and that all glory goes to him.