Trip to the Lake...

The Grant family recently had the pleasure of using a spare day off to take a day trip to Whiskeytown Lake, near Brandy Creek. The weather was absolutely gorgeous (praise God!)- in the low-eighties! Usual July temperatures in Redding will reach highs of 110-114! Despite an extremely belated start due to trying to find a missing shot record needed for a doctor visit the next day (found, thank goodness!), we arrived in high spirits with a car full of snacks, floaties, swimsuits, sunscreen, and eager kids. The drive afforded some funnies: As the lake came into view, Levi was bouncing up and down in his seat crying "Ooo! Big! Big!" until some hill or brush caused the lake to pass out of sight. Then, as soon as he saw it again, the squeals and shouts would begin again. "Daddy! Big! Very big!"  We enthusiastically pointed out a large trout jumping out of the water to Ethan, and tried to explain to him the concept of fishing. It didn't work so well, as he began to cry and finally was able to explain to us that he thought the fish was going to eat him. :o) Wow, those ferocious seven inch trout!

The view was amazing, as exemplified by the picture below.

Enlarge to see a better view!

It was the boys' first ever time to see and swim in a lake, and their excitement was cute to watch. We finally got everyone dressed, sun-screened and into the water, only to have a general mutiny due to hunger- so out everyone sloshed to come and eat some doughnuts and crackers with salami and cheese.
That was Levi's favorite part of the day!

 

If you look closely at this picture, you can see the crumbs all over his mouth!

 With their hunger thus satisfied, back into the water they went...
  

 ...only to declare within minutes that the water was WAY too cold, and they needed to come lie in the sun to warm up. :o)

The older generation, between doling out snacks, applying sun-screen, running back and forth to the water to help little kids, and laying out towels for shivering little ones to lay on, tried to relax and read a few good books and magazines, or explore a little ways down Brandy Creek.

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 Victoria and I enjoyed having some free time (what a foreign concept!) and experimented with taking some pictures of each other, as well as photographing the beautiful nature around us. As the family photographer who never gets photographed, it was fun to be able to have my picture taken for a change- see, I do exist!

Isn't God great? How beautiful is that?

   

Victoria (17)

Savannah (me!) 15

Meanwhile, back at the beach, Levi was reaching "Grumpy" stage due to a swollen diaper (he filled his only swim diaper early in the day, and so he was stuck with a regular one!) and a late nap-time. For laughs, just note the size of his diaper in the picture. It was swollen to three times the normal size! :o) We all decided to call it a day. We packed up the car, the kids, and the snacks, and we headed home. It was a wonderful, fun-filled afternoon and we hope to enjoy more like it in the future!

Hmm. Not so happy.

In closing, we feel so blessed to be able to share these wonderful memories with these two little boys that we have been gifted with. It's amazing, how after an entire two years of working through the adoption process, and feeling like it will never ever end, that I am sitting here right now, posting pictures of MY two little brothers! That they are sleeping safely in their beds- and that I can go in and peek at them to make sure they're sleeping soundly, and get them a glass of water when they're thirsty, and pick them up to kiss them goodnight- what an enormous blessing! Adoption is such a miracle, even through the hard times, and God truly is good. 

Savannah for the Grants

Brandy Creek- it was gorgeous!