Weekend in Yosemite

This weekend all the cousins have been enjoying ourselves in a nice
home near Yosemite- in Oakhurst. 16 of us plus 2dogs enjoyed a
secluded home with a river right in the back yard.

Colin and Alvin took the challenge of hiking half dome today, a 17
mile loop which ends in rock climbing. They woke up at 4am just to get
a head start and hopefully make it back in time for steak dinner (and
satay leftovers). We decided this would be best that colin took the
opportunity while we were in Yosemite, bc the next time we do this
he'll have baby Bogart hanging on him in a Baby Bjorn! My turn? Maybe
in another 1-2 yrs.

The rest of us safe bikers enjoyed bass lake right around the highway,
in addition to a short 3 mile loop hike of our own. We brought our mnt
bikes, I'll ride around the neighborhood if I can find some flat trails.

It was fun for me to see Kevin's attitude about the outdoors change;
he started out on Friday afraid to walk the stairs leading up to the
river behind our house, to yesterday sitting before the mist spraying
from Bridalveil Falls, to today having a great time leading the group
on a hike, dunking his brand new White Nikes in a creek (three times)
and watching them turn brown, finding a walking stick that resembled a
boomerang, and eventually playing In Dirt and bringing home a huge
rock. Is this the same kevin from orange county that I know? The same
kevin that can't be peeled from the tv or computer? The same kevin
that has more clothes than I do? Well if so, I hope he finds a new
hobby in the outdoors, and realizes a new sense of fun and freedom
that is absorbing natural life and beauty. There are no computer
replicas with the same organic speed and power that the waterfalls we
saw posses; there is no computer game that can entertain you as much
as learning how to skip stones for the first time.

These are the natural 'toys' I want to see my children embrace and
have fun with, as colin and I once did. I hope to show my children the
limitless possibilities that a little imagination, strength,
confidence, (and fearlessless of insects and dirt) the adventures will
keep growing with them.

I'll post more photos when we get home.