Searching for summer: Santa Rosa fun

We bailed on the fog last weekend for a bit of summer up in Santa Rosa with Gavin and his parents.  A note on the fog - it has been so thick and wet lately, coupled with strong wind, so we're all (and by all I mean every person I talk to) completely over the fog.  I've given up on summer skirts, we're all wearing scarves and winter coats and still shivering.  Go away, I say! 

Anyway, back to our day trip.  We remembered Howarth Park from last summer so wanted to go back now that both kids are older.  We had a picnic, then headed over the "attractions".  In addition to a huge, very cool playground with water features, there are some kiddie rids and ponies.  Grace and Gavin were dead set on the ponies, then on a train ride.  Much as we didn't want to, we drew the line at the carousel and corralled them back to the water and playground (I did not expect as a parent that setting limits would be hard because I want to let Grace do every fun thing that comes along!).  The had a blast.  So did we.  Always fun to be with Natalie and Chris.  And it was so cool to hear "baby" Gavin talking in multi-word sentences now!  Although as Grace correctly points out since Gavin's second birthday, "he's not baby Gavin, just Gavin."

No pictures of eating berries and tomatoes straight from the vine at Natalie and Chris's, unfortunately.  However, sun-ripened blackberry = summer in your mouth.  Yum.