2001

This time we’re off to meet our friends Lynn and Peter and their kids at Disneyland. Everyone is all excited as we take the shuttle bus over from the hotel to begin the day. Time for the group shot in Tomorrow Land. Looks a whole lot like the opening shot at Universal Studios. Now I remember, we’re in LA so it all makes sense. There was some kind of indoor fun area with lots of areas for kids to experiment with various things. We also enjoyed hanging out in this strange car. I think this was in Tomorrow Land too. ...

Another road trip for the Multers. This time we’re off to Universal Studios. We’re a little concerned about Gabe and some of the more exciting rides. I’m sure he won’t suffer any real permanent damage. The Mummy Returns was not a good first attraction. It was way too scary for Gabe. We tried to not bring him in, but of course he had to beg for it, and he sure got it. Lots of mummies popping out and scaring the heck out of you. The maze of tunnels was cool though. ...

Gabe loves to have friends over just like anyone would. Today Dominique is over to play. I could say a lot about these pictures, but I think they speak for themselves just perfectly.

Charlotte’s trying to stretch the harvest time in creative ways. We decided to experiment with PVC and plastic sheets. I’m not sure how well those binder clips are going to work. We spread out a few techniques across a few of the planting boxes. Anything to get a few more tomatoes.

No, Nick is not 56 years old. Just a small birthday at home this year. And you know everyone really enjoyed the cake. Well at least the icing on the cake.

We had a huge crop of pumpkins this year. The kids wrote their names on them while they were still small. As they get big, the writing scars over and it gets larger. A very cool trick. Selecting your pumpkin while it’s still on the vine is a big deal for each of the kids. With the corn stalks it looks almost like Sukkot.

George and his family headed up to Bootjack later in the summer, after we had left. Valri and her family were still up north when George arrived. Charlie takes the jet ski out for a spin, and then gives Doug and Valri a ride. The clubhouse is still looking good. The golf cart is a very popular toy that everyone likes to take for a spin. It tends to be involved in at least one major accident every year. ...

For a short while, Nick and Monica took lessons in Kuk Sul in Scotts Valley. We like to encourage the kids to put in enough time with a particular sport and then stick with it if they enjoy it. Monica enjoyed it the most from what I could tell. Ultimately it lost out to tennis.

It’s tough to make out, but trust me, George and his family are visiting. Caroline, Lindsey, and Zach are down on the playground playing with our kids. I’m down there talking to Gabe about something. Abby is the only one that noticed she should pose for the camera. Smart dog.

Charlotte has been putting a ton of work into both the front garden and the vegetable garden in the back. She restocked the river bed and put in a bunch of new plants and mulch. It’s nice to see things looking so good. Meanwhile the vegetable garden is really kicking into full gear. The tomatoes are rolling and the corn is looking very tall.