Southern California, here we come...

We arrived in Southern California by the afternoon. So good to see my grandparents & mom; they had not seen Ben since he was 1 year old, and had never met Hunter Joe.

This is my grandparent's front entrance, surrounded by Bouganvillea blooms.

Here Ben and Great Grandma got right to playing with some of the toys Grandma picked up for the boys.

Here is Great Grandpa on his sofa.

I could not help but run out in the garden and snap a few pictures. Here are some of my grandma & mom's roses.

This is my mom's pink plumeria.

Here is the view from the back yard, the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the Port of Los Angeles.

By evening the whole family had gathered, Jason was home from work, and cousin Jenny and Julie stopped by, as well as Hannele and Dennis. So good to see everyone, and for Ben and Hunter to meet their other family.

Julie is so incredible with the kids. She met them both in the summer of 2006 when she and Hannele and Dennis visited. I think Ben remembered her right away. She goes right to the boys when she arrives, and stays there with them the whole time laughing.

Cousin Jenny and Uncle Jason:

Jenny had never met either of the boys!

Auntie Hannele and me:

Me, sandwiched between my two beautiful cousins; for the record, I showered that morning in a stall in Yosemite, and it was 38 degrees and the windows were open in the showerhouse... and I had been up for like 17 hours, too. I look awful!)

This was my dollhouse when I was a little girl. Ben played with it for hours...
As we unpacked the car I had to show everyone Hunter's new Nemo costume (it just isn't getting old to me, how cute he is in this thing). Grandma brought out the Captain Jack Sparrow costume she bought Benjamin, too.