Our Trip to Apple Hill!

On Wednesday, we decided to brave the weather and go to Apple Hill. It rained on us most of the way up the hill, but once we got there the rain cleared up and we had a nice day! We stopped at High Hill Ranch for lunch and to look at crafts. While we were waiting for our lunch, Camille helped put High Hill labels on the bags for their apple pies. She was very careful, putting the labels exactly where she was told. It was really nice of the lady who was working to let Camille help. Camille felt like such a big girl, too!
Here are the rest of the kids waiting for their lunch!

We also watched as the apples were cored, peeled and sliced by a machine that is over a hundred years old! (I didn't notice the extra kid until after I took the picture!)

Even Joseph had a great time!!

We also went to a U-pick pumpkin patch to get pumpkins!

This is always an adventure!

Everyone found a pumpkin, but Joseph wasn't too sure about his!

Isabel also had fun at the pumpkin patch!

Have I said how great it is to have the "best dog in the world!"?

Isaac was the last to find his pumpkin!

Isaac loves to walk Isabel! (We all do!)

Isabel, otherwise known as, "The best dog in the world!"

Home School at Coloma Gold Rush Days!!

Last night about 10 pm I was checking my email, when I read about the Coloma Gold Rush Days. So, I decided that a day in the outdoors at a living history exhibit was just what we needed. This morning we got up, put on warm clothes (fall weather is finally here) and headed for the foothills!Isaac, Elise and Camille got to try their hand at sawing wood.

Joseph enjoyed all the sights, as well!

At each of the exhibit stations the kids could collect beads after listening to the presentation. This was a great motivator for Camille, she always loves beads and necklaces!

Even in the 1850's, a girl could find somewhere to shop!

We really enjoyed the wool spinning demonstration. Elise and I have a new appreciation for yarn since we learned to knit this summer! One of the ladies who was spinning is another home school family, and offered to get together with Elise and I to help us learn more about knitting. We plan to take her up on her offer!

We enjoyed our snack while listening to some beautiful period music. The musicians played a guitar and a fiddle, as well as, sang. It was amazing how many songs we recognized!

We ended our day with a picture by the saw mill where James Marshall found gold and started the entire California Gold Rush.

(Getting everyone to look the same direction at the same time proved impossible today!)

Pioneer Camp!

This last week I joined Elise and her class at Pioneer camp. Although we only traveled about an hour, we went back in time about 150years! Here we are hiking to camp, it was just beautiful!Once we got to camp, we changed into period clothing for the time.

Doesn't Elise look just like Laura from Little House on the Prairie!!


I also wore pioneer clothes, the bonnet was really nice in the sunny weather. Behind us is the tent that we called home. We slept in sleeping bags on the ground, which would have been fine if there weren't HUGE red ants! No one got bit, so I guess we worried for nothing!

The kids did all the camp chores of serving meals, and cleaning up after each meal.

Here Elise is washing dishes with some friends.

These kids look like they are waiting to go to school in 1850! It was so fun to see everyone dressed as pioneers, it really helped to make you feel like you had gone back in time!

Elise relaxing in the shade on a porch swing with friends!

This was a one room cabin for a teacher to sleep in.

Candle making!

Rope making!

We learned that when the settlers were coming west, the kids would walk behind the wagon and turn rope. They also tied jars of cream to the wagons in the morning so that by evening when they stopped for supper, the butter was ready. The pioneers didn't waste time(even while traveling) and were very efficient multi-taskers!

This is 'Ole Coot', he is a local trapper who was raised by a bear in a local cave!

He taught us to make pouches, shoot a gun and showed us blacksmithing.

He was also a fantastic story teller!

The last morning we made tamales for lunch. We love to eat them, but had never made them before. Now that we know how easy it is, we will be making them at home also!

We had a great time at pioneer camp!

I think the kids really grew in their understanding of pioneer life, I know I did!