Snakes and Skinks

This past weekend we drove 6 hours up to my grandparents cabin in the Sierra mountains. We met up with Grandma & Grandpa Hand and my oldest sister and her fam who flew out from Missouri.

On the way up it was pouring rain and California toads were hopping all over the road. I made Sean pull over and I caught a few. Lily named this one Tulip. One of my bro-in-law Matts hobbies/obsessions is collecting/researching
reptiles and amphibians (Herpetology). He is so scientifically minded that when he was bit by a copperhead snake (pit viper) last year he took pictures every 15 minutes to document each phase of the damage. Needless to say, this little trip was filled with a lot fun critters. Here is Matt and Sean "pretending" like they get along.

My sis Jamey and I. We don't have to pretend.

My little ragamuffin with a Mountain King Snake. (Sean took this pic, I totally would have moved her hair out of her face).

Windy day after church in Squirrel Valley. Yup, Squirrel Valley! There were some true mountain folk there!

We went down to some property my grandparents own called Cedar Creek. There are so many fun childhood memories here and of course more critters.

This was the cutest slender salamander. It looks like a worm from this shot but it has the cutest little feet and could cruise around pretty fast.

My nephew Asher is holding a skink and Lily is holding a blue-bellied lizard. Daisy wasn't quite sure what to think of it.

My cute grandparents with 5 of their 8 great grandchildren.

I showed Grandpa how to make his first s'more! I couldn't believe he had never had one before! I think he liked it!

It was good quality family time and Lily and Daisy had a blast with their long lost cousins. Times like these I wish we had family closer.