Labor Day at Tilden Park

Dallas has a very demanding work schedule.  He is such an amazing father and husband and I wish I could help him in some way to take away some of the stress he's feeling at work lately.  I'm working on my "homemaking" skills, but lets be honest with ourselves...I have a very long way to go!  So when Labor Day rolled around and Dallas mentioned that he was only going to work part of the day at home instead of going into the office, we figured it would be the perfect time to escape with our little family.
Tilden Park is located in the hills between our home and Berkeley.
It is a gorgeous area with several different places to visit.  We've been here several times with friends and family, but hadn't taken Daxton yet.  Lake Anza is a man-made lake with a swimming area and beach located at the bottom of Tilden Park.  Because it was Labor Day, it was absolutely packed by the time we got there.  It worked out fine though, because we ended up taking a walk around the circumference of the lake, which was shaded and beautiful.  Sometimes we wonder if Daxton is a little Grimlin, because he definitely HATES the sun.  I'm not sure who he got that from since his mommy would love to lay out at the pool or ocean all day long if she could!  
Here are some pictures of our adventure at Lake Anza...

All smiles as long as he's in the shade!

Since we didn't end up swimming at Lake Anza, we had time to check out the Steam Trains located at the east entrance of Tilden Park.  I've been here a few times with my nephews who have loved riding on the train.  We realized that Daxton is too young to really know what is taking place all the time, but thought it would be fun to see his reaction to his first real train ride.

The steam train only costs 3 dollars to ride and it lasts a good 10 minutes, so I think it's totally worth the cost.

When we got there Daxton was pretty excited to be out of his car seat, so he was all smiles...until he heard the sound of the train's whistles...

As the train pulled into the station, blowing it's whistle for everyone, Daxton's face immediately fell to concern.  He doesn't usually cry, he just sits there with a furrowed look on his face until he feels more comfortable with the situation.  The seat cars are low allowing kids to see everything on our ride.  It was fun to watch him take it all in as we rode through the forest.

The only thing connecting one seat car to the next...

Daxton was pretty concerned when the train started to move.  His right hand had a death grip on my fingers.  After a minute or two, he became more comfortable and realized my fingers to look around.

It's funny to see Dallas and I both fight over who gets to hold Daxton while we are out.  I guess that just means we love our little man, huh!?  Half way through the ride he snuggled up with daddy, never taking his eyes away from the interesting scenery.

Going through one of the tunnels.

I love the light shining on Dallas's face.

After exploring Tilden Park, we drove back to Lafayette to meet up with our friends, Jules and Jeremy, for a BBQ.  They are house sitting for some friends in the Lafayette area where the homes there are gorgeous and the yards are beautiful as well.  We couldn't get over all the rose gardens, out door hot tub, and their very own orange and lime trees.  Dallas was patient enough to let me snap a few pictures in front of the flowers...he's such a sweetheart!

Jeremy was a master at the grill and Jules made amazing rolls.  It was so much fun to hang out with them for the evening.  Great food and conversation...you can't get much better than that!  We are truly blessed with amazing friends in the area.

Thanks again for the fun night!

On a side note...Jules and Jeremy just welcomed their first baby into their home over the weekend; little Kaiden Lee Cook, 8lbs 4oz.  He's absolutely gorgeous and Daxton can't wait to meet his future bff!
Congrats guys!!