Sanchez Ranch

We purchased a run down piece of property (5 acres) in North Visalia in 2004.  Jose's brother, Nacho and he slowly built chicken coups and other pens to house animals there on the property.  The only way this plan of Jose's could work is that his brother lived there on the property and would care for all the animals.  We called it the Sanchez Ranch. 

 

We started out with chickens and rabbits....

the kids were so excited to collect the eggs.

Camille was not afraid to enter the chicken coup or rabbit pen...they'd run away from her but she'd stay in there until she'd catch a rabbit to cuddle.

If any of you Visalians remember the pet store that used to be on Mooney...they had a dinosaur out front for reasons unknown.  When the pet store was going out of business, the dinosaur was for sale.

We drove by and Jose decided that would be next addition to the Sanchez Ranch. 

The kids loved it!  Below, Ryan is sparring with the dinosaur.

 Many times Jose would bring the pellet guns for shooting.

 The next addition was a goat and her son.  The kids named the mother, Emily and the baby Billy.

The baby was so cute.  It would hop/ jump all around the pen.

 Next came baby chicks.  They were so cute! 

 Jose found an old horse for sale.  She was so calm and sweet.  She was named Cinnamon. 

When we arrived at the property if Cinnamon was out in the field at the back of the land, Camille would walk out and guide Cinnamon to the pen.  Cinnamon would follow her!  We were amazed at how much Camille loved the animals and was so comfortable with them.  Camille would bring her apples from home and brush Cinnamon and talk with her.

 Anyone who knows me....I am not a lover of animals.  This entire Sanchez Ranch thing was not my idea.  I loved it because my husband and kids were so happy being there and spending time with the animals. 

 Like most little boys, Ryan would use his imagination and play all afternoon in the dirt & trees.  Many evenings we'd arrive home to give Ryan an oatmeal bath and Benadryl.  He was so allergic to the stuff out there- eucalyptus, etc.  One evening we had to call Dr. Feil because Ryan's eyeball was swollen (he got Benadryl eye drops to calm this eye).  This didn't stop him from enjoying every minute there and asking when we'd head back over to play.

 

Many occasions, Jose would bring one or two bunnies home from the ranch.  The kids would play with them for the afternoon.  This is the cutest picture of them. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cancun

 

 July 2004- Cancun, Mexico.  The perfect vacation for a family with little kids.

 

Most of our time was spent in the pool or at the beach.  We got a ton of sun! 

Camille got her hair corn rowed.  It took longer than we imagined (we really didn't know) to complete the braids.  It was great to not have tangled hair for the week but a few days into the sun exposure, I realized she needed sunscreen on her scalp.

All these cute pictures of the kids...you wonder what mom and dad were doing.

I had to include pictures of us...lounging in the sand.  Jose found this cool chair.

 

 

 



 

We stayed at an All-Inclusive resort so all the food/ drinks were included.  At the pool, the kids' favorite drink was the Kid Solaris (resort name- Solaris).  They loved to ask Jose and I if they could have a drink...then they'd swim over to the bar and order a kid solaris.  Ryan and Camille thought this was the best vacation for this reason alone!

 

Fortunately Jose could communicate with the locals and we chartered a boat from the dock.  This was also way before the concern of us getting kidnapped!  We spent a few hours fishing.  The water was turquoise and so clear.  The kids and Jose caught several fish.  Our driver asked Jose if we wanted to eat the fish for lunch.  He said he could take the fish to his house to cook and then he'd meet us back in an hour on the pier to eat lunch.  We couldn't believe what he was offering.  We happily complied (would never do this nowadays- not trusting).  He dropped us off at the dock at Isla Mujeres.  We wandered and shopped then returned to the pier, wondering what he was going to bring.  He returned just as promised with the fish cleaned and fried, tortillas and fresh salsa.  The pier had tables and a bar.  We got drinks and enjoyed every bit of our fish. 

 

 On our way back to Cancun mainland, our driver stopped at a rescue area that had nurse sharks.  Jose and the kids were so excited to touch a real shark. 

 

We spend the next day at Xcaret.  This was a park that showed all the beautiful wildlife and culture of Mexico.  We snorkeled/ floated down a river through the caves.  We also stopped at Tulum to hike around and marvel at the old ruins. 

 

 

 

Our last day we steered clear of the sun.  We had enough after a full week.  We went to a large shopping area and had a great diner including entertainment.  There was a mariachi and lots of dancers showing all the different types of dance.  This was a great vacation for all four of us!

 

The kids got to welcome everyone aboard the plane using the PA system.