The Beach Part One

Okay there are 700 pictures to go through for our week stay at the beach. So it is hard to pick my favs.  I smile just looking over the pictures, a truly perfect vacation.  To recap a bit this is how it went.
We arrived Friday evening enough time to check out the place and go to Costco to stock the fridge for the week.  The house 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, clean and nice but too fancy where I was worried that the kids would destroy the place, and 80 steps to the sand. In other words perfect.
Saturday we hit the beach, like every day. We spent all morning in the sand just burying each other.

 Sunday we went to church. Like always it was fun to go to a different ward and feel like you were home.  Since this ward is in a beach town they were used to getting lots of visitors and treated us like their own.
On Sunday night my mom busted out the glow sticks and necklaces and we played with them on the beach.

Then we all settled into our beds with the windows open and fell asleep to the clam roar of the ocean waves.  I remember thinking that night how wonderful it was that we still had 5 more days to stay here and play. Yes that was a very very good feeling.

The 4th of July

 We had a fun day planed Kevin flew in to Burbank the night before so we were together again.  The kids and I were happy to see him.  I had made some effort to find my elementary school best friend Daniela.  I found her a few weeks ago on facebook and made plans to meet up when I would be in CA for the summer.  Daniela and her family came over to my parents house for swimming and to visit.  It was so wonderful to chat and see her again.

Yes that is me the chubby one on the end, Daniela the blond and in the middle our friend Suzie. 1986

Her daughter Camilla and Lilly are just a few weeks apart.  Neat to think that we were pregnant with our first child at the same time and we were also working for LAUSD . Yep we both grew up and became teachers teaching in the same school district that we met in.

Lilly and Camilla  played well and so did our boys.  She has a son named Luke that is 4, yet another funny thing that we have in common. After we said our goodbyes the kids and I went over to our family friends the Bayly's for a BBQ and fireworks.  Kevin wanted to go to work with his Dad for the evening to see if their would be any city action.  He ended up doing the same thing as we did, BBQ and fireworks but he was with cops.

Honestly the funniest thing that happened that night was that Max got himself stuck in the baby swing.

and Uncle John had to get him out.

 After great food and company the fireworks began. We enjoy them right from her front lawn. It is such a treat and wonderful show.

July 12 th

Vacation didn't stop me just posting this a little late.

1.  The beach on my morning run. It was our last day at the beach house. Sad to leave we had such a wonderful time.

2.  Donuts for breakfast. I was so disappointed in them they were not very good at all.

3.  One of the houses we fell in love with at the beach, we called it the witch's house.

4.  Lovely morning glory

5.  Lilly out for one last beach walk.

6.  Cousin time in front of the beach for the last time.

7. I love this succulent.

8.  House number. We will be back!

9.  We spent the rest of the day a City Walk with Grandpa and Grandma.  Max is trying on a minion hat.

10. Ski ball.  Lilly was the big winner on this one.

11. Kevin teaching Luke how to drive.

12. Family shot.  It was a fun evening together. 

Griffith Observatory

As many times as I go back to my home town,  we still find new things to do well new for my kids I guess. Now that they are getting older they can visit some of the places I remember.  Griffith Observatory was wonderful.  We even studied the solar system this summer so it was even more exciting to see all the exhibits.

Max loved to watch the giant pendulum that demonstrates the earths rotation.  Lilly loved the phases of the moon. And I loved the planet exhibit where you can weigh yourself on every planet. I think we will have to go again. Maybe without Luke.

I asked my dad to take a picture of me and the kids hoping to get the Hollywood sign in the background. Um yep just barley.

The biggest bummer of this trip was that I drove off in our car without putting the stroller in it and I didn't realize it until 2 days latter. It wasn't super expensive but it was nice to have. So now I have to decide if I am going to buy a stroller for a 3 year old or just never take him to the mall until he is 5.  Humm what to do?

Luke's Birthday

 Luke turned 3 when we were California.  I'm glad that it worked out that way because if you ask him when his birthday is he will tell you it is California and not June 30. We had a fun party for him with swimming and Grandparents which was a real treat.  He was excited for his cards and gifts.  He loved the cars that he got from Grandma and Grandpa as was happy to get his own Razor Scooter.

When I asked Luke what he wanted for his birthday dinner he said donuts.  Kevin wanted to give the kid what he asked for but since he was not with us we had hamburgers and hot dogs and he got his donuts for his cake. He was still happy and had a few bites of something other then sugar.  It was such an easy cake I might convince my other kids to request the same. 

We were so happy to have grandma Lola with us for the evening.  We only see her a few times a year my kids are so lucky to have grandparents that love them.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

Are you singing classic 1989 Soul 2 Soul? Yeah I thought so.  We are back and in full swing.
We came back to an empty fridge so I took the opportunity to clean it out. I forgot to take a picture but it was so pretty. After some running around on Saturday we have food in the house again and we attacked most of back to school supplies shopping. Just a few more things and we should be ready for school.

Since being home I have held 2 newborn babies, washed 7 loads of laundry, cleaned the house, (i still need to mop, that always get neglected), had family over for dinner because we missed them, preped the quest room for grandparents, and loaded vacation photos on the computer.
I spent all of Tuesday morning taking care of bills and trying to talk to someone about our loan that has been transferred to another bank.  The new bank is HORRIBLE!!! I hope I really never have to talk to them.
I spent some time blogging about our trip hoping to jot down our memories before school starts.
On Tuesday we hosted a cousin party.  We ate pizza, played pit, ate ice cream played hide and seek in the dark.  The kids busted out a few rounds with the bey blades and at the end of the evening we watched Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs.   But the fun didn't stop there we played a game of nerf gun war and  a game of bowling in the morning.

Luke thought is was the coolest thing and did a little happy dance when the ball knocked down a pin. Yep us cousins know how to party. We love cousins for sure.

Update

Vacation at the beach house is awesome!!!
80 steps from our front door to this

 

We have taken long walks on the beach.

 

 

and if the worst were to happen we have a game plan.