Exploring

Why do I think that little flower tattoo is cute?

Did some more exploring yesterday...Seacliff Beach in Aptos.

That's a huge cement ship in the background.

We never made it on the pier to check it out up close...
too many kids, too far a walk from the parking lot.

Guess that means we have to go back!

Now We Got Fireworks

7/24

At Cal's Birthday Bonfire

And the Pacific Grove Feast of Lanterns.

7/25

In my head I pretended these were for our country's
Independence since we were jipped on July 4 :)

At the River Inn

My new happy place:

Pheneger Creek behind the Big Sur River Inn

Oreo Face

We went with friends from church.

Lucky Cows

If I were a cow I'd want to live here.

(off Hwy 1 between Carmel & Big Sur)

From Bach to the Bathroom

Drew got front row seats to me on the pot.

What a show!

I need some privacy.

Do you like how I made Justin
bring me the camera in the bathroom?

Johann Sebastian

This is my passive-aggressive picture (because I was too wussy to take one inside) of a vocal masters session at the Carmel Presbyterian Church...one of the events at the annual Bach Festival.

I don't know why I wanted to go to this so bad...I think the fact that it's in Carmel makes it more appealing. And a lady in our ward (pre-split) talks it up so much.

So I went by myself Monday afternoon and listened to some opera singers perfecting different Bach pieces by a master. I don't love opera but I love hearing people that are so good at what they do...both the student and the teacher were amazing.

I liked when Kendra Colton (teacher) said, "If you're going to make a mistake, make a big one." Sounds cheesy...and I know I've heard a version of that before but I liked the context she used it in talking to a soprano singing the Hallelujah Chorus. She was just telling her to go for it. If she messed up we'd all know cause it was a solo and she was loud.

So anyway, I loved going by myself and making friends with the old lady next to me.

I want to go one more time before the festival is over.

Wednesday we took the kids to a little mini outdoor brass pre-concert concert.

It was like 10-15 minutes long and they sat through it so good.It was funny to be one of the few younger people there and also to be SO underdressed (notice the people in the background).

To me...kid-friendly and outdoors means jeans. Not suits!

I took Drew w/me to a community concert last night. This one was in Seaside and not as exciting as the other events. I liked hearing "Golliwog's Cakewalk" though.

We're going to another outdoor mini concert Wed 7/29 at 7:55 at the Carmel Mission if anyone wants to come!

Hmmm....dress up? Or not.

Is That My Brother?

40+ lbs lighter on boot camp graduation day.

That is where I most wanted to be last Friday...
at Brent's graduation.

Couldn't make it but I'm still a proud big sister.

CONGRATS!

Stillwater Cove

7/17

Hmmm...don't have anything to say
other than it was another fun day at the beach.

Lots of fun days around here.

Oh and I especially love this beach because it's so quiet...
hardly anyone was there.
It's extra pretty (Pebble Beach golf courses in the background)
And the showers produce hot water!

Reverse Psychology

7/15 - At a park right by the CVCC Pool

"Whatever you do, don't look back and smile."

Works every time :)

Carmel Valley Community Center

7/15

These babes LOVE the water.

It was a fun day at the pool
but way overpriced for a community center.

2nd Cousins

7/11 - Dallin, Owen, Jocey, and Drew at Carmel Beach

A fun night of ocean-ing and bonfire-ing
with Chad & Cherisse's family.
(in the area from Palo Alto)

A Welcome Home

I left the house clean when we went to AZ.

Justin came home and trashed it for a week.

Then got it even more spotless than before.

Plus he added these purty flowers

he picked up special just for mwah.

What a nice Justin.

PS Yes, they're almost dead here...but they lasted a long time!

The End

7/2 - Beach off of Cannery Row

Almost done with this never-ending vacation recap.

7/3

Brent (who graduates boot camp Fri - yay!) would be so proud.
And by proud I mean not proud.

He loves Star Wars almost as much as me.
And by love I mean doesn't love.

But I actually do love that Owen loves it.
I can be supportive.



7/7 - Tide Pools between Lover's Point and Asilomar

7/7

Above is the farmer's market booth
where we got these:
for $40!

Don't tell me if they're knock-offs
(the guy told us they're samples and we're going to believe him)

Food

Errin likes her eggs and chicken apple sausages.
They don't look good but oh they were.

This post is dedicated to all the yummy food
I've eaten in this last month of being on vacation
and having vacationers.

And now I get to spend the rest of the year working it off.

7/6 - Swiss Cafe in Carmel

Toothless in Point Lobos

Last smile with all his baby teeth/Wiggling/Toothless

He pulled out his own loose tooth
while we were visiting the Point Lobos tide pools
with Errin/Shelly/Rachel/Jones.

And was SO proud of himself.

Singing, "He's got the whole world in his hands!"

He was excited about his $1 from the tooth fairy
and wrote her a note that he left under his pillow the next day:

"Dear Tooth Fairy,
Thank you for taking my tooth."

I think McKenna told him she got $5 instead of $1
when she left a note with her tooth.

He didn't get $5 more but I left him a note back.

Cause I'm the tooth fairy, you know.

Also at Point Lobos:

Jones taking after his auntie mooning us (see the seal back there?)

7/6

Then back again with the Bohns:
Cute little picnic spot that was new to us.

with Tanner

with Denise

7/9

Marching On

Cause that's what you do on Independence day, right? March.

Anyway.

Now you are viewing pictures of our 4th of July trip to Earthbound Farms in Carmel Valley where we went on their little bug walk.

We walked through their plants to identify helpful insects.

The party didn't really start until the ladybugs came out, though.

Each kid got a handful to spread on the mustard plants.

Most of ours were played with and pinched (Sally)...hopefully they found their own way to the plants cause we weren't very helpful.

Aren't we festive?

Then we visited Earthbound's herb garden (weirdest thing...mint leaves taste like...mint!)

and their chamomile labyrinth.

That was the best.

A little sign told us to take off our shoes to enjoy.

It felt/smelt/WAS amazing.




That night since poor Monterey wasn't doing fireworks.

And they were selling them on roadside stands...yet were illegal.

We decided to do our own version.
Look...fireworks!

The fire...works!

We've gone to beach bonfires before but never been the ones providing the fire.

It was fun...thanks to my little lumberjack.



We happened to meet the Davidsons down there who Errin/Shelly know from when they lived in AZ (and were in our ward before it split). They are pro bonfirists that taught us how the dried seaweed ball things pop in the fire so we even had our own natural fireworks.

Happy Independence Day!