Accommodating

All pictures 7/4-7/5

Our Carlsbad acommmodations were thanks to my friend Nicole letting us take over her house while they were on vacation. 

Their backyard is a kids' dream. Okay, mine too.

All the kids loved the chickens, but Auggie REALLY loved them.

Wish I could've seen the happy dance they did after we left.

Red, White, and Beach

Karen, Rachel (+ families), and Cole were all in California for the 4th.

We got to the beach at 9am to get both good parking and beach spots.

Plan worked.

My cousin Joey was the genius behind the half-buried exercise balls. I guess that's really a thing called Fitballin. Youtube it. Anyway, it was so fun and the kids always had a random audience.

Joey also gets credit for the awesome VW Bus tent. 

Watched fireworks at our old favorite spot on the golf course in Carlsbad. Monterey still doesn't do them and it's sad. 

We Took a Trip

We took a trip. A 2-week trip to Southern California and Arizona.

It was so nice to get a break from my work, Justin not having work, and day-to-day life in general.

Justin drove home from his 3-week stint doing USMC Reserves time at Camp Pendleton only to turn around the next morning and drive us back to where he just came from.

By the time we got on the road we were set up to hit LA traffic at its peak. So we detoured.

In Solvang we fed emus and ostriches and ate over-priced, not that great pastries. In a cute bakery.

The detour was worth it. Traffic free the rest of the journey.

7/3

Limekiln State Park

6/30

The state parks around here are starting to look the same.
But that's not a bad thing.

Took the kids to Limekiln. Just us.

It was far (made extra slow by extra tourist traffic), but so beautiful.

Justin said I can die now that I finally crossed this place off my list.
But he doesn't realize how very long my list is.

16-year-old me would never have imagined 36-year-old me feeling this way, but nature is the best.

In June

6/11

Justin joined a softball team, but has only been able to play in a couple games.

I'm happy to have games to watch since the boys' season is over.

FREEZING beach day during nap time.

6/15

Dennis the Menace Park

6/19

"Chubby" the bear got to come along and I heard his name many, many times.

This picture sums up my summer: kids everywhere.

Asilomar

6/20

 Notes for Justin, who wasn't with us for the 3rd Father's Day in a row.

Random

6/21

6/26

Got out my camera to capture his typical morning crankiness, but the food made him happy too fast.

6/26

6/26

Auggie's bedtime request.

6/28

I'm in Sunbeams nowadays.

My new crew, minus a few.

6/29

Typical beach setup.

Underwater

And a few out of the water:

6/16

Underwater pictures were thanks to a cheapo phone case from Amazon.

It's meant more for protection than for taking pictures

(the touch screen doesn't work underwater, had to use the timer).

But it was fun.

And yes, we are still loving the pool at Saddle Mountain Ranch.