Emma's first pool day!

On the fourth of July we went over to my in-laws for a BBQ and some swimming. We had a great time and it was even better because we got to put little Emma in her baby swim suit and let her be in the pool for the first time. She loved it! Whenever we tried to lift her out of the water she would cry until she was back in. I sat with her on the second step so that she was in my arms and in the water and she curled up on me and slept. She didn't even mind when her brother splashed her with water. :-)

California Vacation (Part 1)

Adam had to go to southern California for a week for a wrestling camp. Since he wasn't going to be home my mom, the kids and I headed out to our favorite place... Pismo Beach! My mom and I use to go every year and stay in a beautiful hotel overlooking the ocean! It was the best place to enjoy the cool weather, relax, and just escape from every day living. I was really excited to introduce my kids to one of the best places on earth! On our way to Pismo and on our way back we got to stop and see some of our family and friends. We were able to have dinner with my grandma and my great grandma and introduce them to our new addition (Emma). It was really neat to see 5 generations together. It's so rare. We also got to spend time with my Aunt Khristie, Uncle Brandon, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Kelton, and cousins Ryan and Ashley. Ryan and Michael are not TOO far apart in age and they had a blast! They played basketball, cars, t-ball, and even bounced in the bounce house that Uncle Brandon blew up for them in the backyard. Michael interacted so well and had such a good time! It was REALLY hard to get him to leave. It was so great to see everyone!

5 generations

Uncle Kelton, Aunt Lisa, Cousin Ryan & Emma

Uncle Brandon and Emma

Aunt Khristie & Emma

Cousin Ashley

Cousin Ryan & Michael's new best friend. :-)

Michael on the bounce house

California Vacation (Part 2)

Adam was in California at a wrestling camp the same week that my mom, the kids, and I went to Pismo. While we were in Southern California we drove up to pick Adam up for a day of fun! We all went to the beach for Michael & Emma's very first trip to the beach! Emma was asleep most of the time, so really it was Michael's trip. He was so thrilled to have his daddy there for this special day and Adam wouldn't have missed it for the world (that is just the kind of daddy he is... family first!) :-) Daddy and Michael played in the waves, build sand castles and sand turtles, and we even buried Michael in the sand! He LOVED every second! He was helping us bury himself, and when it got to be SO cold that we had to wear jackets and Michael was shaking like a leaf then we tried to leave but Michael wouldn't budge! He wanted to go back to that water! It was so great and it warmed my heart to see that my son loves the ocean as much as I do! :-)

Michael couldn't get to that water fast enough!

Michael loves to do "1, 2, 3" and he jumps!

Sleeping on the sand listening to the waves

Grandma & Emma enjoying the ocean view

My boys....

Michael's face is priceless! He loved running into the waves. NO FEAR!Playin' in the sand with daddy Sand Turtles! Michael buried up to his waist in sand He thought it was the funniest thing ever!

California Vacation (Part 3)

Pismo Beach is me and my mom's favorite place. As a tradition we use to have a mother/daughter retreat there every year. It's so relaxing and beautiful and our hotel room always over looks the ocean. I was so excited to share this special place with my two children. They both seemed to love it as much as I do! Emma was always at peace listening to the ocean waves crash outside and Michael was content to just sit there and water the water, seagulls and bunnies. Right outside our balcony was a seagull that had two new baby seagulls and we had the pleasure of watching the mommy teach her babies to fly and feed them every morning. There were also bunny rabbits that would walk right over to Michael and let him give them popcorn. He was beside himself with joy! We also got to have dinner with 4 really great friends! They are the funniest 4 women I have ever met. They are great people and I love them all very much! On our last day in Pismo we took the kids to one of our favorite restaurants in Morro Bay called DORNS. They make some of the best food! It overlooks a life size chess board and of course... the ocean! :-) Michael was so excited to see such a big rock in the ocean! He kept giving my mom the biggest hugs as if to say "thank you for bringing me!"

Michael's first view of the Ocean

Michael could watch the ocean all day!

Our Dear friends!

Mommy & Michael's morning routine

Grandma showing Michael Morro Bay Rock

Michael giving Grandma one of many big hugs that morning

Michael & the Pirate!

Mommy & Emma sitting on the beach

Michael and Emma

California Vacation (Part 4)

When we stayed down in Orange County we got a chance to take the kids to my old stomping grounds. In Cerritos we had an AMAZING library. I've never seen anything like it and the kids LOVE it. Michael had such a good time. As much as he loves to read he was in heaven surrounded by so many books! Outside there were ponds, shooting water for the kids to play in, and a tree that when my mom was younger had fallen over and managed to have 4 trees grow from that one fallen one. Makes for an AWESOME climbing tree! That evening we got a chance to have dinner with my "aunt" Eloisa and her family. She has been one of my mom's best friends since grade school and I always thought of her as my Aunt. She REALLY wanted to be pictured on my blog...so a promise is a promise. ;-P

Pond with beautiful fish & shooting water

Dolphin water fun! Michael got shot with some water. He LOVED it!

Floor to ceiling ocean fish tank

Indoor Tree

Touching the World!

Walking the plank of the light house

Reading books

Climbing the tree with the big kids!

"Aunt" Eloisa

California Vacation (Part 5)

Just a few miles from our hotel in Pismo Beach was a place called Avila Beach. There is a really neat farm with a petting zoo for the kids, homemade fudge and other goodies, as well as a farmers market type of setting. It was so beautiful!!! They gave Michael a bag of scraps for the animals and he went around and fed every single one. There were sheep, goats, horses, cows, peacocks, chickens, roosters, and pretty much everything else you can think of. The great thing was that they were all so vocal! Michael had never really heard any of these animal noises in real life (just mom's poor interpretation). Every time he fed them they would make their animal noise really loud in his ear. "Baaa" or "Mooo". He got so excited!!! He would even sit on his bottom and stick his feet under the fence and let the goats nibble at his shoes. At the end of our trip to Avila Beach Farm we stopped for some fudge and pie and Michael found some hay stacked up and decided to climb. A couple of older boys came over and played with him. They put him on top of the stack and called him "King of the Hay" and ran around him. He was in HEAVEN! :-)

Nibble Nibble Nibble

"King of the Hay!"