Leo Carrillo

We said goodbye to Summer this past Labor Day weekend with our last trip. It was our second camping trip of the Summer (we're feeling pretty proud of ourselves about that) and was much more low key than our last trip. It made it easier (and more fun) to go with friends this time, and the destination was closer to home (1.5 hrs). It was a different experience than the Sierra Mountains--this time we went to the beach. It was my first time beach camping and we all had fun. We camped for 2 nights, spent 1 and half days on the beach and thought the length was perfect. The kids were in heaven with their friends and cousins, and of course, very, very dirty.

Leo Carrillo is in Malibu, just north of Los Angeles. It was my first time there and now I know why all the movie stars pay millions to live there. It was gorgeous. Enough off the beaten path that it didn't feel crowded and you couldn't feel the busyness of Santa Monica just a few miles away.  The beach has a huge rock out in the ocean that the waves break around. It's a popular surf spot and it was fun to watch the surfers hang ten on their long boards. When the tide went out there were tidepools all around with critters to look at and rocks to explore under. We took a short walk to explore sea caves and secret beaches and happened upon a marriage proposal. I'm sure they loved seeing us.

Our sweet cousin Hallee and friend Katie use wheelchairs and the lifeguards had beach wheelchairs for them to use. The girls loved surfing in the waves with their dads. These parents amaze me with their strength and all they give to their kids.

We are sad to see Summer go, but are happy to have ended it with such a fun weekend. We're back to school this week and while the weather will stay hot here for a few more weeks/months, I can feel a change in the cooler night air and look forward to welcoming Autumn and the holidays that follow.

We really do like to camp--most of the time. For a good laugh watch this video. (Thanks, Tammy!)

August

Started off right with a trip to Del Mar with the Tanner's. We had fun at the beach boogie boarding and building sand castles. We spent a day at the San Diego zoo--pandas were our favorite, visited La Jolla Cove tidepools, and went to the gospel brunch at the House of Blues. A unique experience with good food and entertainment. I think I'll stick with our Mormon church services, but it was definitely more lively! We enjoyed spending time with our Colorado family--miss you guys!

We spent a hot afternoon at the fair. The girls anticipated going all summer and were especially excited about the cotton candy. I loved seeing the heirloom tomatoes and giant pumpkins. The girls loved the pony rides and all the animals.

 

We've had a few visits with GG and Gramps this summer. We love spending time at the "candy house" as the girls call it. They play with tinker toys and eat as much candy as possible. It's always fun to talk with GG and Gramps and love having them close by. Last week I dropped the girls off for a special playdate with GG and cousin Baylee. They colored, ate homemade chocolate pudding, played simon says and were spoiled. They loved it. I hope I have as much energy as GG does at age 93!

Our garden harvest after returning from vacation at Lake Nacimiento. The raccoons finally left my tomatoes alone! My first few tomatoes were stolen by the pesky critters. I sprinkled cayenne pepper on the tomatoes and it kept them away!

We've been to the beach and swimming a lot! We spent an afternoon with some NYC friends, Brett and Lisa and their cute boys, playing at the beach and swimming. We've been down to the bay in Long Beach and had fun on Sally's stand up paddleboards.

Sweet Gwen loves to play babies. One of her favorite things to do is take them for walks. And below is a picture of the not so sweet Gwen after drawing on her face with marker before bed. Awesome.

Paul and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary! It keeps getting better! We went out to the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. It was a gorgeous night with perfect weather. It was fun seeing all the art exhibits before the show. Our favorite was the one pictured, made entirely with painted screws. The show was amazing--they recreate famous paintings with real live people. Hard to explain, but really cool.

The girls and I spent an afternoon at Treasure Island Beach by the swanky Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach. It was one of those afternoons where I felt like I was on vacation--the scenery was so pretty.

We've had lots of fun playdates with friends and have fun with our sweet babysitter Sarah. We all love her.

One Saturday we went to a Yale SOM Alumni BBQ in Manhattan Beach. The family that hosted it was so nice and lived in one of the nicest homes I've ever been in. It was fun to look at. We had fun exploring Manhattan Beach after the BBQ.

Today Gwen started preschool and tomorrow Kate starts Kindergarten. Gwen went off to preschool all smiles and didn't look back. She was so proud of herself that it's her turn to go to school. We've had a blast this summer and it's gone by quickly, but I am welcoming a bit more structure. It's a bittersweet feeling to send your babies off to school--even if it is just for a few hours!