Two Little Lumps

Our California Beach Vacation of Total Fun!

I know it has been a couple of months since we took our trip to the ocean but...better late than never!

Kefford and I decided this year that it would be fun to rent an RV and drive it down to California to go camping at the beach with my family. The more we planned for it and the closer it got the more excited we all were to try this new adventure. So Sunday after church Kefford got the RV and brought it home so we could hurry and load. I had everything ready and waiting out in the Family Room so that we could just get it all in and hit the road. Which is basically what we did. I figured that I would be able to get it all organized once we hit the road because what else am I going to do on this long trip. Well it was a good idea and could have been a great plan but I did not anticipate how bumpy the ride was going to be. I don't know why I thought it would be a smooth ride but it was anything but. You could feel every little bump in the road in this giant monstrosity we were driving and I was thrown around a lot. Oh well I did the best I could.

I have to say it was not a bad drive down. The kids were a little all over the place and we could not get the TV to work for the first half of the trip...torture...but being able to pull out the beds and have the kids go to sleep while we still drove was so great. I stayed up and kept Kefford company until we hit Bishop CA and then we found a grocery store parking lot to park in and we both went to bed...not too shabby!

Once it was morning we woke up to what I thought were jet planes flying into our RV but was actually a street cleaner that was going back and forth in the parking lot. Loud and oh so obnoxious! But it got us up and on the road. Finally after about 13-14 hours of driving we made it to the ocean. I love the ocean oh so much. I love the sounds I love the smells I love it all so I was definitely a very happy girl at this point. My family had not yet arrived so we got our RV situated, we got changed and then we headed down to the beach for a couple of hours. We all were in our happy place. Well maybe not so much Kefford he was in his it's ok place but the rest of us were definitely in heaven! ;O) After a while we came back up to our campsite and waited anxiously for my family to get there. This year the only ones who could make it were my family, Mom, Erin, Heather, Joshua, Ashleigh, and Molly! Despite not all of our family being able to be there we had so much fun, I think one of our best trips yet. Next year though will be more fun because we will make sure that everyone gets to come!

I was a lot more relaxed about the kids getting dirty. I tried not to let them walk around barefoot because that is just dangerous but it happened often. All of my kids minus Kenedy for the most part were little pig pens. Especially Rylee, this little girl and dirt were magnets to each other!

My friend Janie Pope is from California also and when she heard we were going to the beach she told the kids to hunt some sand crabs for her. We tried and tried to find the crabs but they were hidden very well. Until Rylee found the biggest sand crab I have ever seen.

She was quite proud!

Turing into sand Mermaids is always a fun sport.

These next three pictures got out of order but here are more examples of our little dirt magnet!

More mermaid fun!

Joshua and Andrew thought it would be fun to put seaweed handcuffs on Kenedy.

Another little dirt magnet..Oh Avynlea!

The waves at South Carlsbad beach were crazy this year. The tide was out of control high and the waves were a little rough but I managed to get into the water for a little bit to have fun with my girls. I tried going out on the boogie board with Kefford but the waves kept tying to pull my bathing suit down so I quit before I could give anyone a peep show.

Erin spent the most time wave jumping with Rylee and Avynlea. They had so much fun and made some fantastic memories with their Aunt Erin!

Me and my Bestie!

So here is a crazy story. One of the days Kefford and the two older kids went down to the beach before the rest of us. We got down about 15-20 minutes later. I could see as I was walking across the sand to where they weer that they had all of their towels spread out so as to save room for everyone. Their shirts and shoes were on topof the towels. Right as I got to where they were a huge wave came rushing up and seriously crashed over all of the stuff. Everything got soaked but luckily nothing got pulled into the ocean. Well Kenedy and Kefford took their towels and shirts and spread them out on the rocks behind us so that they could dry. But not Ryker. No Ryker did not appreciate the sand that got all over his stuff and so he took his towel and shirt to the oceans edge so as to rinse them out. He left his towel on the sand and ventured out a little further to rinse his shirt. Of course another wave rolled in , swooped over his towel and sucked it out to sea. It happened in the blink of an eye and that towel was gone! We searched and searched all up and down the coastline for a little ways hoping that the sea spit it out somewhere up the coast. But nope that towel is on the bottom of the ocean never to be seen again. Ryker was extremely sad about losing that towel becasue it was his favorite Batman towel. I hope that he learned a lesson about taking better care of his things and hopefully thinking a little before acting.

I think everyone will agree that the favorite was Molly. My kids absolutely adore Molly and could not get enough of her. Molly got held, walked, petted, fed, chased, played with and loved on by my kids every second they could get away with it. Luckily she has learned to be a patient dog!

The day that we left was a sad day but we got a picture of everyone who was there...minus Kefford who took the picture.

We really had a great trip and though our trips to the beach have been inconsistent..some years we go most though we haven't been able to for whatever reason...I am making it a priority that we go every year here on out. I love it there, my kids Love it there and we love the time spent with family. I want my kids to grow up with as many as the same traditions I had growing up, where it is possible, and this is one I have. I have so many great memories of camping at the beach every summer with my family and I will give my kids the same opportunity to grow up with amazing beach memories!

Here are a couple random pictures that got out of order and I have no idea how to get them back where they belong...enjoy!