Summer Vacation: OB 4th of July

Our last day in San Diego we spent ENTIRELY on the beach. It was also the 4th of July and OB has a great firework show from the pier so we set up "camp" for front row seats and stayed ALL DAY. As soon as Corbin hit the beach he headed for the water. Uncle Jesse helped him chase waves this time... with Kimball and Dusty right beside them. Don't think this ever got old for either boy.

Once the rest of us were tired taking turns in the water with them we set them up with buckets and shovels and they went to work building a sand... hole?

Who cares what you do on the beach as long as your best buddy (cousin) is with you, right?

A 2 year old can only take so much fun before they crash... with much coaxing from their moms of course. Two buddies napping under an umbrella on the beach.

Quinton enjoyed a morning of eating and playing in the sand, but had his nap before he even got to the beach.

Who can say they've sen their grandparents (or even their parents) boogie board together in the ocean? Hang loose!

But... it does catch up with you at that age and even grandpa had to nap after too much fun... with a little help from Alyssa's (his 6-year-old granddaughter's) pink sunglasses.

Once the sunset we enjoyed hot dogs and cantaloupe, got all showered and cleaned up, and broke out all our patriotism (i.e.- flags, matching shirts, fires on the beach, etc.)

Not to be outdone, my mom brought a pinata for all the children to beat on while we waited for the 9pm firework show off the pier. Quinton loved hitting that thing.

And so did Corbin, of course.

Macy finally broke it open and the loot was enjoyed by all!

With candy and glow sticks in hand we were all sufficiently prepared for a great fireworks show off the pier. OB's 30th year anniversary fireworks actually. It was a great show... like always but there is something extra neat about watching fireworks launched over the ocean and reflecting in the waves.... seems so Patriotic.

As soon as the last boom blasted we gathered up as many children and as much beach stuff as we could and ran for it. We had a small warning beforehand that there would be a marshmallow fight after the show.... but we were not prepared to walk through HOARDS of people throwing marshmallows. IT WAS INSANE! So glad Jesse carried my sleeping Quinton back to the hotel in those big arms of his. This picture doesn't even do it justice... the place looked like Ghostbusters and mobs of people were in the streets and on the beach just chucking white gobs everywhere and anywhere... it was a sight to behold. Kind of funny actually. Crazy Americans. Just glad I wasn't assigned clean up on that job...

And in the morning... we all drove (and flew) away. Until next time. Thanks mom and dad and the gang for such a fun family vacation. We have such fun memories that will last us a lifetime!

Summer Vacation: Sun, Sand, & Surf

As you can guess after 3 days in a row without a nap Corbin crashed.... hard. Friday morning he slept in until almost 9am. That hasn't happened since he was a newborn! (If only his little brother had crashed just as hard...) Poor kid, family vacations are too much fun!

Lucky for all of us this was a low-key beach day. Quinton was excited to hit the beach. Pretty funny how much he loves getting lathered with lotion... even if it is greasy baby sun block. Here he is, ready for anything.

By the time we made it to the beach Corbin was so ready to play in the sand. He'd only been hearing about the beach and seeing it for almost a week and finally he got to play to his hearts content. It was another thumbs up! We enjoyed a nice beach fog for most of the morning too, that was a nice treat to help beat the heat.

Of course Corbin and Kimball wanted to be buried in the sand first thing (ensuring lots of sand to be lodged in all their crevices all day.) Oh well. It's part of the beach experience, I guess. Their two little heads sticking out of the sand was pretty cute.

But the funnest part of course is turning into a sand monster and breaking out of the sand slowly...

Then it was time to hit the surf in order to rinse away all the sand that inevitably sticks to your sun-screened skin. Uncle Dusty helped Corbin "catch a wave" or two.

Actually Corbin didn't want to get off the boogie board, or get out of the water at all.... and it was cold water! So Mandy and I hopped on with our boys and enjoyed a few waves.

Q enjoyed sun-bathing in the sand... as long as he had a shovel and a bucket of water to stir up, he was content!

Corbin sure turned into a water monkey. He loved the splash pad, the ocean, and the SHOWER. He and Kimball could only handle so much sand in their suits and sun on their faces before they were ready for a mid-day snooze. The hotel shower quickly became another Sea World show complete with all the splashing and cheering and animals... but, hey the sand all washed off!

Later that evening we took our traditional stroll on the sunset cliffs. High tide was coming in and that's the best time to go when you want some excitement because the waves splash up high onto the cliff rocks. It's also fun to find little crabs in the rocks. Uncle Dusty caught one for a close up look, and of course Quinton got in on that action.

We closed out the evening watching the sun-almost-set on the cliffs as Pelicans dove into the water for their dinner and seals swam not too far off the coast. THAT.... was my kind of day!

Summer Vacation: San Diego Zoo & A Treasure Hunt

The San Diego Zoo is a world famous zoo and for good reason. It's huge! It's also considered a botanical garden, a zoo, and a research center. They have loads of traditional and exotic animals. Some of the gang...

We started out the day with a relaxing and informative ride on the safari bus that showed us 70% of the zoo in about 30 minutes. That way we were able to decide which animals to go back and see up close and personal. Quinton and Eizley kept each other entertained while we waited in line to board the double-decker bus.

The Elephant Odyssey had about 8 elephants in a brand new state-of-the art facility. It was pretty cool seeing those huge animals so close up.

The giraffe had 1 brand new baby (laying down) and a toddler (standing up). Remind you of anyone?

Corbin got a kick out of the muskrats (pumba from Lion King). This one was standing guard for his friends in muskrat fashion (and of course turned his head when I snapped the photo).

Quinton loved climbing around on the Lion.

The children's petting zoo was a hit.... good 'ole goats, they tolerate a lot of kids.

I think Quinton squealed in delight the entire time he was in the petting zoo.

Ut-oh! A run-away Safari truck! Watch out!

The Sky-Safari was definitely a hit. I thought it was much to short and could have spent the rest of the day viewing the zoo from up there....with the cool breeze on my face. Unfortunately we only rode it once, but it was fun while it lasted. Corbin and Grandma enjoyed it too. Too bad grandpa missed out and volunteered to stay with Quinton sleeping in the stroller. Thanks dad!

The Polar Plunge was neat. We actually saw it twice and the first time one polar bear was in the water playing with a ball.... Quinton could have cared less if there was a polar bear nearby-there was a ball in there! Too bad I didn't get a very good picture of it. The polar bear statues were just as much fun to climb on.

Along with the gorilla statues. There was an entire monkey trail that we walked complete with moving sidewalks and all. Corbin's favorite animal at the zoo was the monkeys.... ALL OF THEM.

Toward the end of the day a live band came out to play near the entrance/exit and gift shops. The kids got in on the action and joined the hula hoop contest. Watch Corbin and Alyssa go! Quinton enjoyed dancing to the music too. (Watch the girl in the dress in front of Corbin... she won the whole thing.)

What a cute little baby gorilla... where are his sun glasses though?

When we returned back to the hotel that night it was time for a cousin camp treasure hunt.... a traditional cousin camp activity, but this time the treasure was in a much neater place! The clues lead the kids on a chase up and down the beach, to the lifeguard station, by the rock bigger than grandpa...

... and finally to the "X" that marked the spot in the sand.

The digging began.... pirates were here for sure.

The treasure was brought back to the courtyard and candy necklaces, trinkets, figurines and a pocket set of scriptures was given to each child. Corbin and Quinton loved theirs and carried them around, showing them off.

Then their was a short impromptu show in courtyard by some pretty cute cousins. A talent show of sorts...?

Summer Vacation Part 2: California Day 1, OB

There is a little place in San Diego called Ocean Beach (OB)... a small beach community lined with a mixture of nightlife, a dog beach, Sunset Cliffs, a lighthouse, a fishing pier, and a historic hotel called The Ocean Beach Hotel. Historic in my family because my grandparents used to bring my mom and her siblings here when they were children.... and I grew up coming here nearly every summer... and this year I got to bring my own children to experience the beach for the first time! Although it has changed and updated quite a bit... the feel, the smell, and the beach are still the same, and I love it just as much. There are so many memories I recall when I come here and so many that I make new each time. This summer was no different.

The OB Hotel Courtyard (with views of the ocean right across the street)

My 2 kids, my cousin Macy and I were the first to arrive in OB Monday evening so we checked in to the hotel and then hit the beach. Corbin's first impression was a thumbs up!

He really wanted to get in the sand and the water.... but the Pacific is a little chilly! Here he is right before...

Both of my boys weren't too sure at first....Quinton thought it was much too cold to put his toes in, but he did like the sand, of course!
Corbin got knocked down after his 3rd wave while I was trying to let him talk to his dad on the phone.... he was not only wet and cold but sandy all over! Nice first impression.But he didn't let it stop him... he wanted more! Quinton on the other hand, was not happy to be that close to the water, even with all of grandma and grandpa's coaxing. Look at Corbin's face compared to Quinton's.

It was actually hard to pull Corbin away from the beach, he wanted to chase waves the rest of the night, but the sun was setting and Hodads was calling our name for dinner.

Mmmmm... Hodads! A surfer shack type burger joint with some totally delicious grub! This is my brother Jesse's favorite place to frequent when he comes to OB to surf. It has great food and a fun, rowdy atmosphere. It was actually rated as 1 of the top 5 burger joints in the US by CNN, voted "Best Burger" on NBC, and was featured on the Food Networks' show "Diners, Drive-in, and Dives." Yummy!

Quinton and Eizley enjoyed the fries, loud music, and all the fun scenery on the walls.

The walls are covered with old donated license plates from around the states. My dad claims he found my new personalized plate... (hah!) It totally contradicts the plate underneath it.

Some of OB's 2 biggest Hodads... lovin' the grub!

Like always after a big basket of burgers and fries we took our traditional walk on the pier. It was a little cold and breezy, but the kids loved watching the pelicans, seagulls, and fisherman. We saw a huge Sea Rock Bass caught by a locale... unfortunately we missed the shark a guy caught the night before.

After our walk on the pier we hit up Lighthouse Ice Cream.... across the street from Hodads.Another traditional family favorite with THE BEST homemade waffle cones and a wide selection of creamy ice cream flavors. Good thing we were on vacation.... we visited this place a few times during the week. A walk on the beach, Hodads, a walk on the pier, and a warm waffle cone with cold ice cream, the perfect way start a week in San Diego. HELLO!