Summer 2018

So Much Fun in The Sun

This summer was packed with fun days at the beach, the zoo and some trips along the way.  We love the easy days of summer, schedule free and a great combination of rest and rowdy!  I told James this was the summer he was going to fall in love with the beach.  I don't know if it's love yet but he strongly likes playing in the waves with friends and especially with his dad.  He became a great body surfer this year.  And Foster is a beach lover through and through, especially when he gets to be buried in the sand!

Foster became a fearless boogie boarder this summer!  

Body Surfing in Action

Foster and Isabelle

How most of our beach days end!

We started a new tradition this summer which was to go to Creme and Sugar after the beach.
It was a very fattening tradition!

Big Bear

If there is one thing we can all agree on, it's that we LOVE Big Bear.  The day after Scott's birthday, we headed to Big Bear for some of our favorite traditions and discovered some new traditions!  The cabin where we always stay had a deck addition that allowed us to fully appreciate the outdoors.  The beauty of where we stayed made it hard to leave so most nights we ordered in and had dinner on the deck followed by a few hundred rounds of the game SORRY. 

We love the Big Bear Zoo and it's always a trip highlight.  This year we watched the Grizzly Bear Brothers get into a little disagreement which meant lots of bear roars and aggression.  Of course the boys thought this was the coolest thing ever.  

Scott and I love the Alpine Pedal Path.  It is a five mile walk that borders the lake.  Now that the boys are older, we made them walk the path.  It worked out well for about the first couple of miles and then everyone was very tired.  Of course, Scott and I were perfectly fine and would have gone every morning but we were outvoted!

The boys discovered that walking sticks are the perfect Big Bear accessory.

We tried something new this year and took out a pontoon boat at the Big Bear Harbor.  This was a great decision, the boys absolutely loved it and so did the parents!  Scott is an expert sailor around the lake and each boy tried his hand at steering.  We were out there for two hours exploring the little harbors, checking out the houses and seeing just how fast our little boat could go.  Even Bella got in on the action!

The boys always have so much fun at the Big Bear Discovery Center.  They made this house out of logs with quite a bit of help from dad.  They even made a wooden walkway!  Not a bad place to live.

Bella had a terrific time hanging with the family, going on walks and taking lots of naps!

Until next time Big Bear...

4th of July!

We invited the Thompson family to spend the fourth of July at our house this year.  We spent the morning with the boys at Poway Park watching the cowboy shoot-out reenactment and having breakfast at the Original Pancake House.  Then we headed home for some swimming and BBQing with the Thompsons.  It was a perfect fourth of July spent with good friends.  

Beach Camping

Every year, just before school starts, we head to Carlsbad State South Beach for some camping with friends.  It's a blast every time.  This year we shared our site with the Simpsons and they were great camping buddies!

This year the water was so warm, it was breaking records.  We literally stayed in the water all day long because it was so nice.  The only time we took a break, was to head up to the camp store for a shaved ice.

JeNae, Melany Simpson, Dawn McEwan

Boogie Boarding Mamas!

 Del Mar Fair

 

The boys are getting so big that we are starting to outgrow the kiddie section of the fair.  I'm relishing the baby rides while they are still relevant.  We always have a great time at the fair; looking at the barn animals, riding the rides and eating the food.  Each of the boys managed to win themselves a stuffed animal, a frog for James named "Froggie" and a blue car for Foster named "Bobby".  They sleep with their stuffed toys every night.  

For whatever reason, James always get a little scared on this ride.  Notice the tight grip on the steering wheel.

The highlight of the fair was riding the Ferris Wheel once it was dark and looking down below on all the lights and fun.  There is nothing like the Del Mar Fair to usher in summertime.  And of course we had to get a slice of gingerbread cake to end the night on a sugar high!

More Summer Fun

Strawberry Picking with the Warren's is a tradition that is three years strong now and I hope it's one we can keep going!  It is so fun to pick berries and eat them along the way.  The kids love filling their baskets and their bellies, except Claire Warren, who to this day hates strawberries.  She manages to fill her basket anyway!  I'm hoping we'll be bringing our teenagers to the strawberry fields and forcing them to recreate the barn photo every year!

Charlotte, Foster, Claire, James

The Whole Crew

We took lots of trips to the Zoo this summer.  We went almost every week.  Some of our favorite spots at the zoo are Reptile Mesa, the crocodile on Monkey Trail and the Baboons.  Mom loves going just as much as the boys which is probably why we went so much.  We even started riding Skyfari this year now that we no longer bring a stroller, it's a whole new world.  

We brought dad along with us to Night Zoo and we took the boys to Alberts in the Tree Tops for dinner.  Our table was right next to the waterfall and from where we were we could see the Bonobos in their bedrooms for the night.  Such a fun night.

James with his best friend Jacob

Mom and Foster on Skyfari

Mom and Dad took our family to the Padres Game on Mormon Night.  It was a fun night and the boys loved watching the game.  And let's be honest, I enjoyed eating the food.  Fun had by all!

Of course we spent many of our summer days by the pool.  Whether it was at the Summerfield pool or a friend's house, we love swimming with friends.  Foster learned to swim without floaties this summer which made pool days even more fun!

It was a summer for the books.  These precious summers with our boys are some of our best times.  As they get older, I realize how fast they are growing and it just gets better and better.  We love our boys so much.