For a last little trip before my parents head to Deutschland and BR (Baby Rach) heads for Rome, we went on a last family getaway to San Diego! We stayed in an AMAZING beach house and had SO much fun! It is always so much fun to be together- even though it is MORE than crazy most of the time with 7 very rambunctious children running around. We did a little bit of everything. LOTS of relaxing, lots of time hangin out at the beach, some time hangin around at the condo, a FABULOUS day in Disneyland (where we only lost one wipes case, one really cute hat that I am really sad that we lost, and one pair of sunglasses), and some great time altogether. I love my family, and we are really going to miss my parents while they are gone for THREE YEARS! (Not a big deal...not a big deal...not a big deal...) and Rachel as well while she is serving her mission- but we know that they are going to do amazing things in Germany and in Italy as well. We had some really great devotionals each night that each of us kids were in charge of and had some great spiritual talks with each other. Thanks Mom and Dad for the FABULOUS time! We will remember it and hang on this wonderful trip for the next three years when we can finally do it all again!
(WOAH!! This is aLOT of pictures! But considering there were over 500 took, I think I did pretty great with only 39! :) )
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| We went to the grocery store a few times during the trip and MAN did we get alot of food! 17 people eat ALOT of food! It was so nice though not to have to go out to eat for every meal! Here are 5 of the kiddies munchin' on some cere for breakfast! |
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| Did I mention that I L O V E having a baby girl?! Even though she looks like a Japanese baby (as Rocky and Courtney say) right after she gets out of the bath because her hair is STICK straight and so dark! |
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| The kids getting ready to go down to the beach with their new "satchels" as my kids call them. (They are always pretending to be someone and with their satchels, they are Flynn Ryder.) Mylie Jane, Lincoln, Payton and Rubydoo. I can't believe how much MJ looks Like her Mama in this picture! That is TOTALLY Courtney's smile! |
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| Morgs was a TOTAL beach babe! She LOVED the sand, and waves, and everything about it. |
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| Lincoln was ALWAYS in the water! He loved loved loved it too! So cute. The water was NOT that warm, so I am very impressed that they spent as much time in the water as they did! |
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| Payton, too, loved the water, but his favorite part was going up into the little hot tub that we had in our house each time he went into the water! Luckily, he as a SOFTY Grandma that will take him wherever he wants to go! Thanks Grandma B! |
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| My cutest Mom and I takin a ride on the beach cruisers that actually got STOLEN that very night after we rode on them down the boardwalk! So sad that people have to steal things that someone else work so hard to have. |
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| These two are total kindred spirits. Both EXTREMELY crazy, but just about the cutest kids in the land! |
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| Lovin on the hot tub! Many a minutes were spent in that little baby! |
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| Even Morgs loved it! |
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| Playing peek-a-boo- the BEST game in the land- according to THIS baby girl! |
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| Peek-a-boo Grandma! |
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| Each day (actually, about 3 times a day) my Mom would come out of her room with her arms full of a "little something" for the Grandkids. They think that she is the bomb. She gave them all a really fun bucket-o-sand toys for the beach, and they built some pretty cool sandcastles! Cole LOVES to build sandcastles, and reinforce them any way that he can. Smart boy- that one! |
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| Me and Baby Rach. I love her, and she is going to be an AMAZING missionary come August 31st! |
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| For Mother's Day, all the cute boys gave us girls a NIGHT OUT! WHAT! It was SO much fun! It was nice to be altogether and not have any screaming (or otherwise) children to take care of! It was VEWY WEWAXING! |
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| First, we headed out to get a Pedicure. We had the whole joint to ourselves! It was so much fun! I can't think of very many things that I like better than a great pedicure! These ladies did NOT disappoint! |
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| Then we went to Joe's Crab shack for dinner (a delicious one I might add!) Court- we still are trying to figure out why- ordered the Lobster! She isn't much of a fishy person, and having the whole lobster there for her to feast her eyes (and her stomach) on was a bit too much for her to handle! It didn't help that it wasn't the BEST Lobster any of us had ever tasted, but it sure was funny watching her try to stomach the lobsters eyes, claws, head, body, etc. |
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| We had our family pictures taken while we were there, and the kids were all over the place! They were so cute. I can't find one of the whole fam, but you'll just have to take my word for it that they were cute! Here's Payton and Ruby in the cutest little hug ever! |
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| We were right on the beach, and it was SUPER hard to try and get the kids to stay out of the water, and clean and looking presentable and happy while we took the pics, but we did it! But shortly after, cutest little Payton fell into the water, and then proceeded to climb a HUGE mound of dirt. He was SO dirty- and I was very glad that it happened BEFORE the pictures were taken! |
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| Of all the kids- Lincoln was probably the hardest to try and keep happy. It's pretty hot and cold with this kid. He's either REALLY happy, or REALLY sad, and sometimes it's hard to convince him that he should be happy. He broke down a few times while we were taking the pictures, but he was bribed by a sweet sucker by the photographer, so we were able to sneak in all the ones that we needed to. This was the fake smile that he had pasted on his face for most of the time. Cute little dude. |
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| Mal, Court, Rach and Me. I look like a GIANT! Oh well...:) |
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| Whoops, she has NO NECK, and a really round head! But OH MY GOSH she is cute! |
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| We did alot of this....playing the Wii! On the way home, we asked the kids what was their favorite part of the trip, and Lincoln said "Getting presents from Grandma, and Playing MARIO KART!" |
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| Two of their "prizes". Some sunglasses and a color your own ball/paddle game-thingy. |
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| My cute brothers just comin in from their boogie board/surf ride. We did some good boogie boarding! It was way fun! I opted OUT of a pic with me in a wetsuit. You saw all that in the last post! ;) |
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| These two babies are 10 months apart, and Libby weighs the same as- if not a little bit MORE than Morgan! SO CUTE! And of course, Grandma B had to get them some matching swimsuits, and sun hats! |
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| These two (mylie and link) are as thick as thieves! They did everything together on this trip. Sometimes they leave out poor Drew, but they still have SO much fun together. |
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| It was just my dad's 60th birthday! (I know, can you believe how great he looks for 60!!!) All of us kids pitched in and made him a scrapbook with memories we have of him. Here we all are looking at it together. It's really weird...we're all big. (Grow-up that is!) |
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| Morgs building a castle with her beloved Daddy! Oh man does she love him! |
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| We went to "Seal Beach" and saw the seals and Morgs thought it was pretty cool! |
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| The ride home in the airplane was a little bit rough! The kids were all SO tired, but none of them would fall asleep! That is- until 5 minutes before the plane was supposed to land! All three zonked (and me too- I guess) and that is why we totally forgot Lincoln's bag on the plane! So sad- all of his toys. Lesson Learned. |
Thanks so much Mom and Dad! We will miss you more than you'll know- life won't be the same without you.
