Summer California Trip

I was thinking about how when we had just Emry I used to go home to California like 4-5 times a year. It was an easy flight--short and cheap, and so we did it often. But recently we've only been going for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. I decided we needed to make the effort to go more often so off we went to California. My mom helped me drive down there with the three kids. We drove straight through and the kids did awesome on the drive! We had so much fun but we missed our daddy while we were gone.

 Morning snuggles on the couch

 We spent the whole day swimming at Grandma Donna's. Emry took a 2 week swimming class and so she did really awesome swimming.

Love reading books with Grandma before bed

 We spent Saturday at the Orange County Fair. I loved going to the fair growing up so it's always so fun for me to take my kids back.

 They had a "reading program" thing at the fair where if the kids wrote a book report on 3 books, they got free ride tickets. So we had Emry draw pictures of the books she had read so we could ride fun rides!

 She got brave and wanted to ride all the rides she could!

 My dad was great and held Norah almost the whole time.

 Eating ice cream to cool off. It was so hot!

 The best cinnamon roll in the world! It's tradition to get one every time!

 Welsey bonked his head hard so I fashioned an ice pack out of Norah's head band. Pretty genius!

 Beach day! Emry loved the sand--being buried, digging, etc. But she was totally scared of the waves and water. Wesley loved jumping over the waves. All in all, the beach was a success.

 Emry with her mermaid tail!

What a cutie!

 Let's say the kids were so spoiled the whole time we were there. One morning Cameron wasn't thrilled with the cereal choices so Grandpa decided to take the kids to get donuts. Two each! haha! These kids!

 

More swimming! Norah really liked swimming because the pool water was really warm.

 This is the cutest baby ever!

  One day we drove to Malibu to see Scott and his hotel, Calimigos Ranch. It was so beautiful and fun to see where Scott works. 

Sitting poolside!

 There's this old carousel on the property that was so perfect! It had so much character I just loved it! (The kids did too!)

 These two love each other!

 They have the most beautiful wedding sites on the property. This one in particular was so pretty. It is the location where they shot the wedding scene in Parenthood, the tv show.

 The ranch has a little private place that you can walk down to the beach. It was so beautiful.

 Eating dinner, Emry says she wants pickles. She has always said she doesn't like pickles but since being at my mom's she now says she likes them. It's hilarious because she only says that because she wants to be like Cadence who actually does like pickles. She was telling she like pickles as she ate one and practically choked it down. Hilarious! She just loves her cousins!

 On our way home we stopped at Kris and Bjorn's to have a little break. Here is Norah and Rosie (born only 3 days apart!).