So Long San Diego?

So here is an update on our Spring Break: It turns out that in the future we should probably take a few shorter vacations more frequently. You see, we were feeling so vacation deprived (and really I think it has more to do with the sun and the warmth) that now that we are here, we are not really sure that we want to leave. Although there are definitely some draw backs to driving 19 hours to San Diego, there are definitely some perks. We don't HAVE to leave until we are absolutely ready.

We kicked off the Spring Break in style by taking the kids to see David Archuleta in concert. The kids had a hard time seeing over all of the adults. So I held Danny and Mike held Nathan the majority of the concert. The highlight was toward the end of the show when he sang "Crush." We danced and sang at the top of our lungs and got an incredible workout because I was dancing holding an extra 60 lbs, and Mike an extra 75 lbs...man the older boys are getting big!

AND NOW FOR SOME REASONS THAT WE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME LEAVING SAN DIEGO:

Reason #1: NO AGENDAS, NO WORRIES. We have just been "taking it as it comes" and "going with the flow" ever since we left Boise. It is nice that way because we don't have any expectations and we have not been disappointed once. Here the kids and I are at Powerhouse Beach. Just as a side note: Lydia is disgusted, terrified, and down right bugged by sand. She starts sobbing uncontrollably as soon as her little feet, or shoes touch the sand...which can be problematic when you visit beach after beach.

Reason #2: THE SCENERY. This place is just beautiful. Here Danny and Nathan are playing in the surf.

Reason #3: DEL MAR SWIRLS, which is a frozen yogurt place where you can add your own toppings. We've already been twice and the boys made us promise that we would hit it at least one more time on the way out of town. These frozen yogurt shops are popping up all over the place down here. These shops do not serve 80's style yogurt "pretending to be ice cream." These are hip, modern places where people go for true frozen yogurt! Delicious!

Reason #4: THE WEATHER!!! Here everyone is swimming in an OUTDOOR pool at Eliot's gym (which might as well have been a resort in Maui, with all the palm trees and the padded lounge chairs).

Reason #5: THE WILDLIFE. This picture shows Danny, Nathan, Ryan, Mike and Madison at La Jolla Cove. Just to the right of them on some rocks are a whole bunch of sea lions hanging out...which I somehow didn't manage to get a picture of. Not to mention the super fun day we had at the San Diego Zoo.

Reason #6: HANGING OUT WITH FAMILY. We have been staying with my sister Angie and her husband Eliot. We love staying up late and chatting. The kids have loved playing together, too. This is a picture of Lydia and her cousin Madison.

Reason #7: THE BEACHES. We've visited about 5 or 6 different beaches this week. Here Ryan is playing in the sand a few minutes before we started a bonfire to roast hot dogs and marshmallows.

Reason #8: THE SUNSETS. Here we watched the sun set on a pier in Oceanside. It is the longest wooden pier on the west coast. It is so cool to watch the sun dip right into the ocean.

Reason #9: Did you know that you can get into Disneyland for FREE on your birthday??

Today Mike went into work with Eliot and they let him use a conference room to do his work. I didn't see him until dinner and he came home talking about how he "was sure we could figure out how to move here and still keep his business in Boise." That would probably never really happen, but we can pretend for a couple of days. We have the "okays" from all of the kids' teachers and nothing else beckoning us back this very moment. So anyway, some may call us irresponsible, some may call us crazy, some may call us absolutely indulgent carrying on like this, but we're staying...probably until the end of the week.

We are just not quite ready to say, "So Long to San Diego"

Birthday Girl

Yesterday Lydia (more affectionately known as "Sissy Sue") had her Second Birthday. I haven't use one of these big flowers in Lydia's hair since she was a baby. Yesterday, as I was getting her ready, I decided it was perfectly appropriate for a birthday girl. It turned out kind of cute I think. We had a pretty uneventful day (well, minus the screaming and crying she did all the way through Target). When it came time for dinner all of kids helped make homemade pizza. "Deet-zah" is one of Lydia's favorites. She was pretty sad when she realized we couldn't eat it raw. She didn't want to put all of that lovely cheese and pepperoni in the oven.

Make a wish Lydia!

This is Lydia's first big attempt at blowing out her candle. She knew just what to do. The trouble was that more of the air was going up and blowing her bangs, than was actually going toward the candle. She could get it to flicker a bit, but even her deepest huffs and puffs weren't doing the trick.

This is Lydia's look of frustration after trying to blow out the candle five or six times. She didn't give up.

Success! Danny got behind Lydia, and pushed her face a little closer. Ryan was just about to jump in and help, and then Lydia blew out her candle...all by herself.

Once Lydia had gotten her candle blown out, there was no way she was going to open presents first. Lydia had worked hard and she insisted on having some cake! We cut the cake and put it on her high chair. We all thought it was so funny that she picked the whole thing up like a piece of pizza and went to town!

Lydia loved all of her presents. She got some My Little Ponies, a Stuffed Bear, some new shoes (have I mentioned how much she adores shoes?). She opened several nice gifts and so far this grocery cart from Mike and I has gotten the most mileage. At first it started out as a nice stroll...

...and then the race began. Lydia and all of the boys raced around our kitchen island over and over and over. They were laughing and giggling hysterically. They probably went around no less than 45 times! By the end all of us were laughing and giggling hysterically.

Danny gave Lydia this dress-up outfit. When she put it on it became the highlight of the evening. Although, I am lucky that I even got this shot. Lydia didn't want to quit running. What a Sweetie!

Happy Birthday Lydia May!

YMCA!

Yesterday was the first Family Night of the month. On the first Monday we always bag the lesson, get out of the house and do something fun. Each month we rotate who gets to choose the activity. Ryan chose to go swimming at the YMCA. Mike made no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies for our treat.

Isn't this the cutest suit? It is as gauzy and fluffy as it looks. Lydia loved wearing it. She got this suit for Christmas from her cousins that live in San Diego.


Here is the master mind behind our family night adventure. Thanks Ryan!


Sometimes I look at the older boys and can't believe how big they are getting. Isn't Danny handsome?


Nathan has really become a sweetheart to Lydia. He is always looking out for her. He was helping her walk around and "swim" in the baby pool.

Tubing Hill

We have had some inversion in Boise. Well, until yesterday we've had no sun and temperatures under 30 degrees every day, for 3 1/2 weeks! Our family was starting to go a bit stir crazy with out any sun, so we headed up to McCall which is above the inversion. The kids didn't have school. We loved getting reacquainted with the sunshine and blue skies. We found this place called the Activity Barn. It was so much fun to take turns tubing, and pulling Ryan and Lydia around on tubes.
Nathan, Danny and I

Mike and the boys in the action.

I love Nathan's red, wind blown cheeks.

Danny wanted to go down the fastest run every time!

Ryan was insistent that he was NOT going down "The Big Ones."

We had a hard time keeping Lydia's gloves on. Her little hands were so cold. After awhile she finally broke down crying because she was just so cold and miserable. She finished the afternoon up watching Diego in the van. I've tried to get her into some Princess movies, but she really LOVES Diego.

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*Just as a side note: We had a beautifully perfect, sunny day yesterday. The sun really does the soul some good don't you think? Since today is clouded over again, we'll look forward to seeing the sun again soon. Hopefully it won't be
3 1/2 weeks!