The Beach - 2012

We finally hit the beach this summer. It was just for one day, but it was a woooooonderful day! It was a day I had been looking forward to (and talking about) all week.
I love the beaches in Orange County so much more than LA county. I'm glad we drove the extra 30 minutes to try out a new beach instead of the usual stand by in Santa Monica. We were aiming for Coronado Del Mar, but ended up 2 miles south at the state park between Newport and Laguna. It was a great spot.
We left the house bright and early so we could hopefully avoid traffic, but get a good spot on the beach. We got to Newport Beach around 10:30am and stopped at a Starbuck's to use the Wi-Fi. I wanted to download my magazines on the Nook. It also worked out great because I had two SB gift cards, which meant we all got a creme frappuccino before soaking in the sun.

We ended up at Crystal Cove State beach and it was really easy to get all of our gear from the car to the beach, since the parking lot was on the other side of the PCH. We brought a pop-up tent and an ice chest, so we could hang out all day. It was very relaxing and the weather was PREFECT.

I took the bottom picture today at the beach and the picture on top was from Florida in 2010. Two years really flies by.

We left the beach around 5:30 and stopped by Sprinkles cupcakes in Newport Beach. I bought two cupcakes and we all took bites. Wiggy of course passed out in the car 2 seconds in the 5 minute drive, so she didn't get any.

We drove up to Costa Mesa to Cafe Rio. Mmmmmm.

Wiggy just woke up and I had to capture the facial expressions she was giving her dad as he snuck a piece of her cheese quesadilla.

Chicken salad. So good.

We left Cafe Rio by 8 and started to head back up the 405. We stopped in at Sprinkles Ice Cream at 9pm. We have never been before, so I really wanted to try it.

Waiting patiently on their order.

I ordered the vanilla cupcake sandwich with salted caramel ice cream in the middle. All of the kids got the red velvet waffle cone with one scoop of ice cream. Bubba tried salted caramel, Tubbs got red velvet, and Wiggy got the vanilla.

A nice treat for the last leg of our trip. Luke just took a bite from each of ours.

What a great way to spend a day. I could do this EVERY day!! :)

Swim Season 2012

This summer the boys swam with the Lakeside team again. We actually debated earlier in the summer if the boys were going to swim this year because in April the boys enrolled in Tae Kwon Do. The boys have practices 4-5 times a week and they are really enjoying it. The schedule was tough before school ended, to have them at Tae Kwon Do practice from 4-5 and then out at the Lakeside pool practicing from 6:15 - 8pm. Once school ended it seemed a little easier, but it was still difficult for us to arrange a good time to eat dinner together. The boys would come home from practice after 5:15 and be out the door an hour later. Rush, rush, rush.
Anyways, we decided to leave the boys in swimming this summer because staying busy can be a good thing....and the boys needed the exercise. Both boys seemed to pick up big appetites this summer. I guess you can call it growing up, but it finally caught up to my two oldest piggies. In fact, in June we decided to get a lock for the pantry door to keep ALL three bugs out! Now I just need a lock for the refrigerator.
Ok-- I'm getting sidetracked.

Back to swimming!

The boys had another wonderful season. We didn't go to as many meets as usual because of camping. The boys went camping three times so far this summer...and they missed the first meet of the season so Luke and I could go to my company picnic at Disneyland. Looking back on the last 7 weeks of summer break, we have been pretty busy.
I am proud of the boys for the effort they put in and working hard.

Last week there was a parent/coach relay in the middle of the meet. I don't know what I was thinking, but it WAS hot outside and I was desperate. I even sported Bubba's goggles this year.

Swim championships today.

Bubba made it to the finals in the backstroke and placed 8th. Tubbs made it to the finals in the backstroke and breast stroke. Tubbs took 7th in the back stroke and 3rd in the breast stroke.

Camping with Grandma and Grandpa

Somehow I thought I all ready posted on this, since I posted on Wiggy's fabulous week as an only child...but I didn't.
Luke's parents took the boys camping again this year in their RV. The boys REALLY look forward to this---especially Bubba. Bubba loves to be outdoors...with no showers or need to clean himself.
Sticks.
He loves to play with sticks...or other weird objects he finds along the way. He would probably make the perfect homeless person one day. Hopefully that's not the case, but I don't think he would be miserable if he was.
Anyways, that Thursday morning Luke and Wiggy drove the boys to Tehachapi to meet up for the drop off. By Saturday morning we were beside ourselves, waiting for them to call. We really missed them. The boys were gone for 6 L-O-N-G days.
We picked them up Wednesday evening back up in Tehachapi. It was so nice to have all three hyenas back together. Wiggy really missed her "bruthas" and I think the boys missed her more than Luke and I. Oh well.