but not so this year my friends. this year, we are on crack! California crack! our first trip was in march when we went to Monterey to visit my sister and her family. then in april we went to Disneyland with Chris' dad and co. then in june we went to Mission Beach in San Diego with Chris' mom, step-dad, and Robert's family. and it was AWESOME.
chris' mom and Jerry have been planning this trip since LAST year- when they decided they didn't want to give us a Christmas present- and instead gifted us this trip. and it was worth it!! my kids don't need more toys- they need more awesome memories with people they love! and this year was choc full of that so we are counting ourselves extremely blessed. and as Robert aptly, though depression-inducingly, noted- that lily is already 1/3 away from being out of the house so we need to be creating memories ASAP styles!
so we left for San Diego on a Saturday, and got back the following Saturday. so wonderful to spend a whole week away from this sweltering desert that we call home! Barb and Jerry rented out a beach house that was about 27 steps away from the beach. it could not have been more awesome. we played at the beach twice a day, most kids, and sometimes adults took naps during the day, we ate in for 98% of our meals- which was perfect because Mia is at the anti-being-in-public portion of her toddler career. and most of those meals were MAD DELICIOUS! and I didn't have to make hardly any of them!!!! (coincidence?... I don't know...)
the kids loved playing in the sand, burying themselves, jumping in the waves, finding sea shells, and surfing on boogie boards. all six of them were so ridiculously good, I didn't even know how to handle it. I was afraid the beach- and mostly the ocean, were going to be too dangerous and crazy for the kids. but they seriously did so stinkin great. lily even got stung by jellyfish remnants twice, but she handled it like a champ.
most nights Robert, Lindsay, Chris and I played cards. I LOVED that too. such a simple activity that just doesn't occur when we are at home. everything about the trip was excellent. it was laid back, fun, and relaxing. the only outing we went on was to the San Diego Wildlife Zoo. it was fun, and made all the more so when we go to hang out with 13 other Watsons who just happened to be in San Diego on vacation the exact same week as us, and who also happened to buy the exact same discounted tickets that we did on LivingSocial.
all in all, our family has been spoiled rotten by our extended family this year and we are SO VERY THANKFUL for it all.
these pics are in reverse order...:
chris and the kids before we met our friends, The Perry's, before we drove back home.
eating fruit snacks on the beach!
building castles in the sand
Robert taking lily 'surfing'. he just spun her round and round and round and she just loved it so much! she even got a jellyfish sting on her leg while doing this but it did not stop her from living out the movie that the kids watched 100 times that week- Barbie: A Mermaid Tale.
Mia LOVED the water. she didn't care that it was dangerous or occasionally freezing. true, unconditional love.
Topher also loved boogie boarding.
Dinner at the beach house.Magnifique!
Robert showing off the awesome fish that he caught with Chris deep sea fishing. we ate well that night!
the kids with Nana and Papa before they left early on Thursday.
my boy Corban and I on the tram at the zoo.
Jerry, Lily, and Topher's knee cap, and Lindsay in the hat, on the tram.
Mia walking with Barb and Jerry.
My crazy kids.
Lily and Topher during all the other kids' nap time. I really loved hanging out with them quietly during the day. they colored, played with their hero factory, and were just so awesome while I read. a book! I read a book. it was magic. the quiet, the fellowship, the book, the reading. all of it!
family fun!
one of my fave pics from the week, which also happened to be our first time at the beach.
enjoying the 6 hour drive.. pray for us cause we are flying/traveling to Toronto this Saturday! and by 'we' I mean the kids and I... hopefully there will be a lot of this 'Mia napping' business...
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