Beach

Interesting how different Noah and Jake's experiences were at the beach.

Starting with Noah. He had the most fun burying and excavating the dinosaurs we brought, all in the biggest sandbox he's ever seen.

and collecting beach treasures like shells and seaweed.

after playing for a long time, he ventured down to the water's edge.

But a few minutes later, a wave came and knocked him down. He cried for a long time. After a few minutes of offering sympathy, I couldn't help from taking a picture of the aftermath (cruel, I know).

He told me later when we were walking to our car that he had been afraid that he "was going to die." Even though there was no serious threat of that, it was still traumatic for the kid. Knowing that, I feel even worse for taking a picture!

I wasn't sure with all the trauma if he would have any positive memories, but this is what he just told me about his beach experience: "I liked playing. With the toys. I mean, in the sand. I did NOT like when I put my feet in the water. Because there was a big wave coming and I fell down. That is not my favorite." Well at least his memories were partly positive! One last contemplative picture of Noah.

What about Jake? He dug in the sand too,

but only for a few minutes before moving on to more exciting adventures like chasing seagulls.

Of course he had to bring his "mimi" along on his beach wandering. That is something I'll never forget-- seeing him run up and down the beach with all the energy in the world, dragging his blankie behind him.

He put his feet in the water too.

You can tell as he clung to Aunt Debbie's leg for dear life, he was a little timid at first, especially after seeing Noah's experience. But after the first minute or two, he loved it. And when he went down in a wave like Noah did, Jake only laughed!

All of us at the end of the day...still smiling!

Beautiful Backyard, Oranges, and Goats

During our California visit, we spent some time at Aunt Debbie's house who lives near Redondo Beach. She showed us a good time--which included exploring her spacious terraced backyard, picking and eating oranges, and visiting the zoo of animals at her neighbors' houses.

The backyard:

can you spot little Jake?

Noah enjoyed stomping through the rocky paths and shrubbery, pretending to be a --what else--dinosaur.
The oranges were delicious and so juicy! The fruit trees are one reason to love California.
Jake especially loved them.

Noah loved climbing the trees.

And then, the animals. Besides Aunt Debbie's pet dogs that the boys fell in love with, we saw wild peacocks, chickens and roosters, snakes, hamsters, and the cutest little baby goats.

Beach pictures to come...

California

We spent some time down in California for a week this month and had some good quality time with Kyle's family. Our first reason for going was Tayler's baptism. The timing of the trip worked out so we could also attend Cousin Whitney's missionary homecoming. But the third family event was a sad one--just before our trip, Kyle's uncle Kenny passed away suddenly. We were able to attend his funeral while we were down there. It was a beautiful service. Funerals are certainly not happy gatherings, but that kind of thing really makes you appreciate those family relationships and the time spent together.

A visual expression of the sweetness of family relationships:

The boys had a great time with the Morgan girls (and boy!). We were lucky to stay with Brooke and her family in their brand new house!

I wish I had a picture of the real house, it was beautiful. Curtis and Brooke did a great job of fixing it up and making it amazing. We had a blast staying with their family for the week. I'll never forget those dance parties! Those Morgans know how to have a good time! We were so proud of Tayler for being baptized. We really love her (which must be why Kyle butted in on the sweet mother-daughter picture)!