WE FOUND THE BEACH

After checking out the mine we decided to find a park to have our picnic lunch. With no place in mind we found this great park in Daybreak.  Sam has dubbed it the "Awesome Park," and I have to concur.  It has these cool spider web play structures where the kids can climb to their hearts content.  There was a cool spinny thing that Amy and I had fun with kind of like a modified merry-go-round.  They had a separate area like a skate park for little kids and the best part.  They had a beach!!

modified merry-go-round

Brennen w"water bending"

My kids have been begging and begging me to go to the beach, They keep forgetting there isn't one here.  Imagine how thrilled I was to find this little gem.  Now I know it's not the same thing but for the little ones its pretty close.  It felt so good for me to have my toes in the sand and water again I can't even describe it.  I was momentarily transported back to lazy summer days when we would head off to the beach so the kids could play and I could take in the sun and sand (not to mention I WAS avoiding house work).  All I needed was my beach chair and a book.  It would have been nice to have the sound of the waves but I bet I could download something on my ipod. Brennen had a great time practicing his water bending (their into Avatar again) Peter and Lizzy couldn't get enough of the sand.  Sam was trying to build the dam of all dams, and Landon was just happy to be there assisting in any way he could.

I think I might be heading this way a little more often than I should.

Good bye Beach

The beach has been such therapy for me and my kids.We visited it for the last time and it was sorely needed. Whenever I am too stressed out we head to the beach. There is just something about the warmth of the sun, the grit of the sand, the brush of wind, and the sound of the waves that is just so calming. It may also have to do with the fact that its cheap (free), my kids love it and
don't need much involvment on my part so I can actually relax.
I will miss you beach. Who else is going to wash all my stress away by just being there?
So fare the well my beloved beach. I hope to come visit you.

Hollywood beach

We have three weeks for spring break so I needed some things to do so we didn't all go crazy.
One sure fire activity is the beach. I love going to the beach. The kids have a great time, its free, and I am able to enjoy myself instead of fulfilling everyone needs.
We went with a group to Hollywood beach. It was hard to get to because it was tucked away in an unknown neighborhood. Once we got there, everything was good. It was not crowded (always a plus in California) It was clean, and the bathrooms even had soap. For those of you who aren't familiar, No beach bathrooms have soap.
Ellie and William practiced their skill at boogie boarding. I have to admit they are getting better.
Scott even tagged along and stayed more than an hour. He and the sun are not friends. So I came prepared. I brought the new shelter his hat plenty of snacks and a book to keep him entertained while the kids enjoyed childhood.

Beach day with Amy

My sister Amy came to visit for a week and we were so happy to have family come. Sometimes we feel so isolated we just crave the visits. She has two fun boys and the sweetest little girl Lizzy who was always so happy and patient.

We had a nice day coming up so we thought we would hit the beach. We couldn't have picked a more perfect day at the beach. The weather was perfect and warm, not too hot, not to cold, there was no wind, and it was not crowded. Absolutley Perfect. It was so good to get away and forget all my worries and stress and just enjoy God's wonderful creations.

Amy and I enjoyed the serenity while our children chased the waves and rolled in the sand. I love to watch them explore and experience things. It like I'm experiencing them all over again.

The kids had a great time. The older ones went sand jumping, sand crab hunting and sledding. The Southern California version of sledding. (check out the video to see what I mean.) Unfortuately I forgot the sunblock and pore Sam the fair skinned beauty got fried. The rest just got a healthy glow but Sam was bright red. So sorry Amy. I hope it wasn't too painful for him.

The beach is one thing I will miss when we move to Utah. I guess I will just have to go to the lakes more often.

Cool

I was planning on buying a pop up sun shelter for when we go to the beach or the lake. (Not an easy up. a shelter like a little cabana) I priced them out and they were more than I am willing to shell out. So I have be keeping my eyes open when I saw this at Costco.
I was hesitant because it was over $20 (it was $30) I know I'm cheap. I totally clam up when I buy anything that costs more than $20. So. . . I put it in my cart and walked all around Costco trying to decide if I should buy it or not. Finally I hear my mothers voice in my head saying "Oh just buy it Jane! If you totally regret it, it's Costco you can return it." Then I heard my husbands voice saying "Don't be so cheap Jane, I think we can afford it."

so maybe I'm going crazy 'cause I'm hearing voices but you already knew I was crazy.

So I bit the bullet and bought it. It folds up a little smaller than a camp chair. The coolest thing about this is the set up. It literally takes about 7 seconds from being in the bag to fully set up. All you do it pull a cord and voila.
The kids decided to play camp out with it as soon as I popped it open. They even got into the trail mix although it looked more like raccoons got into the trail mix. I guess it was a monkey. (notice Peter in his monkey jacket from Halloween.) So now if the weather could warm up we could really try it out.

January beach day

Those of you that have read my earlier post will probably think I can't make up my mind. However my motto is to enjoy my life where I'm at right now. Never waiting for things to happen or change to my ideal.
Today was an unusually warm day 85 degrees in January. So we decided to take the day off and head to the beach. It was about 77 at the beach. Poor Ellie was not feeling well but I thought the fresh air would help her feel better. We packed the car and headed out to one of my favorite winter beaches. For some reason this beach is better in the winter than the summer. It was a great day to get away. Scott and I are coming up on the end of our 5 year plan so we have been trying to put together another 5-10 year plan for our family. The talking consists mainly of employment and housing. All very valid subjects but a lot of hard decisions.



Today was a day just for fun. Just for now. The tide was really low so there were a lot of tide pools where we watched the sea come to life. I love the picture of the sea urchin and then the close up of the same one. To me it looks like graphic art. It just goes to show how much time and detail was put into this beautiful earth for us to enjoy. The water was even warm enough to get in. I do love days like this, where nothing else matters but to just enjoy what is around us. Usually with me that includes water. I blame it on my mother. I believe she is really part mermaid. If only I could prove it. . .

Sea Shells

What do you do with all those interesting shells you find at the beach?
We like to make necklaces out of them. Here is our most recent batch.
Sometimes we keep them for ourselves.

Other times we give them as little thank you gifts. At the end of the last school year we gave them to my kids teachers with a note that said,

"Something from my favorite place for one of my favorite people"

They were a huge hit.
The trick is to find ones with holes already in them. Unless you have a diamond drill bit. (Seashells are next to impossible to drill otherwise) We also lacquer them so they look fresh from the ocean (shiny)

Carpenteria

My Sister Kate and her hubby Kyle came to visit. It was so nice to have people come visit us. The weather here has been super HOT!!! 115 degrees. We were going to go on the wave runners but changed our plans deciding we would totally cook at the lake. So we did the next best thing. THE BEACH. Carp is a really nice beach. The drive is a little longer but worth it. Peter was very brave on this particular outing. He loved playing in the water. I didn't let him go very far much to his disappointment . He keeps forgetting he is only 1yr old.
Kate and Kyle just enjoyed the sand but that is what you do on vacation.
Scott burried all the kids. You can look at their faces to see if they enjoyed it or not.
Ellie spent most of her time finding sand crabs (gross) she found this really big one ->
William kept up with his boogie board practice. He almost got the hang of it.
Brennen was mad that I left his life jacket in the car, but he got over it and just did what Brennen does best. Make noise and mayhem. Only its okay at the beach because the waves drowned out the sound. It turned out to be a great day at the beach.
After the beach we walked the 2 blocks to the farmers market. They had some BEAUTIFUL flowers. I really wanted to buy some tuberose, they smelled Sooooo GOOD.

They were very expensive so I couldn't justify it. We decided on some fresh berries and honey. YUMMMMMM
There is just something calming and rejuvenating about the beach