San Clemente Camping

The same alcove that Jamie and Daddy love so much. Bobby and Jillian wanted their turn for a picture.


A relished lazy day filled with reading, snuggling, board games, and a campfire.




We snuck in one more visit with my brother and family, Robb's wings, super bowl, skate ramps, club houses; good times.
I'm sorry for the goofy picture of Jimmy T, but in my defense, he was trying to be silly.

Through the Years

When Jamie was a week old we moved up to the San Clemente Campground. Robb used to walk her down on the beach while I grabbed some much needed sleep.
Here they are at about one week.



We were back when Jimmy T was born and a six month old Jamie apparently remembered the soothing walks, here she is sound asleep in the same alcove on the way up from the beach.



And though we have been back a few times since, we finally go the picture to go with the trip.

Wild Animal Park

Really you should be impressed with this excursion.

For some reason all the memories I have of going to the zoo take place in unbearable heat with unmentionable smells and dirt.

Robb tends to think of the defeated look in the eyes of animals not meant to live in tiny little cages.






But with this park's reputation, the cool weather and the off season non-crowds, we managed to get over preconceived terrors and surprise the kids with a trip to the Wild Animal Park.

It was awesome!
Believe it or not I am being VERY conservative with the amount of pictures I am sharing. Robb got some amazing shots and as the kids were watching over my shoulder they thought that quite a few more should be added.

But really, how many people truly need to see a lion peeing, even if it is a really good shot?










My page arrangement leaves something to be desired but I tried to do this post while the kids were awake and chaos is slowly descending around me....

Encinitas Tide Pools

The kids used all their new found knowledge at the tide pools in Encinitas the next day.

SeaLife

Don't ask me how he does it, but Robb somehow convinced the park to let us use the tickets to SeaLife (the aquarium next to Legoland) the next day.



It was empty, just the way we like places, which meant as much sea star holding, anemone poking, seaweed feeding and up close gazing we could stand.

Legoland

Yes, Legoland happened.

It all started in the hotel in Palm Springs when Jamie came back from a trip to the lobby with Robb, carrying a Legoland brochure.

It was a first for all of us and we enjoyed it immensely.

A couple things made this so; Robb found a homeschooling discount which saved us almost $300. (Seriously)
And we went on a Monday in the off season.

And now I prove that there is more than one photographer in the family: otherwise known as one lucky shot.


This is right before Bobby saw the stream of water shooting out and decided to take it full in the face. He thought it was hilarious. I on the other hand used Jillian's sweatshirt to block it. To each his own.



Jillian earning her driver's license. I was watching Bobby and Jamie on the older kid track.
They took the test quite seriously and were more than a bit dismayed to find out everyone received a license at the end.
Even those boys who "ran all the red lights, drove on the wrong side of the road, and, Mom, I think they actually tried to run into each other!?!"
Now is a good of a time as any to tell them; it really doesn't change much.

In Sweet Home San Diego

I called it so for about five years and we are enjoying the stroll down memory lane. It is funny what one remembers and what it is that sparks those memories.

While most of the country is buried in snow and ice we are appreciating the sun and sand.

We have officially become 'those crazy people from Idaho' though I think I usually assumed Iowa.

You know the ones, playing in the ocean in the dead of winter.

At least we've still got our tans from Christmas and Robb hasn't started wearing black socks with sandals... yet.