At the beach in CALI!

Oh beach, how we love you.  We love your combination of sand and water and wind and waves.  We love that we can both play and relax with you.  We love how the instant our bare feet touch you, the pressures of non-beach life are instantly lightened and pushed far away.  We love how your sand finds every last crease in our bodies and stays in our scalps.  We love how the sound of your waves mixes with the laughter of children and induces JOY!

It had been way too long since we were able to enjoy some quality time at a beach.  We learned that the California beach is different from the Carolina beach but still wonderful. 

She's holding up a dead jelly fish.

Cambree really wanted to be buried so we all helped...

...then Bree got unburied and Luke climbed into her hole.  So we buried him too.  He loved it!

California!

After much thought and consideration, BJ and I decided that for our big family vacation this year we would take the kids to San Diego.  They are all so into animals, especially of the ocean variety and it just sounded so fun.  Don't worry, it was.

Our first day there was a Sunday and so we visited Seal Beach.  Not sure if that's actually what it's called but it's a place where the seals hang out on the beach.  Obviously.  Hence it's name, right?  It was a little warm when we finally found a place to park so there were less seals than usual, so we were told.  But for those of us who've only seen seals in a zoo?  Well, we thought it was pretty cool that they were just...down there for us to look at.  Lots of crabs too (big ones)  and beach squirrels.  Of course.

Then we had a picnic right there close to the beach.

Luke did lots of this on our vacation (and always)...running away.  We spent a lot of time chasing him and when we tired of that we let him roam and try to become a part of other people's picnics.  

Then we made our way to the San Diego temple!  I think all of us were just immediately struck with how unique and beautiful and powerful and huge it was.  Wow.  Gorgeous.  I'm glad we have Sundays.  Even on vacations.

Oh, and we saw God's truck.  Cambree told us so.

We also spent a long, hot, feet killing day at the world famous San Diego Zoo!  Highlights of the zoo included:  the koalas.  BJ and I made everyone stay there for a while.  They were the first animals we saw and the last ones we saw.  So cute, never mind that they sleep 22 hours a day.

Cambree's favorite: flamingos...she could've stayed there allllllll day.  Oh and the air tram thing that we rode to the other side of the zoo.

Haylee's favorite:  the ducklings.  Yep, that right folks.  We drove all the way to California to look at some baby ducks.  Lucky for us, the beloved ducklings were swimming in the same exhibit as the flamingos.  BAM, 2 for one!

Luke's favorite:  not sure, he can't really talk yet.  He did seem to enjoy the fruit snacks we all kept giving him to keep his tired little body happy.  (PS, lots of fruit snacks = green poo, AKA "vacation poo" - we don't eat a lot of fruit snacks at home, that's why it's not home poo as well.)

We also spend a day and 3/4 at Sea World.  I had no idea there was more to it than all the sea animals.  Wait, I did.  We read up on it a ton beforehand.  I just didn't realize there were going to be so many rides and games and so amusement park-y.  We let Bree go on some rides but we really did spend most of our time in the animal exhibits.  And locating rest rooms.  And places to buy Diet Coke.

At the killer whale show

Playing with sea stars

Before we went Haylee said she really wanted to touch a dolphin.  We were too cheap and she was too young anyway to do the thing where you get in the water with the dolphins and it was just so crowded so we didn't think we'd be able to make it happen.  But then we found this "Connect with the Dolphins" thing.  The walls were nice and low so we boosted all three kids up on their tummies and it happened.  We were all able to touch and explore the dolphins up close.  It was a memorable experience.

 Part II coming soon!